Are you at risk ?
Even if you’ve never heard of the term “Firewall” as it’s related to
the Internet, you still might find this article interesting. If you
have heard it before, then you still may not know much about them,
other than that they exist.
A firewall is simply a method of defence for your computer(s) that
prevents unwanted intruders or “hackers” from infiltrating your
computer. Hackers randomly search the Internet for vulnerable PC’s by
sending out “pings”. That’s almost like randomly dialing phone numbers.
Computers that respond become potential targets. Believe me, hackers do
exist and their numbers are growing.
Any computer that is online can be hacked at any time, but dialup
(phone line) connections are relatively safe. There are certain
settings that change every single time you dial up and log on, that
makes it harder for you to be a target.
High speed DSL and Cable connections are another story. Computers that are always online 24/7 are much more “at risk”.
Many people think that since they do not keep credit card numbers or
sensitive financial information on their computer or network, then they
need not be concerned about a “hacker attack”.
Hackers can do more than just read your files. They can compromise your
PC with viruses, worms, or even just spyware. Spyware is software that
tracks your internet use, and reports it back to someone to be sold for
marketing purposes, and it’s getting quite popular.
There have been more than 25 viruses, worms etc. discovered in the last
30 days and viruses have done untold harm to tens of thousands of
computers and networks costing hundreds of thousands of dollars worth
of damage, not to mention the lost productivity. That alone is reason
enough to pay attention to these “cyber-vandals”. For home and small
business users, there are two main types of firewall to be concerned
with, a software firewall, or a hardware firewall.
A software firewall runs on your computer, and monitors all activity.
It reports back to you often and asks you to make certain “permission”
decisions based on the information it’s giving you. It blocks unwanted
activity, and remembers the decisions you make for the next time.
The down side though to a software firewall is that the information it
gives you can be confusing and cryptic to a new user. Plus, it runs in
the Windows background at all times and uses your valuable system
resources.
For a hardware firewall, consider getting something called a Snapgear
Firewall or Fortinet Firewall. These types of firewall are great for
home or small business. If a more detailed setup is required then
firewalls allowing different funtionality and configuration might be
needed. Firewalls like Netscreen firewalls and Sonicwall firewalls are
excellent. After the initial setup, you’ll never know you even have
one.
No informational reports, no choices to make, just set it, and forget
it. It allows you to share one Internet connection over multiple
computers too. The down side to hardware firewalls is that they do
require some knowledge to set up. Since we are experts in this field,
that shouldn't be an issue.
As “high speed” or “broadband” Internet connections are becoming more
and more common at homes and businesses, not having any sort of
firewall protection is like always leaving your car unlocked twenty
four hours a day. Sooner or later, maybe weeks, months or even years,
they’re probably going to get you. Click here for more firewall information
