Security Alert!: What Every Vista User Should Know to Keep Their Computer Safe

May 12, 2008

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What Is Windows Firewall?

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As we talked about earlier, there are lots of ways that viruses and unwanted software can get installed on your computer. Usually, it involves you running a program or opening an attachment that you shouldn’t have. However, it doesn’t always work that way. Sometimes, people can gain unauthorized access to your computer through a network or the Internet and install something on your computer without you ever knowing. That’s where Windows Firewall comes in. A firewall is software that scans all incoming information from a network or the Internet and decides what is safe and what is not. If it decides someone trying to connect to your computer is not safe and could possibly harm your computer, then the firewall will block them. Windows Vista comes with a firewall program, and all you really have to do is make sure you keep it on. To do this, go to the Security window (Start>Control Panel>Security) and look under Windows Firewall. Click the link that reads Turn Windows Firewall On or Off, and the Windows Firewall Settings dialog will open. Here, just make sure that the On radio button is turned on. If not, then click on it and click OK.

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