"How to Choose a Firewall to Increase your Internet Safety"
                      Recognize Computer Virus Symptoms

  Do you have them protecting your computer?  Do you have Computer Virus Symptoms?
 
   With reported strains of viruses well in the hundreds of thousands of malware pests already identified, and hundreds more appearing every month,(*) you need to choose a firewall for a good, solid barrier and select effective anti virus protection programs for insurance against successful hacker attacks.

  (*) It's difficult to confirm the actual number of active computer viruses circulating today.
Sophos, in a print ad in June 2005 claims "over 103,000 viruses." SecureList.com posted these Monthly Malware Statistics compiled in November 2011 using data collected from computers running Kaspersky Lab products. Although not the number of active malware, the numbers truly reflect the size of active malware threats:

   These virus infections can arrive as attachments to emails from friends or unsuspecting  relatives, as worms, in Trojan Horses, etc.

    Protection starts when you choose a firewall and anti virus protection programs. When considering firewalls, the basic issue is ‘intrusion detection and prevention'. We want to determine who is trying to connect to our computer. Is it a good guy or a bad guy? We want to let the good guy in and we want to keep the bad guys with their computer viruses out.

   Firewalls can help accomplish these goals.

 "So, What are they?"          
 
   A FIREWALL is Hardware and/or software designed to keep unauthorized outsiders from tampering with your computer system or network. It blocks outside users from getting into your computer, much like physical walls that prevent fires from spreading from one area to another.

   A firewall program is different from a virus protection program which only screens for computer viruses. A Personal Firewall is a software program effective in protecting stand alone computers. 

  "How Do They Work?"
 
   They filter the information coming through your internet connection into your computer system or private network.

   If this information contains stuff that the filters judge to be suspicious, (based on rules established by the Firewall software manufacturer or restrictions that you can set as the user), they reject it and  keep it from passing through to you.

   There are both hardware and software Firewalls. You can choose a firewall of either type, or even both. The hardware version is a physical device located between your computer and your Internet connection. It is an obstruction to unauthorized incoming information and is often referred to as a Firewall/Router. (It routes the accepted incoming signals to your computer).

   The software firewall is a program installed on your PC. Software versions are less expensive than the hardware type, and in many cases are available for free or for demo trial periods. The Software types are often called 'Personal Firewalls'.

   They are installed on your PC and allow you to control communications to and from the PC. You can set the rules or security policy to allow or deny  communication into and outgoing from your computer and to protect you from any number of Internet hazards, like these:

Remote login - Allows someone to connect to your computer and control it, look at your files and run programs.

Backdoors - Programs and even operating systems have special features that allow for remote access. Others contain bugs that provide a backdoor that allows some level of control of the program.

SMTP hijacking - Taking over your mail list and using your computer to send out spam.

   "Are They Really Necessary?"

	The installation of a software firewall on individual computers is a necessary accessory to the hardware Firewall/Router. That may seem excessive, but the Hardware and Software versions each have different strengths and weaknesses and provide slightly different security features. Sometimes the hardware Firewall/Router you buy has a software firewall built in as well.    Window XP users should consider upgrading their firewall protection from the Window XP Service Pack	ABOUT US  & THIS           WebSITE                                       and THE SECURITY ALERT BLOG       Click on Recent   Web page updates          FREE versus Paid antivirus  protection Internet Social Media and your Child's Safety Protecting Yourself  from "Net Threats"         UPDATED Real Time Spyware Blocker - Free Scan Family Internet Safety and Identity Theft Awareness FREE  Guide to Stopping SPAM      ___________________    INVITATION Teaching Your Kids to     be Safe Surfers  An Invitation to Help   Others by Sharing   Your Experiences in Teaching Your Children  To Be Safe When They Were learning to  Surf the Internet Tell Us Your Story HERE _______________      Stumble It!             Our website is RSS   Friendly. Use these   buttons to add it to   your RSS feed   Reader.                               RichardPresents.com                       change log
Windows Vista users who want to make sure they have configurable two-way filtering may need to buy another security product or firewall that provides outbound as well as inbound protection.    Before installing personal firewall software on a Windows XP, Vista or 7 computer, be sure that the firewall built into the Windows operating system is turned off.   Never use two software firewalls at the same time. Completely uninstall one before installing another to avoid software conflicts.   Immediately after your new firewall is installed, check the vendor's website for patches and updates. If the firewall software offers an automatic update function, turn it on.   Check your new firewall installation with an online service like www.SecurityMetrics.com for a free port scan and Firewall test to make sure that it is configured correctly. Testing your firewall is the only way to be sure your computer is really being protected.      If you have a DSL or broadband cable connection, your Internet Service Provider (ISP) may have given you a DSL/Cable router with a firewall built in. Usually, all you have to do is read the manual and turn it on.     If your ISP did not give you a DSL or Cable broadband router with a built in firewall you can buy one. They are relatively inexpensive.    If you have DSL, buy a DSL router. If you have Cable broadband get a Cable Router. Most of the popular router brands have built in firewalls and a feature called NAT, Network Address Translation. This hides your real IP address from the Internet.   Is Your Firewall Doing it's job?  Don't Have One?               Current Security News and  Reviews - Subscribe HERE for your FREE Newsletter and Bonus Reports     Email First Name to the Security Alert News Reporter. Subscription Bonus - Get your FREE report "23 Critical Security Alerts" and a new bonus ebook on PC  Security                                             Your e-mail address is totally secure. I promise to use it only to send you Security Alert News and occasional other important security and safety related messages.  "Does a Firewall Provide Total Protection?"     You need to choose more than just a firewall. As with all protective software, your best defense will come from a layered defense built from a variety of products to handle unending malware intrusion attempts.    At a minimum, home computers need to have personal firewall and anti-malware software installed and kept up-to-date to find and remove viruses, spyware, Trojans and other malware. A home network that uses a wired or wireless router with firewall features provides additional protection.   You need anti-spam, antivirus, and anti-spyware defenses against Trojan Horses, and a firewall, as a minimum of layered defense.    It's Vitally Important to keep your Firewall Program and all of your other Defensive Software programs, as well as your Operating System, Up-To-Date.                   What's new in Online Safety?          Click here for Security Alert News Blog -                       No signup necessary!..

       Learn more about trojan horses

This is Why you really must have a Firewall for protection against trojan horses     Become familiar with some of the trojan horse protection and removal programs   Check the links to some FREE  protection resources    And if you're not sure why you need good Anti Virus protection,                  Read "What's a Virus"

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