Protecting Your Computer from Intruders

For Peace Of Mind

The best way to approach your PC and the internet is to behave in the same way that you would when you're conducting yourself in the real world. For instance, would you hand over your credit card details to anyone who asked you for them on the high street? Would you leave the front door to your home open so that any passers-by could come in and look around?

For many of us, using a computer and going online are still relatively new concepts, and when you're in the privacy of your own home, you feel comfortable and secure. And, in most cases you are; there's certainly no need to start worrying that the internet is unsafe, or that something bad is going to happen every time you go online.

Using A Firewall

It's wise to take precautions and use your common sense. Part of this involves keeping an up-to-date firewall installed on your computer. A firewall is a virtual barrier that's constructed between your PC and the internet and you can think of it like a moat around a castle. It protects your PC from unwanted intruders from the internet, such as hackers, and malicious software, such as viruses, Trojans and worms, while allowing safe traffic to pass to and from your PC without hindrance. It does this by identifying threats that might cause trouble; when it comes across anything that's unsafe or unwanted, the firewall will simply turn it away.

If you use Microsoft Windows XP you've already got a rudimentary firewall up and running. Called Windows Firewall, you can find it within the Windows Control Panel and it's a standard part of the operating system. You might not have even noticed it running. Like an anti-virus program, a firewall sits quietly in the background, starting automatically when your computer does, and running continually without your involvement.

Guarding Against Malicious Programs

But you shouldn't rely on the Windows Firewall as more than a temporary measure; its basic functionality is eclipsed by more secure third-party firewalls that are available and we recommend you install one at the earliest opportunity. More advanced firewalls, for instance, are able to guard your PC against malicious programs that may be on your PC already from contacting with the internet, or news programs not yet known, for example. If you're in the unfortunate situation that your PC becomes infected with a piece of spyware, it can then prevent it from sending the data that the spyware is collecting about you to its creator.

But it's protecting your computer from external threats that's of utmost importance. Without one, your PC and the files you've stored on it could be accessed by a determined individual via the internet, or damaged by a Trojan or virus. And installing a firewall to prevent that from happening is a very small price to pay for peace of mind.