Firewall protection guides

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.

  (*)Currently over 800,000, some experts estimate the total to reach one million
      by the end of 2009.

   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?"     Windows Vista users who want to make sure they have configurable two-way filtering may need to buy another security product or firewallthat 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 afirewall 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 aCable Router. Most of the popular router brands have built in firewallsand a feature called NAT, Network Address Translation. This hides your real IP address from the Internet.   "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 againstTrojan Horses, and a firewall, as a minimum of layered defense.