Skip to main content

Firewalls in Simple Terms

Since I supply Broadband and often set it up for my customers, I sometimes come across people who don't have a firewall. Even those that do, are often unsure of what it does.
I think that the best way to think about a Firewall is to compare it to the security in your home.
To prevent people breaking in, you will have locks and bolts and perhaps an alarm.
A firewall does the same on your computer. It prevents unauthorised access. Just as you can let in anyone to your house, so you can override your firewall and let a program in. If your firewall doesn't recognise a program which is trying to gain access as 'safe', it will block it and, generally, ask you whether you want to grant permission. How do you know what to do? The safest response is always to deny permission. Then, if some program that you want to use stops working you can reconsider your decision. If it is something you don't recognise, refuse and look it up in Google to see if there are any references.
If you let something in that turns out to be a 'bad' program, most good firewalls will recognise the fact and stop it contacting the internet and spreading to others via your computer.
If you don't have a firewall that is up to date and funds are tight, then you can download one for free here http://tinyurl.com/rak67
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Ashampoo WinOptimizer 2008 FREE!

This month, Computer Active magazine is giving away "Ashampoo WinOptimizer 2008". The offer expires on October 11th so you will need to download and get the activation key before that date. (The offer could be withdrawn earlier too). WinOptimizer is a "tweaker", so the usual warnings apply. Used with care, it should keep your computer running more smoothly. This program is valued at £25, plus you get the option to upgrade to WinOptimizer 4 for only £7.49 instead of the normal retail price of £30. All together quite a bargain. You will need to go to the Computer Active website and follow the download instructions. www.computeractive.co.uk/winopt/index Eddie Subscribe to Computers are fun by Email
1 comment
Read more

6 Minutes to Change Your Life?

Small things can often have a big impact and our lives are never the same again. There is a short video on the Mastery TV Homepage which, if you care to ponder its message, can hardly fail to have a profound affect on you. Why not take a few undisturbed minutes and have a look at the remarkable story of "Team Hoyt"? Here is the link..... www.masterytv.com Eddie Subscribe to Computers are fun by Email
Post a Comment
Read more

My Favourite Widget

Widgets are great little programs which can make your computer much more fun to use. When I help people who are moving from dial-up to Broadband, I love to show them the new world of streaming audio and video which has opened up for them. In the UK some of the best content comes from the BBC and we can listen to BBC radio while we work. Accessing the stations can be a bit of a pain though......unless you have a widget! For this to work you will need real player and windows media player already installed because the widget uses both of those programs. Unless you have already done so, you also need to install the Yahoo widget engine which you can download here http://widgets.yahoo.com Then you can get BBC Radio Player Plus here http://tinyurl.com/2vlrez Now you have easy access to a whole new audio world. If you are new to widgets it is well worth taking time to explore what else is available. [NB The BBC widget only works in the UK but there are many others suitable for readers in othe...
Post a Comment
Read more