firewalls

[Continued from: Firewalls: Definition | Firewalls: A Brief Discussion ] Because of my need to test everything I share with the infopackets audience, I have spent a great deal of time evaluating various firewall packages. This kind of testing takes ... a lot of time. Installing each firewall and letting it work while I monitor it isn't hard work or anything, but it does take time -- sort of like watching grass grow, if you know what I mean. ;-) The process I followed included installation and configuration as well as some time to allow the firewall to actually do its intended job. That last part ... (view more)

As I was sitting here at my desk, a few things came to mind that I feel should be passed on to you. I have spent the past few months reading about firewalls on web sites and industry publications. Taken together, the subject is complex and ... confusing. Yet, only one point is clear in all the noise: you need a firewall if you ever decide to connect to the Internet. Period. The arguments start when the topic of what kind of firewall is best. Therefore, I figured the thing to do is try and clear away the confusion as best I can. First off, there are three different camps when it comes down to ... (view more)

Happy Birthday to me! Today, I turn 30. Special thanks to those folks who noted my Birthday pre-announcement in the "today in History" section in Yesterday's newsletter. And now getting on with today's question, Infopackets Reader Roberta W. writes: ... " Dear Dennis, I'm having a heck of a time trying to figure out how to report a hacker that has been trying to hack in to my computer. I have 3 firewalls and plenty of antivirus software installed on my computer. I keep getting messages that dav.bay0.hotmail.com is 'sniffing' my communication ports, and is attempting to send me ... (view more)