Software Information |
The XP Firewall Isnt Enough
Every computer that connects to the internet has an IP address. This is like a sort of phone number, and is issued either to an individual computer or to a "gateway" that connects a private network to the 'net. Domestic dial-up internet connections normally use a system called Dynamic IP Addressing where people are issued with a sort of "new identity" every time they connect, so it's difficult to find and attack an individual computer - Dynamic IP addressing is a bit like having your phone number change every time you use the phone, which makes it difficult for the bad guys to find you. But the longer you keep a particular "phone number" the more chance there is of someone finding you and that is why high-speed always-on connections need handling with care. In particular, with "always on" DSL and cable connections you are connected for extended periods of time which give the attackers more chance of finding you if you've got an unprotected connection. In these days of identity theft and with more and more security holes being uncovered in commercial software it is vital that you have a good firewall if you use a high-speed connection. You may already have a firewall, either in a device called a "Broadband Router" which goes between your computer and the Internet or the very basic firewall built in to Windows XP Service Pack 2 and you might think that's all you need. But there's another reason that you won't have thought of. Basic firewalls will tell you, and hopefully protect you if someone is trying to get in.... but they won't tell you if something is trying to get out! That's right! Certain spyware and viruses can gather your personal information and send it out of your machine without you knowing. A good firewall will spot these attempts to send stuff out and will warn you,
quite possibly before your Antivirus or Spyware application notices the problem.
Which gives you time to get the problem fixed. Steve Blampied lives in Jersey in the Channel Islands and has been an independent IT consultant for around 10 years. He is currently putting together a web site solely about free software. http://www.freesoftwareadvice.com He also has a small IT company in Jersey.
MORE RESOURCES: Unable to open RSS Feed $XMLfilename with error HTTP ERROR: 404, exiting |
RELATED ARTICLES
Software: What Suits Me? Almost all new and major brand of PCs come with bundled software packages that can handle both business and personal needs.However, if you purchase a stripped down model, you might have to spend considerable time and money to add appropriate software packages you vitally need. Microsoft Great Plains Implementation in Russia - Overview for Consultant Microsoft Business Solutions Great Plains is very popular ERP platform in the USA, Canada (including French speaking Quebec/Montreal), U.K. String in Java Handling character strings in Java is supported through two final classes: String and StringBuffer. The String class implements immutable character strings, which are read-only once the string has been created and initialized, whereas the StringBuffer class implements dynamic character strings. The Importance of Timely Timesheets Whether you are a small consultancy firm, a medium sized accountancy practice, or a code warrior for hire in a back room of your house then you have at least one thing in common: you are in business to get paid quickly, and for the work you have done. Timesheets are the usual method for tracking time you spent working and thus are the key to timely invoice generation. OSI Layers Model IntroductionDuring the early years of our modern computer era, very few standards and protocols existed between various manufacturers. However, as time went on and computer technology continued to improve and become more widespread, it became apparent that standards would be necessary to ensure compatibility. Getting Patched with Windows Service Pack Are you one of those people that keeps track of recalls, just in case one of your most recent purchases gets recalled? Well, some of us do, but many of us don't.For those of us who don't keep up with recalls in general, it's just as easy to be unaware of the fact that Microsoft Windows offers us this wonderful service called a Service Pack, which is essentially a recall service for Microsoft Windows. Healthcare Preventive Maintenance Software Healthcare facilities such as clinics, hospitals, and biomedical laboratories can benefit greatly if up to date CMMS software is used. Healthcare CMMS programs will help with the maintenance of the building, alerting workers when items such as automatic doors, light fixtures, and plumbing structures are due for checkups. Microsoft Business Solutions VAR/Partner Selection - Overview for IT Director/Manager/Controller Microsoft Great Plains and Microsoft CRM become more and more popular, partly because of Microsoft muscles behind them. Now Great Plains is targeted to the whole spectrum of horizontal and vertical market clientele. Keep Your Software Simple! A Review of EditPlus I like my software simple. If it's too complex or difficult to figure out, I don't use it. Freight Forwarding ERP: Microsoft Business Solutions Great Plains customization & setup - overview Microsoft Great Plains may be recommended for international freight forwarding / transportation company. Great Plains has such features as multicurrency (Euro, Pound, Yuan, Yen, Peso, Real), Spanish, French, Brazilian Portuguese (and if needed Unicode-specific languages such as Chinese, Japanese). Dashboard Widgets for Windows For a windows user like me, just can watch with envy the new eye candy features in Mac OS X and wondering how I can have the same feature on my belove windows.Before Apple introduce dashboard in their latest Mac OS X, most of mac users already can have widget on their desktop using Konfabulator by Pixoria Inc. Microsoft CRM Conversation Gateway: VoIP - Implementation & Customization Microsoft CRM is winning market share step-by-step from such the traditional CRM providers as Siebel, Saleslogix. In this article we'll show Microsoft Business Solutions CRM potential in the VoIP direction. Will Adobe Manage to Replace Industry Work Horse Quark Express by Giving Adobe InDesign for Free? And kill the best layout software in the process of gaining market share?***Heard about the Quark "killer"?Adobe InDesign CS2. Will it really "kill" Quark? Adobe has been saying "it will" for the last six years or so, but it hasn't happened. Defining OLAP Solutions and Data Warehouse design This tutorial covers OLAP solutions used by Data warehouses and understanding Data Warehouse design. The enterprise needs to ask itself certain fundamental questions before actually launching on the process of designing the data warehouse. Do You Know These Facts About Spyware ? Imagine something that follows you home and sets itself upin your house. It eats your food, enjoys your drinks, readseverything you bring home or purchase. 7 Things to Consider Before Buying Small Business Accounting Software The world of small business accounting software can be a minefield for any business owner. However choosing the right package is one of the most critical business decisions you will make. Microsoft Great Plains implementation: Restaurants Supply Chain Management Example Microsoft Great Plains serves majority of US based horizontal and vertical markets. Being relatively flexible and customizable - it can fit your specific business requirements with light or deep customization. Top Questions to Ask Before Buying a Help Desk & Asset Management Software #5 All your hardware components like Printers, PCs etc come under various maintenance contracts with different maintenance vendors. Do you know which batch of PCs are under warranty & for what number of PCs is the warranty about to expire (so that you can plan for an AMC)? Can you split up & tell how much AMC charges do you pay for each hardware component & how much for each vendor? Can you re-calculate the costs if an AMC with a vendor is to be renewed?#4 Typically your company gets hardware parts and accessories from different vendors. Corporate ERP: Standard vs. Rich functionality - Microsoft Great Plains Traditionally we were considering functionally rich systems, such as SAP, Oracle Financials, PeopleSoft, JDEdwards as the fit for large publicly traded corporation. There might be multiple opinions for the future corporate ERP/MRP systems. New SQL Delta Version 3.1 COMMAND LINE FUNCTIONA powerful command line script processor has been introduced to SQL Delta 3.1. |
home | site map | contact us |