Firewalls – Shields Up

We all know about viruses, programs that can attack your computer and delete data files or erase your hard drive. But what you may not realize is that not all viruses are programmed to erase data. Many devious virus writers try to take control of your computer, looking for information such as credit card numbers or personal information. This is where a firewall can save the day. 

What a firewall does is this...it intercepts the communications between you and the Internet, looking for known viruses, suspicious activity, incoming cookies and unauthorized file transfers. Most firewalls monitor activity both to and from your computer. Firewalls can be implemented in either hardware or software. We’ll concern ourselves with software firewalls in this discussion.

 The first thing you might ask is...Do I really need a firewall? Though any computer can be hacked, it's easier to break into those that are networked, especially if you're on an "always connected" Internet connection such as a DSL line or a cable modem. That's because dial up connections (normal telephone modems) usually don't have static IP addresses. Each time you log onto the Internet, you are given a different address. I don't mean your email address; I mean the port that connects your computer to your ISP and then to the Internet. Most dialup ISPs use dynamic addressing for their customers. 

That's usually not the case with cable modems and DSL lines. These connections are more likely to be static, meaning that your IP address never changes. Cable modems have the additional problem that they can share the same physical segment of cable with neighbors. I’ve seen "hacking" software on the Internet that once installed, can allow you to browse your neighbors hard drive if he happens to have the "share files” option selected in the <networking> section of the <control panel>. If you are not running a home or office network, make sure that this option is not selected! 

How secure is your computer from Internet intruders? There's a site that you can log onto and find out. Steve Gibson hosts it. The website is located at www.grc.com. Look for a program called "Shields Up." This program will explore your computer’s security settings and issue a report warning you where “Hackers” might try to gain access to your system.

There are several good retail software firewalls on the market. Peter Norton has been an icon in the PC arena for 25 years and his "Norton Internet Security 2000" firewall is a good one. Guard Dog is another commercial firewall that's been around for years and continues to be rated as one of the best. If you'd rather save your money, two FREE programs come to mind. They don't have all the bells and whistles of the commercial software but they do a very good job of protecting your computer just the same. The first is “Esafe Desktop”. You can download a copy at <www.ealaddin.com>. This firewall also allows you to block Internet sites that are not exactly family oriented, so it might be a good choice for those of you with children surfing the Net. Another FREE firewall is "ZoneAlarm." It can be found at www.zonelabs.com. These FREE firewalls offer very good protection and the price is right.

One of the biggest problems with installing a firewall, besides being a little tricky to setup, is that they tend to slow down your Internet connection. That's because they are scanning every byte of data flowing into and out of your computer. Unfortunately, that's just one of the prices we have to pay in order to have greater Internet security.

Of the programs mentioned, Norton’s and ZoneAlarm seem to give the best level of protection. The Norton program is harder to install and setup but it probably offers the best protection of those listed. ZoneAlarm is a close second. It’s easier to use and it’s FREE. FREE is one thing I’m always looking for when it comes to software. 

There’s a good chance that your ISP already has a firewall installed. It will catch most of the problems before they can get to you, but if you want to be doubly sure that your computer is safe from a “hack attack”, run the Shields Up program. It will give you a good idea of just how venerable you might be. Then, you can better decide if you really want to go to the trouble, time and expense of installing your own firewall program.

I decided that having a little extra security might not be a bad idea so I installed Peter Norton’s Firewall 2000. There just might be a time in the future when I’ll be glad I did! Check out your own system and remember, if in doubt, better safe than sorry!

Reach me at: randy@randybenjamin.com.