Firewall vs Antivirus | Difference | Comparison

What is Firewall?

The router-specified version is the firewall. All data packets entering or leaving the network are routed through the firewall, which determines whether or not to allow them. All traffic must pass through the firewall, and only authorized traffic should be allowed to pass. A strong firewall is required.

What is antivirus?

An antivirus is a program or application that protects users from malicious software downloaded from the internet, A Antivirus protects against both external and internal threats. It is only implemented in software and not in hardware.

Firewall vs Antivirus | Difference between firewall and antivirus:

  • A firewall is implemented in both hardware and software, while the antivirus is implemented in software only.
  • Firewalls deal with external threats only, while antivirus deals with both external threats and internal threats.
  • Firewall counter attacks are possible such as IP spoofing and routing attacks, while in the antivirus no counter attacks are possible after removing the malware.
  • The firewall monitors and filters, while the antivirus scans infected files and software.
  • The firewall checks the threat from incoming packets, while the antivirus checks the threats from malicious software.
  • A firewall saves the system from all kinds of threats to the systems, while the antivirus saves the system only from viruses.
  • Firewall programming is more complex than antivirus, while antivirus programming is simpler in comparison to firewalls. 
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