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Personal Firewalls - Secure Your Computer
There has not been a time in the history of the personal computer that firewalls and anti-virus programs have been more necessary and in-demand. Today, personal computer security is not only threatened by viruses and worms, but also by spyware - those severely annoying programs that are illegally loaded onto your computer from the internet. Spyware programs can seriously undermine the operating structure of your computer, as well as make you vulnerable to identity theft and other criminal activities. Firewalls, long since a staple in the corporate world for defending large, expensive internal intranets or other networks, has now come into its own as a tool for personal computer owners as well. Your home computer is just as susceptible - if not more so - to online attacks, so why should it not be protected? What is a firewall, anyway? For those of you who may not be as versed in the pc security lingual as some, we offer here a fairly simple definition. A firewall is a collection of security programs that act to block unauthorized users from gaining access to a particular computer network (or single computer). Most firewalls also comprehensively monitor and report the data transfers between the network and the outside internet environment. Thus, they are quite effective in keeping your computer or network safe, allowing you to access the internet without taking a high security risk. Sygate Personal Firewalls There are few highly reputable firewall providers out there, and Sygate is certainly one of them. Here we go over some of the features of the Sygate line firewalls, so that you may choose the best one for your pc or server. Sygate currently offers two main personal firewalls: the Sygate Personal Firewall (SPF) and the Sygate Personal Firewall Plus (SPFP). The major differences between the two are the advanced features you will only find on the SPFP. With the Plus version you will get VPN support, intrusion detection system (IDS), active reponse, and anti-mac, anti-ip spoofing. Both versions of the software come with the material that any pc user should really make sure they have: the main "application" firewall, intrusion alarm system, attacker tracing system, and security policy customization. These features are what are really necessary for a firewall to protect your home computer. The firewall needs to be able to block outsiders from gaining access to your computer, and they need to alert you when an attack has been attempted (or is in progress). Considering that the SPF is essentially free to download, and contains the elements you really need, this is the application we recommend for home pc users. For small business networks, the more advanced features offered by the Sygate Personal Firewall Plus is certainly worth the $40.00 pricetag. Both options are solid firewall applications and can be highly trusted to perform well on nearly any system. Norton Personal Firewalls Sygates closest competition in the area of personal firewall is Norton. Norton anti-virus programs are very well known, and have largely carried the brand over the last decade. Although less well known, Norton offers a powerful and comprehensive firewall program for home pc owners. Norton Personal Firewall 2005 is similar to the Sygate Personal Firewall program mentioned above. Some of the neat features of this application include the Norton Privacy Control (which keeps information from being sent without your knowledge in email, instant messages, MS Office attachments, and various forms on the web, such as those you enter your credit card number in), and intrusion prevention system that automatically blocks suspicious incoming traffic (from hackers, etc.). If this product is anywhere near as well designed and engineered as the anti-virus programs from Norton, then it is definately worth a look. The software can be downloaded or ordered online for $49. Bradley James is a senior editor at www.scinet.cc">SciNet.cc, a website containing many helpful consumer electronics review articles. For more information on personal firewalls, please visit our www.scinet.cc/articles/personal-firewalls/firewall-reviews.html">personal firewall webpage.
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Hacking Threats and Protective Security
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Click Here To Defeat Evil
Microsoft routinely releases new security updates, many of which are given it's highest severity rating "critical". Here's a typical announcement:"A security issue has been identified that could allow an attacker to compromise a computer running Internet Explorer and gain control over it.
Computer Viruses and Other Nasties: How to Protect Your Computer from These Invaders
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Internet Identity Theft - How You Can Shield Yourself
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Dont Miss Information Because of Misinformation
It has been said that with the wealth of information, freely available, the Internet has the ability to make you smarter, faster, than any other medium on the planet. Of course with an equal amount of mis-information, it also has the ability to make you dumber, faster, than any other medium on the planet.
Secrets On Security: A Gentle Introduction To Cryptography
Let us take the example of scrambling an egg. First, crack the shell, pour the contents into a bowl and beat the contents vigorously until you achieved the needed result - well, a scrambled egg.
The Importance of Protecting Your PC from Viruses and Spam
Today the internet is a mine field of malicious code looking to harm your computer. Hackers want to have access to your PC for both fun and profit.
Viruses, Trojans, and Spyware - Oh My!
Have you ever had to call Symantec or McAfee to ask them how to remove a virus? Or have you spent hours online trying to figure out how to remove spyware, only to find out that you did something wrong and now your computer won't boot? I know your pain and frustration with just trying to use your computer without worry. As a computer technician at ARCH Computing Services, I know how hard it can be to pay someone to remove viruses and spyware.
Hacking the Body Via PDA Wireless Device
First I would like to stress I am condoning the art of hacking. Nor am I condoning the control and manipulation of the human race by way of frequencies interacting with the biological systems, which run the human body.
Avoiding Scams: If It Sounds Too Good to Be True, It Probably Is
A week or so ago, I received an inquiry from a man in Indonesia about buying multiple copies of certain items on my website. I immediately suspected fraud, so I explained that I only had one piece of each.
Top Five Online Scams
The top five online scams on the Internet hit nearly ten million people last year according to an FBI report in December 2004. That figure doubled from 2003 to 2004 and people are continuing to fall for these email and identity theft scams.
Lottery Scam, What It is and how to Avoid It?
Internet scams and frauds are on the rise! The quantity of scam emails with various fraud schemes any email account receives today is simply overwhelming! There is this infamous Nigerian 419 scam, which is by far the most widely circulated one. I wrote about it in one of our ezine articles not long ago.
Securing Your Accounts With Well-Crafted Passwords
In the past I've never really paid much attention to security issues when it comes to user names and passwords. Frankly I figured it was all a lot of overblown hype.
Internet Shopping - How Safe Is It?
Millions of people make purchases online, but many people are still wary. They fear the unknown and have many doubts and questions about who they are dealing with.
Firewalls: What They Are And Why You MUST Have One!
A firewall is a system or gateway that prevents unauthorized access to your computer or private network. It is usually the first line of defense in protecting your private information or data.
Identity Theft Offline -- So Many Possibilities
Chris Simpson, head of Scotland Yard's computer crime unit was unpleasantly surprised to learn how easy it is to cheat anybody out of his or her personal info -- by means of a fake survey.This survey wasn't a scam; in fact, it was an experiment.
Email Hoaxes, Urban Legends, Scams, Spams, And Other CyberJunk
The trash folder in my main inbox hit 4000 today. Since I never throw anything out, I know that what's in there is courtesy of my email filter which is set to automatically delete anything that is forwarded from my work account from a certain person.
The Attack of the Advertiser - Spy Mother Spy
The menacing campaigns that drive the corporate spyware and adware market is developing way out of hand. Who are these companies and how do they get away with it? They are costing computer users millions with their sneakware system of promotional crap!We have some serious problems.
Lets Talk About Antivirus Software!
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Behavior to Stay Safer Online
1. Importance of a Virus Scanner: A Antivirus program can help to prevent you from becoming infected with a Virus or Trojan.