by Michael Ray

Created on: April 21, 2009

Is the firewall that comes bundled with Windows XP sufficient protection for your computer? First we must understand what the purpose of a firewall is. According to Wikipedia: A firewall is a part of a computer system or network that is designed to block unauthorized access while permitting outward communication. Or to put it in plain English, it keeps the bad guys out when you're surfing the web.

Firewalls are basically designed to keep hackers out of your computer. You don't need them in there deleting your files, stealing your email and messing with your operating system. Up to a point the Windows Firewall does a decent job of this, our computers are secure from the daily bombarding of malicious hackers. Unfortunately, there are more subtle ways of invading your PC that this firewall will not stop.

Most viruses, malware, adware and spam are not inflicted upon us by mysterious hackers from foreign countries, but from programs we download, email we open and Internet sites we visit. We are our own worst enemies here. We blindly use file sharing programs and download 'hacked' software right onto our own machines. Installation programs begin and whisk us away to some website that wants us to buy something. Why should the firewall stop it? We permitted it to happen!

Here is where the problem lies. While Xp's firewall prevents incoming traffic, it does nothing to stop outgoing traffic. The purpose of malware, adware, cookies and viruses is to send information or malicious code to other Internet users and websites. Which websites you've visited, surfing habits, personal information, shopping habits, it's all stored on your hard drive for someone else's use. This is the information that needs to be protected.

Commercially available firewalls such as Zone Alarm and Comodo Firewall Pro block information going in both directions. Any software or information that attempts to access the Internet must first have permission or the attempt is blocked. This prevents any software or other data unknowingly installed on your machine from doing it's job. Much of the spam you get in your email results from a cookie being read and passed around the Internet. If you visit and buy from a sporting goods site a cookie is placed on your computer and your computer is flagged. If this cookie cannot access the internet later, no one else ever finds out about your visit.

To sum it up simply, Windows XP firewall may protect your computer, but it will not protect you.

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