Firewalls were created to help users protect themselves against unauthorized or unwanted communications between their computer and external hosts.
Users can also rely on firewalls to prevent unauthorized accounts from accessing private networks connected to the Internet.
There are several freeware firewalls that can be installed on home computers, meaning that they should not be used in business environments.
Users need to be aware that creating too strict firewall rules might block Internet access altogether, therefore computer skills are required.