Chapter 7: Protecting Windows Vista with a Firewall

Overview

There's little question that the Internet is one of the most valuable resources of our time. It's not only a reliable and effective communication facility, but also an invaluable research tool. As a global network of networks, the Internet is very much a community, complete with elements both good and bad. Although there's little question that the vast majority of Internet users are honest folks trying to make use of a great resource, there also exists a large (although percentage-wise relatively small) group of people online who would like nothing more than to compromise the security of your PC for their own gain.

These malicious users are the hackers, crackers, and script kiddies that represent the enemy to millions of legitimate Internet users worldwide. Unfortunately, you have little choice but to ensure that your computer is protected from these users and their threats. The number sounds almost unbelievable, but it's been estimated that an unprotected and unpatched computer running Windows is typically compromised less than 20 minutes after being connected to the Internet. From infecting your computer with viruses and spyware to installing remote control programs, the risks associated with leaving your PC unprotected are very real. In the same way that you lock your car doors when parking in a public location, you need to lock down your PC when venturing online.

In the case of computers connected to the Internet, the lock in question is a firewall. Although the capabilities of various firewalls vary, the primary role of a firewall is to act as the gatekeeper between your computer and the Internet. A firewall enables you to control what level of access (if any) Internet users have to your PC, and potentially which programs and services on your computer can gain access to the Internet. Quite simply, without the protection of a firewall your PC will quickly end up being a revolving door of incoming and outgoing traffic, remaining exposed to an Internet's worth of security and privacy threats.

In this chapter you learn more about how a firewall works to protect your PC from the dangers of the Internet, and how you can use some to control what leaves your computer destined for the online world. You'll also be introduced to the benefits, limitations, and configuration of different software firewalls, including the native Windows Vista Windows Firewall. Finally, you'll learn about the tools and techniques that you can use to test firewall security, helping you to ensure that your chosen firewall solution is actually providing the levels of protection that it should be.