Week 12 - Wrapping Up My Blog

 Week 12 -    Security | My Experience Blogging

If you're a gamer or an avid Windows user, I bet there have been times when you may see a Firewall message popup. Imagine you are trying to load up a program just for Windows to hit you with the Firewall that "has blocked some features." In case you aren't familiar with, It may look something like this...

Windows has security measures in place to ensure that your computer stays safe and usable. Without some of these various features in place, the risk of viruses and many malware compromising your system rises. One example of built-in Windows security is Windows Firewall.

What exactly does Firewall do? Well, a FireWall is meant to essentially act as a "block" or a "filter" to prevent software from entering your computer that could compromise it. By filtering through information on programs, it can protect the OS properly. 

Firewalls typically use one of the three (or multiple) methods to be able to filter out information

• Packet Fileting
• Packets are a form of data being sent from a server or client. Packets are put against a set of protective filters and if they are deemed harmful, they are rid of.
• Proxy Service
• This pulls information from the internet to determine if the program attemting to pass through Firewall is malicious. This process happens and sends information from the internet to the computer system to check.
• Stateful Inspection
• Looks at key parts of a packet to see if it contains trusted information. If the information has specific characteriostics that make it a trustworthy program, it will be allowed. If it doesn't Firewall will block it

So next time you're wondering why Firewall is attempting to block a program, consider the infromation above!

-----------------

Well, this will conclude my blog for the 12 weeks of this course. I have learned quite a bit during this class and I felt like I was able to take away some valuable skills. Now, I will get into my blogging experience.

What I found enjoyable about this assignment is that there was a bit more personal freedom. As we were going through the course and many weeks, I was able to choose what content I wanted to write about. This gives me more incentive to actually want to write about it and makes the course more entertaining. 

To be honest, I don't mind writing about my thoughts, gained knowledge, and experiences. However, I don't think that I could blog because I don't think I would be consistent enough to post on a weekly basis. If it was something I was interested enough in, I may be able to. Aside from that, I don't think I would want to post weekly about information unless I had a major incentive. 

I do see how blogging would be a desired ability and skill for companies though. Being able to write in a certain format and keep yourself informed on certain matters and educate others will not only help you solidify your knowledge, but it will showcase your ability to organize and present information. Blogging is another form of presentation that just show happens to be a bit more casual. If you can make a clean and appealing blog design with quality blog posts, it shows a polished style of work.