You might think you don't need a firewall because windows XP has one built in, but read on for a plain-english explanation why this isn't enough.
Before broadband and cable connections were common most people didn't need a personal firewall because they weren't connected to the Internet for extended periods of time.
Every computer that connects to the internet has an IP address. This is like a sort of phone number, and is issued either to an individual computer or to a "gateway" that connects a private network to the 'net.
Domestic dial-up internet connections normally use a system called Dynamic IP Addressing where people are issued with a sort of "new identity" every time they connect, so it's difficult to find and attack an individual computer - Dynamic IP addressing is a bit like having your phone number change every time you use the phone, which makes it difficult for the bad guys to find you.
But the longer you keep a particular "phone number" the more chance there is of someone finding you and that is why high-speed always-on connections need handling with care.
In particular, with "always on" DSL and cable connections you are connected for extended periods of time which give the attackers more chance of finding you if you've got an unprotected connection.
In these days of identity theft and with more and more security holes being uncovered in commercial software it is vital that you have a good firewall if you use a high-speed connection.
You may already have a firewall, either in a device called a "Broadband Router" which goes between your computer and the Internet or the very basic firewall built in to Windows XP Service Pack 2 and you might think that's all you need.
But there's another reason that you won't have thought of.
Basic firewalls will tell you, and hopefully protect you if someone is trying to get in.... but they won't tell you if something is trying to get out!
That's right! Certain spyware and viruses can gather your personal information and send it out of your machine without you knowing.
A good firewall will spot these attempts to send stuff out and will warn you, quite possibly before your Antivirus or Spyware application notices the problem. Which gives you time to get the problem fixed.
Steve Blampied lives in Jersey in the Channel Islands and has been an independent IT consultant for around 10 years.
He is currently putting together a web site solely about free software.
http://www.freesoftwareadvice.com
He also has a small IT company in Jersey.
http://www.freesoftwareadvice.com
limo prices to midway Crystal Lake west of Randal .. Lockport Chicago limo O’HareIntroduction To ISDN, Part III: Configuring PPP PAP AuthenticationNow we... Read More
In this short FAQ style article we would like to... Read More
Stealing company information used to be the specialty of spies... Read More
Manufacturing in the USA is far away down from mid... Read More
Need help making sense of algebra? Have algebra lectures in... Read More
Microsoft Great Plains as ERP and Microsoft CRM as... Read More
MSN messenger is a pretty cool invention. I mean I'm... Read More
Microsoft Business Solutions Great Plains is marketed for mid-size companies... Read More
A UNIX Shell is in simplest terms, a command line... Read More
Software development is a risky business.Many software developers are barely... Read More
Bad News - the Threat is Bigger than it SeemedHow... Read More
Siebel is traditional CRM market leader, however and mostly due... Read More
As of now - Great Plains Dynamics/eEnterprise is transformed/renamed into... Read More
As Mozilla Firefox nears 10% market share, with well over... Read More
The vast majority of us will have, at some point,... Read More
Microsoft Business Solutions Great Plains was purchased from Great Plains... Read More
This article is the third of a series of articles... Read More
The major reason I recommend getting your hands on real... Read More
SAP Inc., a global leader in client/server enterprise application software... Read More
Intro This concise article will tell you in plain English... Read More
Microsoft Great Plains ? ERM from Microsoft Business Solutions and... Read More
Three highly respected names in Human Resources have joined forces... Read More
I started using PIP (Picture It Publishing) Platinum 2002 right... Read More
There is many things more frustrating than surfing a website... Read More
Remember back in the days where screensavers were the coolest... Read More
taxi o'hare Auburn ..Cyberspace has opened up a new frontier with exciting possibilities... Read More
The Software 2005 conference is now a wrap. This conference,... Read More
This short paper will expand on two key reasons to... Read More
Around the same time Microsoft made its move with .Net... Read More
Have you ever noticed that when you look at your... Read More
1. Replace Dexterity cursor with SQL Stored Procedure Dexterity... Read More
Microsoft Great Plains and Microsoft CRM become more and more... Read More
Microsoft CRM was designed to be easily customizable. Microsoft CRM... Read More
In the case when you represent mid-size or mid-size-to-large business,... Read More
Although statistics often is blamed for various deadly sins --... Read More
It is a well known fact that Java as a... Read More
Homeland security, airport security, Internet security ??" these days we???re... Read More
Microsoft Business Solutions Great Plains has several options to enable... Read More
Microsoft Great Plains is now targeting large and midsize businesses... Read More
Microsoft CRM is now on the scene and it is... Read More
Microsoft Business Solutions ? Navision is an integrated solution for... Read More
Need software to record your voice, streaming audio or musical... Read More
GroupwareEfforts are continually made to manage the unavoidable ad hoc... Read More
Microsoft Business Solutions ? Great Plains is designed to meet... Read More
Usually, the easiest way to tell you have spyware is... Read More
Microsoft Business Solutions Great Plains was purchased from Great Plains... Read More
Configuring PPP PAP AuthenticationNow we know how the ISDN link... Read More
Formatting and reinstalling windows 98 is very easy if you... Read More
One day, you suddenly realize that your computer started to... Read More
Microsoft Great Plains is becoming more and more popular and... Read More
Software |