Firewalls - Protection Against Hackers and Malicious Intrusion
And you thought all you had to worry about were viruses...
The first line of defense in the battle to keep the cyber wolves from your virtual door is a good working firewall . These simple pieces of hardware or software monitor what comes in and goes out of your computer via your internet connection. Firewalls have the ability to stop unwelcome intruders be they hackers, virus attacks, browser hijackings or other unwelcome intrusions and annoyances which either interrupt your internet browsing or worse, seriously compromise your privacy and personal information.
Let's talk a little about why you need a firewall in today's online world and hopefully you will be convinced enough to get protected sooner rather than regret it later.
As little as 3 or 4 years ago it was only banks, big businesses and government organisations who felt they needed a firewall system to protect their computer networks. In that short space of time several factors have combined to bring their use by home users into sharper focus.
Firstly, gone are the days when people could think "hackers are not interested in little old me" and be right. People do their banking online now. They use their credit cards to buy things from internet shops and they have online money accounts like PayPal and e-Gold. These days, hackers are in fact very interested in "little old you"! Home computer users are a soft target unless they have some form of protection against those who would seek to prey upon them and a good firewall is the first line of defense.
Secondly, it can barely have escaped the attention of any internet user that viruses are increasingly in the news That's because virus writers are finding the ways to exploit the holes left in software faster than they are being patched up and the very nature of the internet means they can spread like wildfire to unprotected PCs. A firewall does not kill viruses but it can stop downloader software from installing the virus and help prevent their spread through open ports.
Thirdly, uninvited software programs which go under the general heading of spyware are proving to be big business and spreading like crazy. Spyware software invades your privacy, slows down your connection speed, changes your browser homepage and redirects to websites other than the ones you were expecting and generally make browsing the internet a complete nightmare if left unchecked. The worst offenders can steal your passwords and banking details and what's worse is, millions have this on their computers without any knowledge of its existence. Firewalls prevent some spyware from being downloaded but importantly, prevent existing spyware from 'calling home' leaving your privacy, passwords etc. intact.
A good firewall can prevent all of the above from causing you a problem and it needn't cost you a penny.
Think of a firewall as being a gatekeeper between your computer and all the external computers connected up to the internet. When something wants to come in to your computer (and there are many legitimate reasons for this) they have to get permission from the firewall itself. If a hacker, virus or other piece of malicious software tries to gain access to your computer via your internet connection then a good firewall will prevent this happening quickly and easily.
Firewalls also control which programs on your computer are allowed to access your internet connection. YOU are in control of everything that wants net access rather than the programs themselves accessing when they like. By controlling which programs can access the net, your firewall will prevent nasty programs like keyloggers from sending out your credit card details to the waiting hacker's machine or stop spyware from calling home and things like that. Unless you give them permission to access the net they will never be able to do whatever dastardly deed they were designed to do.
I have seen it stated before than dial-up users have no need for a firewall. This simply isn't true! Whilst it is fair to say that broadband users with their 'always on' connection are more vulnerable to hackers it is also true that dial up users have the same problems with viruses and spyware as everyone else and a firewall knocks this problem on the head! Some spyware will still find its way onto your computer eventually, it's inevitable trust me, but if it can't 'call out' then it's just a minor annoyance whih can be simply removed with a spyware removal tool rather than a major security risk.
It is also not safe to simply rely on the Win XP firewall which comes as part of the newest installation of the Microsoft Windows operating system. This firewall is uni-directional, or in other words it only filters traffic in one direction. It protects against access attempts coming from the internet but does not attempt to stop programs already on your computer from dialing out. Many spyware programs piggyback onto computer systems through free downloads like the spyware-riddled KaZaA filesharing software and then dial out to cause problems. Viruses come in via email or browser flaws and these all need to be bloacked from accessing the 'net. Be sure to get a bi-directional firewall or the best security.
Firewalls DO NOT stop or remove virus infection and then can not stop or remove spyware infection. What they can and do achieve is minimising the effects of both. They stop them making contact with external computers which leaves your system integrity intact. A firewall used in conjuction with an anti-virus program and a spyware cleaner will keep you safe online.
Recommended Firewall Software
Zone Alarm - This 100% FREE firewall offers pretty much everything a home user needs to keep their computer safe on the internet. There are two versions. The first is completely free and offers simple protection against hackers and other malicious inbound traffic as well as allowing you to control which programs are allowed internet access from your machine. This is very simple to use and can be used 'out-of-the-box' as it were with only the smallest amount of configuration. If you want more powerful features, like the ability to track down those trying to gain access to your computer, then you can pay to upgrade for the Pro version.
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