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Do You Need A Firewall?
09/16/04
A firewall protects you from hackers trying to tap into your computer but do you really need one? Well, the short answer is yes.
But you may want it for other reasons. I'll explain a little about firewalls and give recommendations on which ones I like.
What does a firewall do?
It prevents hackers from being able to read the contents of your computer and stealing your files or your information.
With so many people having high speed internet and unsecured wireless
connections it's more important than ever to protect yourself.
You could be out at a place that provides free wireless internet and a hacker could be sitting a few tables away trying to hack your computer. Is this realistc? Unfortunately, yes. Windows has a built in firewall but it's pretty lame. Even with the new Windows XP service pack 2, it doesn't provide as much protection as you need.
Now if you're surfing from home and you have a DSL or Cable router with a built in firewall, you're pretty safe. But just remember that if you take a wireless computer out of your house,
that wireless router firewall doesn't go with you! This is when you need software protection. A good software firewall will always protect you as long as it's activated.
With the increased risk of worms and spyware, these now have the capability of transmitting information from your computer! The first step is to make sure you don't
have any worms or spyware. Read this article to find out how to check and get rid of worms and spyware. The second step is to get a firewall that can detect outgoing information. The only one I've found that does this well is ZoneAlarm. It's free so don't worry about cost. After you install this killer application, you'll be surprised at how many times other machines or hackers will "ping" you and you just may be appalled at how many programs try to connect to the internet, even
when they're not currently running! I don't know about you but I don't like the idea of programs secretly transmitting information from my computer to their company.
Zone Lab's Zone Alarm does a great job of stopping hackers
In short, if you do any web surfing at all (and you're here aren't you!) you should have a firewall! It'll protect you but it's only one piece of the pie. You'll also need a program to detect spyware
and a good anti-virus package. I use ZoneLab's firewall/anti-virus bundle which I've found to work well and it's cheaper than any other anti-virus software out there. Whatever you choose,
make sure you're protected.
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