There are two concepts in computing that can be confusing since both are related to the security of computer systems. A firewall is the part of a system or network designed to block unauthorized access while allowing authorized communications. An antivirus is a computer program whose purpose is to detect and remove viruses and malicious programs from the system. The difference between firewall and antivirus is given below in the post. Keep reading..
Firewall
It is a part of a system or network that is designed to block unauthorized access by allowing only authorized communications. It can be a device or group of devices that are configured to allow, limit, encrypt, and decrypt traffic based on rules and criteria. They are implemented in hardware and software or combined. They are frequently used to prevent unauthorized Internet users from gaining access to private networks connected to the Internet, especially intranets. All messages that enter and leave the intranet pass through the firewall, this checks them and blocks those that or meet the specified criteria.
Firewalls do not protect against attacks that do not pass through it, they cannot protect against threats from insider attacks, against social engineering attacks against computer viruses or against security flaws in services.
Antivirus
Antiviruses are computer programs whose purpose is to detect and eliminate viruses and all kinds of harmful programs before or after they enter the system. You can also remove them when they have already infected your system. Antiviruses have evolved based on the functions that viruses perform. For this reason, there are various types of antivirus such as antimalware, antispam, adware, and other types of comprehensive system protections. Antivirus scans perform on-demand system scans and identify tracks left by viruses in computer files.
Difference between firewall and antivirus
- An antivirus is a program that analyzes, detects, or cleans our system in case of virus infection. It also protects the computer from future infections.
- Firewalls are equipment installed in hardware or software that regulates access to networks or the intranet. It establishes protocols that classify and authorize the passage of information between the external network and the internal network.
- A firewall can encrypt or decrypt all the information that passes through it. Block unauthorized access to the network.
- Antivirus scans the system for virus infections in files on a system.
