Keeping it personal — Part II…

In last week’s OnMouseClick I outlined methods of avoiding Internet fraud and identity theft. This week I am going to focus on using a firewall to keep your computer safe from outside intruders if you use a broadband network to connect to the Internet.

In the real world, a firewall is a partition that inhibits the spread of a fire. In cyberspace, a firewall is metaphorical; instead of protecting against fire, it protects your computer from unauthorized access. An even better analogy would be to think of a firewall as a receptionist who monitors all visitors (Internet traffic) to your computer. Without the proper clearance, the receptionist will not let a visitor enter.

You might be wondering why anyone would want to gain access to your computer. There are two main reasons. First intruders, also known as computer hackers, are looking for sensitive information that may be stored on your computer, such as credit card numbers, bank account numbers, and passwords. Second, your computer hardware can be commandeered for remote use in hacking other computers. To minimize the probability of such a breach of your computer security, it is imperative that you have firewall software installed and turned on.

Where do you get firewall software? If you use Windows XP — Service Pack 2, Vista or Mac OS 10, there is a firewall built into the operating system that is turned on by default. With both Windows and Mac, the most recent versions of the operating systems, OS 10.4 for Mac and Vista for Windows, are purported to be the most secure. Regardless of which operating system you use, be sure to keep it up-to-date. Most operating system updates are released because of newly discovered security breaches and subsequent repairs.

If you use virus protection software — and you should — a firewall may also have been installed on your computer as a component of the software. If this is the case, you will need to select which firewall you want to use. For most people, the obvious choice will be to use the firewall that is integrated with the virus protection software. Whatever your choice, you should only have one of the firewalls enabled.

Firewall software can be customized, although most novice users will stay with their software’s default settings. If you want to learn how your firewall is working, or you want to be able to do your own customization, there are several web sites that provide useful information.

One excellent resource is www.cert.org/homeusers/HomeComputerSecurity. This web site, sponsored by the Carnegie Mellon University, is one of the best compendiums on Home Computer Security I have come across. Another web site of interest to Windows XP users is www.windowsecurity.com/articles/Customizing-Windows-Firewall.html. This web article gives step-by-step directions on different ways to customize the Windows XP firewall.

As for users of the brand new Windows Vista operating system, I was not able to find any web sites with directions for customizing the firewall — although my research suggests that the Vista firewall is not very different from the firewall in Windows XP. If you use a Macintosh, you can learn about the firewall settings on your computer with a search for FIREWALL in the Apple Help Menu.

Next week OnMouseClick concludes the series on computer security by exploring a variety of antivirus software and the importance of backing up your critical data.