i need this paper by 10/29 afternoon.Strictly NO plagiarism …
i need this paper by 10/29 afternoon. Strictly NO plagiarism please use your own words, Using the Web or other resources, do a bit of research on the methodologies that Microsoft Windows firewall uses. Consider the strengths and weaknesses of that approach. Post 300 words. materials needed:
Answer
Title: Analysis of Methodologies Used by Microsoft Windows Firewall: Strengths and Weaknesses
Introduction:
In the prevailing digital era, the importance of securing computer systems from external threats cannot be underestimated. Firewalls play a crucial role in protecting computers from unauthorized access and maintaining system integrity. Microsoft Windows Firewall, being an integral part of the Windows operating system, employs a set of methodologies to safeguard computer systems. This paper aims to analyze the methodologies utilized by Microsoft Windows Firewall, highlighting their strengths and weaknesses.
Methodologies of Microsoft Windows Firewall:
1. Packet Filtering:
Microsoft Windows Firewall employs packet filtering as its primary methodology for filtering network traffic. Packet filtering inspects each packet of data traffic based on pre-defined rules and makes decisions regarding whether to allow or deny the packet’s passage. This methodology offers benefits such as simplicity, efficiency, and low computational overhead, as it only examines the packet header, source/destination addresses, and ports. However, the weaknesses of packet filtering include vulnerability to application-layer attacks, inability to detect malicious content within allowed packets, and susceptibility to IP spoofing.
2. Stateful Inspection:
Stateful Inspection is an advanced technique incorporated by Microsoft Windows Firewall to provide additional security. This methodology maintains information about the state of connection sessions to evaluate inbound and outbound traffic for potential threats. By keeping track of established connections, it can ensure that incoming packets belong to a legitimate connection and prevent unauthorized data transfers. Stateful Inspection adds an additional layer of security beyond packet filtering by considering contextual information. Nevertheless, this methodology may introduce complexities in managing state information for large-scale network deployments and can still be vulnerable to protocol-level attacks.
3. Application Layer Gateway (ALG):
Microsoft Windows Firewall utilizes Application Layer Gateway to impose additional security measures particularly for application-specific protocols such as FTP, SIP, and others. An ALG can understand the application-layer protocol and scrutinize traffic for specific commands or responses to provide enhanced protection. However, the ALG methodology has certain drawbacks, including limited protocol support and the potential for compatibility issues with newer or non-standard protocols.
4. Intrusion Detection System (IDS):
Microsoft Windows Firewall integrates an Intrusion Detection System (IDS) component, which helps identify suspicious activity or potential security breaches. IDS monitors network traffic, system logs, and other parameters to detect patterns associated with known attack signatures. The presence of IDS improves the overall security posture of Windows Firewall by adding an additional layer of insight into network traffic. However, IDS may suffer from false positive or negative alerts, increasing the administrative burden of differentiating between genuine threats and benign network behavior.
Strengths of Microsoft Windows Firewall Methodologies: