Internet Security 101

If you’re not technically knowledgeable about computers, you probably don’t know enough about the Internet either, much less Internet security which relies a great deal on firewalls. A firewall is a software or code that allows your computer to block anything suspicious that attempts to enter from the Internet network. There are a lot of computers out there waiting to jump At another online computer it finds to have security holes. If your computer happens to fit that description, it could readily be the next recipient of viruses, worms, trojans and any other online contaminants that could gravely endanger your system. The function of a firewall is to sift through incoming data from the Internet and block those it suspects to be malicious.

If you’re using Windows XP, you’ll find that it has an inbuilt firewall which you can configure yourself. Just go to the Control Panel and make sure it’s to default. If you set it too high, your computer will start blocking everything which negates the whole purpose of having an Internet connection. If you set it too low, you could be a very target of attacks. With default settings, the level of security provided for your computer is just enough to protect it from possibly malicious elements and, at the same time, allow you to access the information you need.

In terms of online security, your computer will also benefit greatly from an antivirus software which usually comes with a firewall. That means when you decide to install this software, you’re going to have to choose whether to use that software’s firewall or the inbuilt Windows firewall. While it may sound perfect to have both working, this could result in an extremely high level of security guarding your computer that you won’t be able to access even legitimate sites. In this situation, you will have to choose one over the other. Of course, the obvious better choice is the antivirus software because of the dual purpose it serves. Although the Windows firewall works just as good as that of any other third party software, it won’t be enough to kill viruses that manage to sneak past it and into your hard drive.

To strengthen your security further, use an ip changer software which, even by itself, can keep your computer safe from hackers. An IP changer works by hiding your real IP address and allowing you to surf using a fake one so that even if you bump into extremely dangerous sites, they still wouldn’t stand a chance with you. Why? Because they won’t know how or where to find you. After all, you’re not using your real IP.