How to use the Firewall

This guide will show you how to use the BullGuard Firewall.

IMPORTANT! The Firewall is a very important section of any Internet Security suite, so we recommend using the guide below only if you know what you are doing, or you have received instructions from our Support Team. If you are not familiar with computers, it is recommended that you team up with a computer-wise friend, or contact our Support Team.

What  is a firewall?

A firewall is a special computer application (or module within a security suite, such as BullGuard) whose purpose is to monitor and protect your computer from any unauthorised network traffic. Think of it as a guard at your door.

Why do you need a firewall?

Without a firewall, you computer is vulnerable to almost any type of network attacks and malware. We recommend using a firewall at all times you are connected to the Internet.

How can you use the firewall?

Our firewall is included within the BullGuard Internet Security suite. We recommend using this guide if you want to know more about configuring it or need to perform any changes.

  Open the Firewall

First, you should open your BullGuard application. Double-click the BullGuard icon near the clock and click on the Firewall icon.

  Next, please choose one of the following:

I want to enable/disable the Firewall

I want to block all Internet traffic

I want to see the banned hosts in my Firewall

I want to see the trusted hosts in my Firewall

I want to monitor and control all my installed applications that currently require Internet/network connection

I want to configure advanced connection settings for all applications that require Internet/network connection

I want to enable/disable and edit the Intrusion Detection/Attack Detection system

I want to enable/disable the File and Printers Sharing

I want to enable/disable the Firewall protection when BullGuard is closed

I want to choose the best profile for my needs

I want to edit my custom profile

I want to monitor, use and control my Firewall logs

Why is one of my programs or my Internet/network connection not working with the Firewall enabled?

Which applications should (not) be allowed to access the network/Internet?

What should I do when I receive messages from the Firewall that I am under attack?

What should I do if the Firewall asks me to allow or block an application every time I want to use it?

   How to choose the best Firewall profile for your needs 

The Firewall profiles help you quickly adapt Firewall settings to your needs. Each profile has specific settings, and you can switch between them whenever you need to.

The predefined profiles are called High Security and Low Security, which are not editable. You will also see the Custom Security, which you can instead edit.

The Custom Security profile is activated by default. If you want to use one of the other 2 profiles, you will have to activate them manually by selecting them and clicking the Activate button.

To see the Firewall profiles you have to be in Advanced mode, which you can select from the Overview tab.

Next, go to the Profiles tab:

- High Security (Block All Applications) replaces any other rules in the Custom Security profile with a general Block rule that will block any incoming / outgoing packets. Therefore, when High Security is activated, the Firewall will block all traffic packets.

- Low Security (Allow All Applications) will allow all traffic (incoming and outgoing). It does not block anything or protect against network attacks. We strongly recommend you do not use this profile unless you know what you're doing.

- Custom Security is the the profile activated by default, and the only one that is editable.

You can also create and edit new custom profiles by clicking the "+" button. To edit your profiles, selecting them and then right-click > Edit security profile.

You should now be able to choose the best profile for you, in any circumstance:

- If you are under attack, you can choose the High Security profile.  

- If you are certain that you don't want to be protected by the BullGuard Firewall, you can choose the Low security profile.  

- In most cases however, we strongly recommend using the default Custom Security profile.

IMPORTANT! After editing a Firewall profile, you must activate the changes. Select the profile and click the Activate button to do so.

Congratulations! You are now able to create, edit, delete and choose the best Firewall profile for your needs.

We also recommend reading this related guide: How to edit your custom security profile

Kind regards,

The BullGuard Team