Finding the right firewall
Firewalls play a crucial role in network and computer security. Part I of this series, Home User Security: Your First Defense, examined the typical functions of firewalls and how they can be of use on an individual level. More specifically, the need for personal firewalls in the home office was discussed. Now we will explore some of the best options on the market, many of which are available free of charge or are already installed on major operating systems.
In order to determine what type of firewall is best for you, here are five questions to consider:
What features are most important to me?
Do I have a history of getting viruses and worms?
What other security practices do I employ?
How much am I willing to spend on a firewall solution?
Do I use many programs that automatically access the Internet?
The average user has several programs that regularly access the Internet (whether he or she knows it or not), some virus problems, and an interest in a cheap or free solution with minimal configuration and maintenance headaches. Advanced options like encryption, ad-blocking, cookie digestion and hiding offer greater privacy, but often entail more work on the user's part. There are trade-offs, as always, but most firewall packages provide simple enough interfaces that anyone can monitor the firewall's activities. Firewalls are no longer the sole responsibility of senior network administrators -- we are all qualified operators.
Feature selection
Without going into detail as to what these features do (please see Part I for that), here again are the main options available in personal firewall software:
Inbound filtering
Outbound filtering
Application integrity verification
Data encryption
Hiding your presence
Reporting/Logging
Email virus protection
Pop-up ad blocking
Cookie digestion
Spyware protection
Laptop protection
Among these features, some of the most important that should be evaluated are: inbound vs. outbound filtering, application integrity verification, and user notifications. These will be discussed in more detail below.
As explained earlier, firewalls work by examining packets of data through a variety of filters. They analyze the ports used by the data, the addresses through which the data flows, the data characteristics, and the data protocols and types.
Read complete article and comparison chart at http://www.securityfocus.com/infocus/1750
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Donna
Security Software Reference

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