Firewalls
Tech Brief
What is a Virtual Firewall?
A virtual firewall is simply software that regulates the flow of data that is incoming as well as outgoing. Basic firewalls are usually already included in most computers. The firewalls that a provided with the various Windows and Mac operating systems is to prevent unauthorized access by a remote user. With a software firewall, if another computer is infected with a virus, it will not affect the initial computer. Along with that, virtual firewalls are able control certain applications from accessing the internet.
Due to it being very available for many computers, virtual firewalls are used mostly for computers that are for personal use. They are slo good for small or traveling businesses. Traveling businesses may not have the luxury of having the extra hardward with them while they travel, so the software included in the computer will work perfectly fine. Because it is just software that is ready to be used, most regular users to not need to upgrade their firewall software. If upgrading was needed, the upgrade of software is reletevly cheap in comparison to physical firewalls.
What is a Physical Firewall?
A physical fire wall is a physical piece of hardward that has similar software that is use for vitual firewalls. Physical firewalls are used to help protect multiple computers under the same network. Large Companies are able to regulate all of the computers under their network using one physical piece of firewall equipment. Using that same piece of hardware they are able to control the various access of each computers. Some computers would have less acess while others have more, even though they are under the same network connection.
Most of us think that we are only protected by the firewalls that our computers provide. Little do many know that if we are using a router to connect to the internet.
Firewalls in the Market
In the 2 graphs pictured above it shows the variances from 2010 and 2011 in regaurds to the different manufacutres and their percentage within the markey. Although in the first graph it only shows the differences in firewall spending in 2010 and 2011 just the fact that there was a growth in spending over all shows there is an increase in the market. In comparison to the 2nd graph the over all manufacturers are a bit different even though it is only a year later. Cisco still has a reltively large portion of the overall market, but what used to be a close second, Check Point’s piece in the global market is significantly smaller than the previous year.
In the graph pictured above shows the projected market from 2012 to 2018. In comparison to the other regions, the Asia-Pacific and EMEA (Europe, Middle East, and Africa) are estimated to practially double in enterprise. The Americas is only forecasted to grow only about 1 Billion. In the states we may think that our security is growing, the rate that the over all security need is growing all over the globe is very large. in 2012, it was about 3.6 billion, by the year 2018 it is estimated to reach 6.8 billion which is almost doubled.
