Firewall (construction)

A firewall in construction is like a very strong and tough wall built between two buildings or sections of a building. Imagine you have two rooms, and you want to control the movement of things from one room to the other. The firewall is the wall that separates these rooms and lets only certain things pass through it.

Similarly, a firewall in a computer or network is a security system that controls the flow of information between two networks, such as the internet and a company's internal network. It checks and filters all data packets that attempt to pass through it, allowing only authorized data to get through while blocking unwanted or harmful traffic.

So, just like a physical firewall, a network firewall also serves as a protective barrier that prevents unauthorized access to your computer or network. It looks at every incoming and outgoing packet of data and decides whether to allow or block it based on pre-set rules and policies.

Think of it as a security guard at the entrance of a building who checks everyone's ID before letting them in. The firewall checks the data packets' identity and decides if they should be allowed into the network or not.

In summary, a firewall in construction is like a very strong and tough wall that separates two parts of a building, while a network firewall is a security system that acts as a protective barrier and controls the flow of data between networks, ensuring only authorized data gets through.