Hello Doreen and other interested parties:
Yes you should be running a firewall by all means. The firewall will make
your computer invisible to hackers who try and ping or contact your
computer. However a firewall will not necessarily help you with your spy
ware problem. Going onto the Internet is like walking through a cow pasture.
You need to watch where you step. Only download from trusted sites and be
careful about opening attachments in your email. These are the two main ways
spy ware gets onto your computer. Once spy ware gets on your computer, the
firewall will notify you what programs want to get out.
There are firewalls you can buy and firewalls that are free and do a
perfectly good job of keeping the nastiness away from your door. Zone alarm
is free and can be found at
http://www.uant.net/firewall/zonealarmguide.html?osadcampaign=googleza This
will give you instructions on how to download the software.
It is a four prong defense to keep the *!* off your computer: 1 security
updates for your OS, 2 anti virus program, 3 anti spy ware program 4
firewall program. And by all means update and run these programs on a
regular schedule.
For a more in-depth explanation on firewalls read on:
What You Need to Know About Firewalls
by Kim Komando - 11/1/2004
It only takes 20 minutes on the Internet for an unprotected computer running
Microsoft Windows to be taken over by a hacker. Any personal or financial
information stored on that computer is ripe for the taking--passwords, bank
accounts, credit card numbers, and more. A firewall is your first line of
defense and works, so long as it is used properly.
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Firewalls hide your computer or network from Internet threats. They can be
either hardware or software.
Hackers use programs that roam the Internet and search for open computers.
They do this by sending information to IP addresses. If the IP address (the
location of your computer) is unprotected, a message is sent back to the
hacker. The hacker then knows your computer can be infiltrated.
Hardware and software firewalls prevent this from happening by only
accepting requested information. For example, every time you type in a Web
address or access the Internet, you are requesting information. If you type
in my home page (www.komando.com), a request is sent to my Web site's
server.
The server acknowledges the request and sends the information, and your
computer displays it. Since your computer made the request, the firewall
lets the information through.
This is a great first step to protecting your computer, but it's not enough.
What happens if a malicious program gets onto your computer and requests
information without you knowing it? Trojans can be downloaded with a free
program, or they can get onto your computer via an e-mail attachment. A
hardware firewall won't stop them because your computer is initiating a
request.
That's where a software firewall comes in. It alerts you with a pop-up
message whenever a program tries to access the Internet. If it's a valid
program, such as Internet Explorer or Outlook, you tell the firewall to
allow access. If it's an unknown or suspicious application, you can block
it.
This can get confusing. You'll be amazed at the number of programs that need
Internet access. Sometimes, your music player needs access to online
databases when playing CDs or MP3s. Other programs automatically log onto
the Net to check for software updates.
After installing a software firewall, you'll initially get bombarded with
messages. If you recognize the program name, grant it access. If you don't,
deny access and then look up the name on the Internet.
There are a number of free and pay software firewalls. Windows XP has a
built-in firewall. This firewall works much like a firewall on a router.
It's able to shield your computer from hackers trying to get in, but it does
nothing if you have a Trojan trying to get out.
So I recommend a good third-party firewall. Several companies market free
for personal use software firewalls, including Agnitum's Outpost
(www.agnitum.com) ZoneAlarm (www.zonelabs.com). Firewalls are also available
from McAfee (www.mcafee.com) and Symantec (www.symantec.com) for under $50.
Mac OS X has a built-in firewall similar to the one included with Windows
XP. If you want something better, check out offerings from Intego
(www.intego.com; $59.95) and Symantec (www.symantec.com; $69.95). So far,
Macs have not been targeted like Windows machines, so the situation there is
much less dire.
Firewalls are just one part of a bigger equation in computer security. You
still need anti-virus software, and Windows updates. All work in tandem to
keep the predators out.
Source: the above was coppied from
http://www.komando.com/kolumns_show.asp?showID=7961
----- Original Message -----
From: "Doreen Yale" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Monday, March 14, 2005 10:41 AM
Subject: QUESTION ABOUT FIREWALLS
: Hi everybody:
: I am running Windows 98 with JAWS version 5, outlook Express version 6, MS
: Office 2000 and internet Explorer version 6.
:
: Whenever i go on the internet i get spyware on my computer which I detect
: with my spy detection program and remove. Could it be that i need a
: firewall to give me better protection, and if so, can anyone suggest a
: suitable program?
: Are there firewalls built into web browsers? Should I perhaps change my
: internet connection to a higher security level to try and cut down on this
: spam?
: Any thoughts would be appreciated, I just want to try and cut down on this
: constant battle i seem to be waging with spyware.
: Many thanks.
: DOREEN YALE.
:
:
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:
:
: --
: No virus found in this incoming message.
: Checked by AVG Anti-Virus.
: Version: 7.0.308 / Virus Database: 266.7.2 - Release Date: 3/11/2005
:
:
--
No virus found in this outgoing message.
Checked by AVG Anti-Virus.
Version: 7.0.308 / Virus Database: 266.7.2 - Release Date: 3/11/2005
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