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Why do I need a firewall?
Why do I need a firewall?
| Why do I need a firewall? |
| Posted By: DJNafey | Date Added: 06-11-2005 02:55 PM | Views: 668 |
Spyware is a big problem these days (and it's getting worse continually) - small programs get downloaded and installed onto your PC without your authorisation and then they track what your PC is doing (and, potentially, download viruses and all sorts of other nasties onto your PC). The spyware might simply be tracking what web sites you visit and reporting all that information back to a central server on the Internet or, in the worst cases, it could be sniffing out your Bank details and credit card numbers that are saved onto your PC or that you type into web sites when you buy products and services online (or use Internet Banking). And then they have the ability to wipe out your Bank account and steal your money. This isn't all high-tech science fiction - it's happening today!
If you have Windows XP, this has it's own built-in firewall. This is an improvement for the novice that has no protection at all. However, it only stops problems from getting into the PC. Decent firewalls should also stop problems getting back out of the PC. If spyware does manage to get through your firewall somehow (or gets secretly included with a program that you deliberately installed on your PC yourself), then the Windows XP firewall won't help you - the spyware will already be inside your PC and it will be allowed to send information out of your PC to anyone else that it chooses to.
So most IT advisors would recommend that you install a third-party firewall product such as Norton Internet Security, Norton Personal Firewall, ZoneAlarm, Sygate or Kerio. Just install one of these as they should each be good enough to give you adequate protection and having multiple firewalls could cause conflicts. So once you have installed your chosen firewall product, disable the Windows XP firewall (if you are running Windows XP) by going into Start Menu > Control Panel > Network And Internet Connections > Windows Firewall.
Instead of installing a software firewall, such as one of those products mentioned above, you could alternatively install a hardware firewall. These are physical devices that sit between your PC/laptop and your connection to the Internet (e.g. your DSL modem). They are generally more robust and easier to use and configure than a software firewall but they have always been more expensive and, therefore, used mostly by businesses. However, DSL (ADSL / broadband) routers are modems, network hubs and hardware firewalls all built into one box and they cost as little as £50 (US $80) even for wireless Internet models and they are, therefore, becoming very popular with home users.
Once you have got one firewall program installed and Windows XP firewall disabled (where applicable), start up your Internet connection and you will start to receive prompts about programs that are trying to access the Internet, e.g. Internet Explorer or your ISP's connection software. If you try to receive new emails through Outlook Express, you will be prompted again. If your anti-virus software tries to check for updates, you will be prompted again. Each of these prompts are asking you if it is OK for those programs to access the Internet. If you are happy for these programs to access the Internet (i.e. you believe that they are supposed to be accessing the Internet and it is safe for them to do so), then use the option in the prompt to allow them access. At this point, there is also usually an option to always allow them access and not prompt you each time. Therefore, you "teach" the firewall which programs are safe on your PC and then it will no longer need to ask you about them. So, after the first few days, your firewall should be able to sit quietly in the background, keeping you protected with a minimum of fuss.
Bear in mind that, if you have a home network with several PCs or laptops connected to each other, then the firewall will consider those other PCs and laptops on the network as external threats and, by default, it will block them. You can set the firewall to allow access from the rest of your local network as and when required.
Spyware can wreck a PC within as little as five to ten minutes of going onto the Internet using broadband / ADSL / DSL without a firewall. I have personally seen this happen on home users' PCs after they installed a new broadband service and the instructions told them to keep their firewall switched off until after the installation had completed. It took me two hours to fix the first PC that I saw with this problem and then, just a couple of weeks later, someone else that I knew did exactly the same thing and that one took me SEVEN HOURS to fix. As they were all friends, I was happy to do this for free but, if you don't have the ability to fix your own spyware issues and you have to pay an IT specialist such as myself to come to your house to sort it out, then expect a seven hour job like that to cost you in excess of £200 (US $300).
This article may not be copied or distributed in part or in full from this site and is copyright D24 Media Limited.
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