Personal firewalls are very important to maintaining the security of your personal computer. These systems use different schemes to keep intruders from accessing your computer's information. They check each individual item that passes through the "wall" to ensure that it meets the set security level. Firewalls are considered a great first line of defense. For greater security, the data you send and receive should be encrypted.
Created by Zonelabs, this firewall is relatively simple to use. It allows you to configure the level of "trust" that individual applications have. This set level of "trust" gives each application an according level of ability to access networks and the internet. It will also determine whether computers have the proper credentials to access your computer. These credentials can be set up for individual IP addresses or by which file(s) the remote computer is attempting to access.
This software is licensed for your use by OIT and free of charge.*
Created by Symantec, this firewall does cost more than the others, but it offers more features as well. Norton uses traditional "check each packet" style security to determine whether or not to let something pass. However, Norton also allows you to not only set your own firewall rules for the internet, but also to control certain aspects of your internet browsing. (i.e.-transmission of sensitive information, repeating animations, and Java applets) This firewall is designed to be simple for beginning firewall users, yet offer the advanced features as well for the more comfortable users.
Created by Network ICE, this firewall costs $39.95*. Black Ice is a very "strict" firewall that is extremely easy to use. It is set up so that you only need to set the caution level, then never worry about it again. With four caution levels available, it provides flexibility, while its backtrace feature offers intense security. When performing a backtrace, Black Ice seeks to find and report the IP address, node, group, NetBIOS, DNS, and MAC address of a would-be intruder.
Created by McAfee, the firewall comes set to automatically configure rules based on the different applications that your computer requires to access the internet. When a program that requires internet access is started, McAfee will ask if the user wishes to allow this program access. McAfee is automatically set to deny Local Area Network(LAN) access to the host computer. This access can however be enabled, but beginner users will find this process very difficult to accomplish.
Other firewalls
Tiny Firewall
Fast and efficient, yet best suited for expert use.
ConSeal Firewall
Fast and configurable, yet suited to expert use.
Notwithstanding any language to the contrary, nothing contained herein constitutes nor is intended to constitute an offer, inducement, promise, or contract of any kind. The data contained herein is for informational purposes only and is not represented to be error free. Any links to non-Georgia Tech information are provided as a courtesy. They are not intended to nor do they constitute an endorsement by the Georgia Institute of Technology of the linked materials.