You can think of a firewall as a sort of shell around your computer that identifies and filters out threats, while letting secure information pass through it and reach your computer. Because a firewall serves this all-important filtering role between your computer and the internet, using a firewall is the very first step on the path to computer security.
Suggestions:
- If you're using Windows XP, thankfully you already have a firewall installed. So the only thing you need to check to make sure that you have it activated. To enable the firewall, navigate to the Control Panel, and select "Network Connections". From there right click your active internet connection, and select the "Properties" menu. Finally choose the "Advanced" tab and check the "Internet Connection Firewall" box.
- If you don't have Windows XP or you simply want to upgrade beyond the standard protection it provides, there are a host of third-party software firewall options out on the market, among the best of which is Norton Personal Firewall. Or for those of you who want to save some money, a good free third-party firewall option is PC Tools Firewall Plus 1.0.
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