* Warning *
Every minute that your computer is connected to the Internet, you are in danger of being attacked!
That's right! You are at risk whether you have high speed Internet access or just plain dial-up service. If you visited our Security pages and followed the links Steve Gibson's Security site, you will have a good idea about what is going on out there. Any computer with DSL or Cable connection has what is called and " always on" connection. Some modems that are supplied by internet service providers of always on connections have on/off switches so you can disconnect yourself from the internet when you are away from the computer or when you want to install some software or do other maintenance. These types of connections should always have some form of firewall and preferably both types. We are referring to software firewalls and hardware firewalls. A software firewall monitors port activity. Ports on a computer are gateways to the internet. Think of your computer as having hundreds of open windows that face the internet. If these windows are open, anything can come in from the net. A firewall thus keeps outside threats from entering your computer. A router is a hardware firewall. Most routers have NAT firewalls built into them and are enabled by default. A good router has an easy to configure firewall program. They keep unwanted packets from gaining access to your system. Many software firewalls report all kinds of threats that really aren't threats.
Side Porch Computer services recommends you use a software and hardware firewall to get the best protection. These do not work without you learning about how to install, setup and maintain them correctly. All of them have extensive tutorials or help files and most provide some technical help for a limited amount of time.
The Internet is NOT a safe place as you are coming to realize. It's not until you install some protective software that you are even aware of hackers trying to get in your system. Firewalls are programs which hide your ports from the world out there and protect your computer and you. They monitor all incoming network traffic and allow in only the connections that are known and trusted. Port 80 is open so that you can browse web pages; port 1863 allows you to engage in instant messaging with friends; port 443 gives access to secure web pages used by online merchants to encrypt purchases.
If you have any private information such as passwords, bank account names and numbers, then you better take heed!
Every time we install a firewall on a computer that previously didn't have one, the first things the clients notice is how many " attacks" they are avoiding as the programs record when someone is trying to gain access to your open ports. Some of these threats are serious and some are not but you cannot tell which is which so why not play it safe.
Now, Windows 95, 98 and ME do not have any built in firewalls, but XP HOME and PRO does. However, those firewalls are not as good or reliable as other 3rd party programs like Norton's Firewall or Zone Alarm's firewalls. For a list of free firewalls with current releases check out www.filehippo.com and look for the Firewall section.
When your computer is connected to the Internet, it receives traffic from a wide range of sources, most of it benign. Your instant messaging client alerts you that a friend has signed on; your mail client finds new mail waiting for you and downloads it; a weather site refreshes its rainfall map by telling your web browser to reload a page. All of this traffic is handled invisibly by your computer, which is listening to a large number of "ports." A port is a specific connection point through which applications on your computer connect to the Internet. And a hacker only needs one open port through which to mount an attack onto your computer.
Your computer is just one machine among the millions connected to the Internet at any given moment. And a moment is all it takes for a hacker to get in.
Most people think that if they install just Anti-virus software,it protects them completely from Internet-borne threats. But virus protection is only as good as the latest virus definitions, which are created in response to the latest viruses. It's a game on one-upsmanship that the hackers always win, in a sense; someone (potentially many thousands of people) must be infected before the makers of antivirus software can create a defense. And antivirus software does nothing to secure your computer against direct hacker attacks.
Firewall software takes on this burden for you, allowing access to the ports you need open, and closing off those you don't. It also makes your computer "invisible" on the Internet; if hackers can't find you, they will have a hard time attacking you.
More advanced firewall software also monitors outgoing traffic. This is crucial since malicious code spreads by accessing the Internet and pushing copies of itself to other computers (often those of your friends and family!). Outbound protection can keep even brand-new Trojan horses and Spyware from doing their damaging work. The ultimate protection is program-level control, so that only those applications that you trust are allowed to access the Internet.
