LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Computer Protection: Firewalls
built 487 days ago
Recent weeks have seen an influx of new offerings to help protect your computer. In addition to an announcement from Zone Labs, Microsoft, McAffee and Symantec are all expanding the scope of their computer protection software. All of these offerings typically include antivirus, anti-spyware and firewall software. Microsoft’s solution ... includes back-up features and several tune-up tools for Windows PCs. McAffee’s offering, Norton 360, includes SiteAdvisor, which adds ratings to Web search results. Also getting into this space is AOL, offering Total Care, which offers more of the same through an unnamed third party security company.
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The firewall and Internet Shield protect the computer against unauthorized incoming or outgoing connections. It is not possible to access the computer from the outside without the user’s approval, or to initiate outgoing connection by the software in the computer without authorization. Working on a background regime, the Virus Protection monitors the activities of the programs in the computer, and blocks programs that may damage the operation of the computer from opening. The Spy Protection shields the computer against spyware, which monitors the use of the computer and the Internet without that the knowledge or approval of the user and forwards the gathered information through the Internet to the author of the spyware. Spam Control protects the computer against damaging effects of spam and helps to keep one’s mailbox clear. Parental Control allows parents to determine rules for computer use, for instance by designating available and prohibited websites.
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While all computers should have anti-virus and firewall protection, these safeguards are only partially effective. Real danger stems from new viruses, spyware and new hacking methods launched over the Internet. Furthermore, these measures do not prevent internal attacks which are more common and often more costly and dangerous than those externally generated.
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[I]f the firewall uses stealth to hide ports, a computer making a request on the stealth port will not receive a response. Computers on the outside of the firewall cannot determine whether a computer associated with that port exists. Or, the firewall may respond to requests on all ports as if they were active, concealing the truly active ports in a sea of false-positive responses.
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A firewall is a piece of software or hardware that can help protect your computer against network attacks, such as computer viruses. Many operating systems have a software firewall you can activate and most routers have a firewall as well. For instructions to activate your computer's firewall select your computer's operating system:
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A firewall is software that helps create a protective barrier between your computer and potentially harmful attacks. Many businesses have firewalls built into their networks, but home users should install firewall software if it was not included in the software package that came with their PC.
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