Firewalls :::: What They Are And Why You MUST Have One!

Written by Titus Hoskins


A firewall is a system or gateway that prevents unauthorized access to your computer or private network. It is usuallyrepparttar first line of defense in protecting your private information or data. A good firewall will help protect you from malicious attacks of spyware, adware, malware, worms, trojans, and hackers.

Firewalls are security mechanisms that control who can access and send data thru your network or computer. They can be applied to both hardware and software on your computer; many systems use a combination of each for greater protection. All data or messages entering or leaving your computer has to pass thrurepparttar 141278 firewall, which checks all messages and blocks those that don't meet your specified security criteria or rules.

To put it in simple terms: think of a firewall as a security guard or a security scanner for your computer or network. Anything going in or out must be checked thru this system and must obey your rules!

Of course, this is just a simple explanation, firewalls can be very complex; consisting of a whole combination of techniques that can be used in concert depending onrepparttar 141279 level of security you wish to achieve.

These firewall techniques may include:

Application gateway -- places security mechanisms on specific applications (FTP, Telnet, etc.)

Packet filters -- examines each packet using your computer and accepts or rejects according to your rules

Circuit-level gateway -- security measures for such connections as TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) or UDP (User Datagram Protocol)

Top Five 'Spyware Fighting' Tips

Written by Titus Hoskins


Whether you realize it or not, there's a quiet little battle raging on your computer. In one corner you have your faithful PC; inrepparttar other are malicious agents such as spyware, adware, malware, viruses, worms, and Trojans. Sincerepparttar 141277 victor of this battle will decide who really controls your computer - use these 5 'Spyware Fighting' tips to make sure you winrepparttar 141278 battle!

Spyware and adware are becoming major problems for online surfers and PC owners. Some highly respected sources such as AOL, Earthlink and Webroot placerepparttar 141279 rate of infection at 80-90% of all computers. Granted, some of this percentage is taken up by relatively benign tracking cookies, but other types like keyword logging, system monitors, worms and Trojans present a major threat to your privacy and may even do serious damage to your computer.

Withrepparttar 141280 occurrences of Spyware increasing daily, chances are high that you will be going into battle against Spyware very soon - so if you need a battle plan - Try these 5 Tips:

1. Go onrepparttar 141281 offensive. Fight spyware before it even arrives on your computer. Make sure you have a good 'anti-virus software' program running on your PC. Many ISPs (Internet Service Providers) now offer anti-virus programs or even purchasing a commercial product is to your advantage. Get a program or product that is regularly updated to fend offrepparttar 141282 latest viruses, adware, worms, trojans and spyware.

2. Put up a Firewall. A Firewall should be one of your first lines of defense against spyware. A Firewall is simply a system or gateway designed to prevent unauthorized access to your computer or network. Check out www.zonealarm.com, they provide a free Firewall for individual users. Download their program and place it on your PC.

Cont'd on page 2 ==>
 
ImproveHomeLife.com © 2005
Terms of Use