Download security software: FirePanel XP 1.6.5.0

Developer: R19 Software

Connecting to the Internet without a firewall is like leaving the keys in your car with the engine running and the doors unlocked while you run into the store. Although you may be able to get in and out before anyone notices, someone may take advantage of the opportunity. On the Internet, hackers use malicious code—such as viruses, worms, and Trojan horses—to try to find unprotected computers. Firewalls help protect your computer against these and other security attacks.

So what can a hacker do? It depends on the nature of the attack. While some attacks are just nuisances that may play simple pranks, others are created with malicious intent. These more severe strains may attempt to delete information from your computer, crash it, or even steal personal information, such as passwords or credit card numbers. Some hackers enjoy nothing better than breaking into vulnerable computers. Viruses, worms, and Trojan horses are scary. Fortunately, you can reduce your risk of infection by using a firewall.

• Monitor your firewall activity
• Scan for open local or remote ports
• Sniff your network connection to see what packets are going in and out
• Do DNS Lookups on IP's and domain names
• See system stats, like uptime, installed patches, pagefile info, etc
• Monitor the allowed and dropped packets
• Monitor active and listening sockets, and kill applications using the socket
• Get TCP and UDP statistics
• Define which ports can listen for connections
• Define which programs can listen for connections
• Force Windows services to only listen on LAN or custom IP range and not the entire internet
• Change the settings made by Windows and take control of your internet connection
• Protect your computers from hostile attacks, exploits, and probes
• Fully compliant with IPv4 and IPv6