Personal Firewall
A personal Firewall is the most important first line of defense for computer security. It's a piece of software or hardware that creates a protective barrier between your computer and potentially harmful content on the Internet. Think of it as a wall around your computer--a wall that lets only approved traffic through. It helps keep hackers out, and stops the spread of many computer viruses and worms.
The best personal firewalls not only keep threats from getting on your computer, but they also keep threats already on your PC from getting out. Keeping your computer from infecting others is the responsible thing to do.
The following resources provide more information about some firewall options.
How a Firewall Works
A firewall is hardware, software, or a combination of both that is used to prevent unauthorized programs or Internet users from accessing a private network. All information entering or leaving the network must pass through the firewall, which examines the information packets and blocks those that do not meet the security criteria. A personal firewall performs these functions for a single computer--and usually as a software program, as opposed to a hardware device.
A personal firewall protects in a variety of ways, which can be summarized into three categories of firewall rules:
Allow: The Personal Firewall Allows some traffic to flow. This is usually traffic that is known to be "safe", usually because you have defined it, application by application, to be "safe."
Block: The Personal Firewall Blocks some traffic. This is usually traffic that is known to be problematic or dangerous to your computer.
Ask: The Personal Firewall Asks whether incoming and outgoing traffic is allowed to access your computer or an organization's network resources. When you run the Firewall, it initially asks you whether to permit your applications to access network resources. Optionally, it remembers your responses, so that you do not have to tell it again.
By using firewall rules, the Personal Firewall can systematically Allow, Block, or Ask about what action to take on incoming traffic from specific IP addresses and ports. The configuration of those rules with other security settings provides a security agent that protects your computer.
Hardware Firewalls
if you are protecting a group of linked computers--otherwise known as a network--you might want to get a hardware firewall, which protects the entire network against outside attacks. Some home networking hardware, like wireless access points and broadband routers, come with built-in hardware firewalls. You'll still need to use a personal firewall, though, because personal firewalls can easily stop "outbound" threats.
Hardware firewalls can be quite complex, so if you're new to computer security, you should ask someone more knowledgeable to help configure a hardware firewall.
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