Simply put, you are playing with fire if you aren’t using a firewall to protect your PC and home network from unauthorized access from outside your network.
The term “firewall” originally referred to a physical barricade against the potential spread of fire. In home computing terms, a firewall is a component of a computer or network that acts as a barrier between your home network or PC and the Internet. The firewall blocks unauthorized access while allowing authorized access to your systems. Firewalls can be hardware devices or based in software, both serving the same function.
Firewalls work by inspecting all traffic, both inbound and outbound, and deciding whether the traffic is denied or allowed passage based on a set of pre-established rules or policies. These rules and policies can work in one or more of several methods:
NAT – Network Address Translation
NAT is a method of connecting multiple computers to the Internet (or any other network) using one IP address. NAT allows one IP address, which is shown to the outside world, to refer to many IP addresses internally; one on each PC. NAT automatically provides firewall-style protection without any special set-up because it only allows connections that are originated on the inside network.
Packet Filter
Packet filtering blocks traffic based on a specific Web address (IP address) or type of application (e-mail, ftp, Web, etc.) .
SPI – Stateful Packet Inspection
SPI tracks the data to ensure that the inbound data were requested by the user.
Refer to your router’s user manual for instructions on how to set up your firewall. There are many online resources that discuss some of the more complex issues with firewalls, but for most home network users, the default settings will provide a very high level of security.
Windows comes with a built in software firewall that you can turn off if using a hardware firewall. Microsoft, however, recommends that you leave it on to provide protection if one of the PCs on your home network should become infected and start sending out malicious data.
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You know it can’t be good when Microsoft reveals that more than 10,000 Hotmail users may have had their private information compromised through recent Phishing scams.
If you are reading this, then there is a really good chance that you are indeed a slave to technology, or at least deeply immersed. Surrounded by lifestyle-altering, digital gadgets, you are embracing technology.
Microsoft has been slowly releasing information on an interesting new product, but without a clear picture of its market placement. It looks to be basically a Tablet PC with 2 hinged displays that are multi-touch sensitive and no keyboard.
Enhance your war on Spyware and Viruses.