Facts,You,Must,Know,About,Fire computer Facts You Must Know About Firewalls
Gone are those times when the companies and the organisations didn't need a hi-tech system to handle them. Owing to the considerable increase in the business sector and thus, an enormous increase in the complexity of the organisational struc ----------------------------------------------------------Permission is granted for the below article to forward,reprint, distribute, use for ezine, newsletter, website,offer as free bonus or part of a product for sale as longas no changes a
Did you know that whenyour computer is connected to the internet, it has over 131,000 ports that ahacker could connect to? These ports arelike doors in a building and if they arent protected properly, then someonecould sneak in without you noticing. Ifthe hacker is not installing a virus, they can still do some serious damagewithout alerting your security software, including transmitting your personalinformation. So how do you watch all ofthese doorways to your information? Youneed a firewall! In construction terms,a firewall is a fire-resistant wall that subdivides a building to stop thespread of fire from one area to another. In computer terms, we need to stop communications between your computerand others on the internet. A totalblock of all internet communication would be useless though, so you need a wayof selecting which type of communications you want to receive. For this, computer firewalls have rules andfilters much like construction firewalls have access doors. Wheredo I put this firewall?Firewalls can be on ahardware box (a separate unit or part of your internet modem or router) or canbe software installed on your computer. Most popular security software packages also include a firewall. A hardware firewall is great for providing abarrier before your computer is even reached and will also mean that yourcomputer doesnt have to spend its precious resources on running the firewallsoftware. It also reduces the risk ofthe firewall itself being compromised, as some viruses can try and disablesecurity software features that are running on your computer. The downside is that a hardware-basedfirewall can be more expensive and not as easy to configure and maintain if youare unsure of how to use them. IfMicrosoft gives me a firewall, do I need another one? The Windows Firewall(on Windows XP Service Pack 2 and Vista) only examines inbound communicationscoming into your computer from the internet. If your computer becomes infected (e.g. if you install some freesoftware that turns out to have a hidden nasty) then your outboundcommunication to other computers on the internet wont be examined orfiltered. This can turn your computerinto a source of infection, impacting your security and internet connection. Its also not recommended that you run morethan one software firewall as this uses more processing power and can causeconflicts, so if your security software includes a firewall, turn off theWindows Firewall. IfI have a secure wireless connection do l need a firewall?A wireless connectionis another way to get onto the internet and wireless security controls who canuse that connection. This is similar to allowing who can plug into your phoneline. Once you are connected, your131,000+ ports are still open to hackers, so you still need a firewall. A firewall may be included on your wirelessrouter but it pays to check.Whydoes it keep on giving me messages?If you are doingsomething specific (like installing new software or troubleshooting aconnection problem) you may need to temporarily disable your firewall. Software firewalls may alert you that aconnection has been attempted and blocked and may ask if you wish to allow thatkind of connection in the future. In general,if you are doing something new which would probably involve a connection to theinternet, you can allow the connection either this time only or for allfuture connection attempts. If in doubt,block it, as you can always allow it later if you find that it is needed. Firewalls provide an enhanced level of securitythat has now become the minimum standard to protect your computer. They do require a certain level of knowledgeor a great computer support person, so talk to your local ComputerTroubleshooter to ensure that you are protected.
Facts,You,Must,Know,About,Fire