I have other protections such as anti-virus protection, anti-spy protection, pop-up blocker, and mail protection.
2006-11-17 07:15:34 · 8 answers · asked by Cake 1 in Computers & Internet ➔ Security
★★ FIREWALLS ★★
◙ What is a firewall? This is a program that protects you from the dangers of the internet. It helps to stop adware, back doors, cookies, dialers, hijackers, key loggers, spyware, thiefware, trojan horses, viruses, worms, and zombie pcs and a host of other nasties getting into your computer. There are two types of firewalls. There are one-way and two-way firewalls. The one-way type stops most things from getting in. The two-way type stops things from getting in and stops the few that slipped through from reporting back to their owners.
◙ The firewall that comes with Windows XP is a one-way. But it's better than nothing at all. To turn it on click the Start Menu > Control Panel > Windows Firewall. But I suggest that you don't use it. Instead do the following.
◙ Every computer that is connected to the internet should be behind two firewalls. You should have both a hardware firewall (a router with a firewall built into it) and a software firewall.
◙ Even if you never plan to network your home PC you should still use a router. The most common way for hackers to get into your computer is by using a port scanner program. It sends packets of data to your ip number and reports back to the owner if there are any vulnerable ports in your computer. Look for a router with a firewall with both SPI (Stateful Packet Inspection) and NAT (Network Address Translation). Most modern routers have this but be sure when you buy it. This type of router will slam the door on port scanners.
◙ A really good FREE two-way software firewall is Zonealarm http://www.zonelabs.com/store/content/company/products/znalm/freeDownload.jsp . The problem is that it will drive you insane for awhile until it figures out what programs are supposed to automatically "phone home" over the internet and which ones aren't. Let's say it asks you if it's ok to allow AcroRD32.exe to communicate over the internet. Unless you know that AcroRD32.exe is Adobe's Acrobat Reader looking to update itself over the net you will be left unsure of what to do. But with everything you have to start somewhere. You'll catch on after awhile. BE SURE TO READ THE HELP PAGES AT ZONELABS' SITE.
◙ Another thing about Zonealarm to is that if you install any new software that updates itself you'll have to put up with this all over again. But only for that one program. Not all of the others all over again. :)
◙ Every firewall has an "Exceptions" section. This is where you allow certain programs to be ignored by the firewall. One such program would be Yahoo Messenger etc. The more "Exceptions" you select the more vulnerable your system will become. You have to decide between lots of cool programs that update themselves or TIGHT SECURITY!
◙ Hackers usually start by using a port scanner to enter your computer. Here are some lists of port numbers that you can use to close off entry to your computer in your firewalls.
☞ http://www.iss.net/security_center/advice/Exploits/Ports/
☞ http://www.iana.org/assignments/port-numbers
☞ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_TCP_and_UDP_port_numbers
◙ Firewall Help
☞ http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&q=firewall+help
◙ Here are two cool security places on Yahoo to checkout. These areas are good for more than just being safe at Yahoo. They will show you tricks that will work everywhere on the internet.
☞ http://family.yahoo.com/
☞ http://security.yahoo.com/
◙ Below is Mcafee's Site Adviser. Type in a URL in the form here and you will find out if the site you want to go to is known for phising (getting your personal info under false pretenses), viruses, spyware, and many other things. You can use the tool on their site or download an program to do that.
☞ http://www.siteadvisor.com/
★★ TEST YOUR FIREWALL ★★
◙ Firewalls just sit there on your hard drive in the background doing what they do. It's hard to know if they are really doing their job. Below are some sites that will check it for you.
◙ DO NOT TRY THIS ON A NETWORKED COMPUTER! THE SYSTEM ADMINISTRATOR MIGHT SEE IT AS AN ATTACK AND PULL THE PLUG! THEN THEY WILL COME POUNDING ON YOUR DOOR ASKING WHAT KIND OF AN IDIOT ARE YOU! YOU DON"T WANT THIS KIND OF VISIT! ONLY DO THIS ON YOUR OWN HOME COMPUTER! I'm sorry for the caps but you can't bold text in Yahoo Answers. So this was the next best thing.
◙ Here are some sites that will send zillions of packets of info to your computer's ip address to see if your firewall is working. They will then list whatever vulerablities exist if any. Try them all to see which one works the best for you.
☞ http://www.grc.com/
☞ http://scan.sygate.com/
☞ http://www.hackercheck.com/
☞ http://www.planet-security.net/
◙ The source of this information was "PCs, The Missing Manual". If you have Windows XP you really need to buy this wonderful book. It is worth every penny they are charging for it. Ipoders will find some helpful information here too.
☞ http://www.missingmanuals.com/
2006-11-17 07:30:04 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
I can't give you step by step, just a few ideas to start your quest. High-speed internet - required for security reasons. Never use a modem (problem is swine-run sites that download diallers onto your machine without your knowledge - they then make expensive long distance calls using the modem). Router box. They have names like Linksys and Dlink. They sit between your computer and the internet and block huge amounts of crap. "Don't Click At That" Educate yourself on things that are troublesome. Both emails and web pages can contain harmful stuff. Do not click on anything unless you are completely confident in it. Don't be afraid of anything either, especially of emails that say things like "Your account has been violated. Click here to verify your account" - ALWAYS a scam and to be deleted. Download FIrefox and use it instead of Internet Explorer. It is inherently much safer as it does not support a "feature" called Active X Controls (this is the thing that allows drive-by downloads). Oh yeah, most of those attacks are automated and taking place on a massive scale. It's a worldwide problem.
2016-03-28 23:47:37 · answer #2 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you have windows 2000 you can get your firewall free from Microsoft windows.
2006-11-17 08:17:07 · answer #3 · answered by mimi 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
NO. If you have windows xp go to windows update and download sp2. And it has a firewall .
2006-11-17 07:25:07 · answer #4 · answered by born again 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
u dont need a firewall as long as u dont go online
2006-11-17 07:24:29 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
No, you can get ZoneAlarm free edition for free.
Get it from
www.filehippo.com
www.download.com
www.zonelabs.com
2006-11-17 07:17:42 · answer #6 · answered by Sir J 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
it's not necessary but it is good to have if you don't want anyone hacking in to your computer
try zonealarm
http://www.zonelabs.com/store/content/company/products/trial_zaFamily/trial_zaFamily.jsp?lid=home_freedownloads
2006-11-17 07:29:19 · answer #7 · answered by dreddful1 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
get something as fast as you can, I use zone alarm
2006-11-17 07:23:45 · answer #8 · answered by michael m 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋