Let’s talk a little about what a firewall is and why you need one. A firewall is a security measure that protects a computer or a computer network from unauthorized access. Unfortunately in today’s computer world, there are a lot of devious hackers working diligently to access computer information. Where previously, the targets were large institutions, today hackers seek out all sorts of personal information including information from everyday home computer users.

A firewall can be software, hardware, or a combination of both. A good firewall will prevent hackers from accessing a computer. It will also keep information from being sent out from your computer without your knowledge. It will keep personal information safe. Firewalls don't prevent virus attacks but in some circumstances they can stop viruses from sending information from an infected computer.   

If you use a broadband connection to the Internet, like DSL or cable, you should definitely get a firewall. Such broadband connections are always on, shared connections. It is easier for an intruder to break into your computer if you are using one of these connections. So it is essential to have a firewall on a computer that uses DSL or cable to connect to the Internet.

Even if your computer uses a dial-up Internet connection to get to the Internet, a firewall can be useful. (If you use a regular telephone line and you click on an icon on your computer desktop to initiate your Internet connection, you have a dial-up connection.) This is because there are programs like spyware and adware that are privacy-invading programs that piggy-back on other software that you download from the Internet. These spy-grams can gather personal information and send it back to the scheming people who developed the programs. A good firewall will keep that from happening.

The easiest way to get a firewall for your computer is to purchase a router. A router is a small device that allows you to network several computers together. Because of the way a router works, it also acts as a hardware firewall. Read my article entitled: A Router Can Protect your Computer for more information on how routers can protect you.

Software firewalls can also protect your computer. These firewall programs install just like any other program. Most software firewalls prevent unauthorized information from going into your computer as well as from going out. Unfortunately, most software firewalls are cumbersome because they often ask you to decide if you want to grant permission for a program or service to access the Internet. Because this is not always an easy decision, software firewalls can be difficult for the average computer user to handle.

There is a firewall built into Windows XP, but unfortunately, it is a one-directional firewall. It will only check for information coming into your computer. If you use Windows XP, it is better than nothing, but a two-directional software firewall or a hardware firewall is still needed for complete protection. If you are using Windows Vista, the built-in firewall offers much better protection than the Windows XP firewall.