Firewall, The Second Layer in Your Home Computer Defense Concept

The Firewall is the Second Layer of the defensive concept. If you are using Microsoft Windows XP, operating system with Service Pack2. You already have about half of one.

The basic task is to regulate the flow of traffic between computer networks of different trust levels. Examples are the Internet which is a zone of ZERO trust and an internal network which is a zone of higher trust. A zone with an intermediate trust level, situated between the Internet and a trusted internal network, is often referred to as a "Demilitarized zone (DMZ).

Its function within a network is to prevent network intrusion, read that as the Internet(Hackers and other BAD GUYS) to the private network.

Without proper configuration,firewalls are often worthless.

Standard security practices dictate a "default-deny" rule set.

Such a configuration requires detailed understanding of their network applications. Many people lack such understanding, and use a "default-allow" rule set, in which all traffic is allowed unless it has been specifically blocked. This configuration makes inadvertent network connections.

You can of course buy a hardware one. They range from about $350.00 t0 over $35,000.00. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO I do not think so!!!!

You could do the standard Norton or McAfee purchase. And then again renew year after year

I found a FREE one that rates right up there with Norton an McAfee.

If you get this one it requires patience to do the initial setup.

To cut thru all the stuff about allowing applications to connect to the internet, click on any of navigation button on the MAIN SCREEN. When the next screen comes up ggo to TASKS, then to DEFINE NEW TRUSTED APPLICATION. Also leave the COMPONENT MONITOR in learn mode for a few days,if your are sure of your applications.I have managed to crash it once, so like all software not free of bugs.

For those of you that have broken the Windows an Gates chain. There is a pretty good one for the Linux newbies called Firestarter. It has a GUI and is very easy to install and setup. The link is at the bottom of this page.

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Link to the Firewall

Link to Firestarter