Useful Books and Software

New Price: n.a. / Used Price: $350.00

Norton Personal Firewall 2003 fits the bill on both counts. When you install it, the instructions walk you through configuring your system by choosing network settings and scanning your PC for programs that access the Internet. It knows about common applications, so you won't have to tweak umpteen settings to get your e-mail working, and helpful dialog boxes explain the risks of allowing or blocking access.

Not only does it block port scans (where a hacker tests your connection to the Internet, trying to get access), Norton Personal Firewall 2003 also checks all the data entering and leaving your computer, looking for anything suspicious. If it spots suspicious data transfers, it checks the signature database (like the definitions in an antivirus package, and updated in the same way through LiveUpdate). This protects you against Trojan horses and worms like Nimda and Code Red.

You can also protect yourself on the Web. Turn on ad blocking to get rid of irritating pop-up ads from Web sites. You can also choose what information a site sees about you and your browser, turn off animations, scripts, and flash, or block ads on the page itself; a number of sites are preconfigured for you.

Norton Personal Firewall 2003 blocks all the common attacks, making your PC invisible as well as secure online, and it does it without making your applications hard to use or demanding you become a security expert. --Mary Branscombe

Symantec's Norton Personal Firewall 2003 keeps hackers out and personal data in. Its robust defenses include intrusion detection, application control, and privacy protection--all in one easy-to-use program. Right out of the box, Norton Personal Firewall hides your PC on the Internet to keep hackers from seeing it. That action alone can prevent many attacks. In addition, Symantec's exclusive Norton Intrusion Detection feature thoroughly examines incoming Internet traffic and automatically blocks suspicious activities. Hackers can also conduct malicious activity from your PC, so Internet Access Control stops spyware and Trojan horse programs masquerading as legitimate Internet applications on your PC from connecting to the Internet.

Norton Privacy Control easily prevents confidential data from being sent over the Internet without your knowledge. It protects personal information in e-mail, instant messages, and Microsoft Office attachments. All this power is readily accessible, with built-in assistance that helps you get started quickly and respond to threats effectively. And Symantec's LiveUpdate keeps Norton Personal Firewall current with regular, automatic downloads of security updates to defend against new threats. For small businesses, 5- and 10-user packs are also available.

Publisher: Symantec
Author: Symantec
Release Date: 2002-10-01
ISBN/EAN: 0037648222822

New Price: $12.42 / Used Price: $2.92

Those users without antivirus software (or those with software in need of an upgrade) will appreciate the power of Norton AntiVirus 2001, which scans e-mail attachments, zipped files, and any downloads for malicious viruses. A welcome feature is the new banner ad and pop-up window. Like most ad blockers, it won't work on every site, but it works on many sites seamlessly and lets you manually configure ad blocking on sites it doesn't automatically filter. Additionally, Norton Privacy Control holds your personal information, such as your name, address, and credit card numbers, and prevents you from sending them to unsecured sites.

But the main crux of Internet Security is its firewall, a must-have application for broadband connections. While dial-up users can be victims of unwanted intruders, the same aspects of narrowband connections that we dislike--slower speed, less stable connection--also make them more difficult avenues of approach for hacking. But the fat, always-on pipelines of broadband connections, such as DSL and cable access, make them ripe for malicious attacks. While it's true that hacks on average users are rare, the better-safe-than-sorry school of thought applies here.

The Norton Personal Firewall bundled with Internet Security affords excellent software protection for the average user. After installing the software, we visited Gibson Research Corporation's Shields Up! (www.grc.com), which tests the protection levels of your PC. With the firewall set to its medium level (it also offers high and minimal), the probing software couldn't even detect our system, much less simulate any attacks.

The individual pieces of Norton Internet Security are entwined with the latest version of LiveUpdate, which automatically downloads and installs the latest patches and virus definitions on a schedule or manually (it offers periodic reminders to update). A year of free updates is included with Internet Security, after which you'll have to purchase a new subscription.

If you've already got an up-to-date antivirus program on your PC and you don't feel you need the privacy controls and ad blocking of this suite, you might consider the standalone Norton Personal Firewall 2001. But if you're in need of two or more of the programs in this suite, it's a better value to get the entire package. --J. Curtis

As well as offering personal firewall protection (a must-have if you spend any amount of time surfing the Internet), the newest version of Norton Internet Security 2001 comes complete with Norton AntiVirus 2001, a very capable antivirus program. Other security features thrown in for good measure include privacy controls, which prevent personal information, such as credit card numbers, from being sent over the Internet or to a Web site without your permission, plus an ad-blocker facility, which goes a long way toward ridding Web pages of those pesky banner ads. The nice thing about this security bundle is that the individual elements can be accessed and configured from a single front-end program.

While Norton Internet Security combines several completely separate technologies behind a single interface, at its heart it is a personal firewall. Simply put, this allows you to access the Internet without letting the Internet access you. Previous firewall products have been a nightmare to configure, but NIS caters to all levels of expertise. At its simplest, you can choose between three levels of protection. Or, if you're feeling brave, you can configure each firewall rule individually. However, out of the box, the default settings offer a good balance of security and ease of use.

If you want to maximize their security, then it's important to keep both Norton AntiVirus and Norton Internet Security up to date. The LiveUpdate feature has been improved--now you can update all the Norton series packages installed on your PC in one fell swoop using LiveUpdate to pull down the latest updates from the Symantec Web site. This can even be done automatically, every time you connect to the Internet. Updates are free for a year--after this you pay Symantec per year for this service.

It may be the case that to fully appreciate Norton Internet Security you have to use it. Use it for only a few months, and you may find yourself surprised--as this reviewer was--at just how often your home PC has been probed by unwanted outsiders (NIS logs record all the attempts that have been made on the PC). To date, none of them succeeded. --Roger Gann

Norton Internet Security is a complete integrated set of tools that keeps your home PC safe and guarded against viruses, hackers, and other intrusions while it's connected to the Internet. The package includes Norton Personal Firewall, Norton AntiVirus, and Norton Privacy Control. Personal Firewall defends your PC against hackers. Select preconfigured low, medium, or high security settings for instant protection, or create your own custom firewall rules. New Norton AntiVirus 2001 gives you award-winning protection from Internet and e-mail viruses, and even keeps itself updated automatically. Norton Privacy Control protects personal information from being sent to Web sites inappropriately, blocks applications from sending information across the Web without your knowledge, and lets you control the use of Internet "cookies." Plus, easy installation and setup let you start enjoying the benefits of Norton Internet Security 2001 right away. To obtain your $20 mail-in rebate from Symantec, proof of ownership of a previous version of all retail (boxed or downloaded), stand-alone versions of Norton Internet Security, Norton Personal Firewall, Norton SystemWorks or Norton SystemWorks Professional Edition, Norton AntiVirus, Norton Utilities, McAfee Virus Scan, or McAfee Internet Guard Dog is required.

Publisher: Symantec
Author: Symantec
Release Date: 2000-09-22
ISBN/EAN: 0037648203258

New Price: $17.00 / Used Price: $9.87

New Price: n.a. / Used Price: $114.60

We tested McAfee Firewall in two configurations. The first consisted of a single Windows 98 SE computer connected directly to a cable modem. For the other, we installed McAfee Firewall on a Windows Me PC that served as an Internet-sharing gateway for a network of five computers, enabling them to access the Internet via a single cable modem connection.

The former installation went well. McAfee Firewall 3.0 installed uneventfully, detected the Internet connection, and prompted us to configure it to allow filtered Internet access to various programs. The latter, a more sophisticated setting, utterly baffled McAfee Firewall. It generated errors immediately when first activated and permanently blocked Internet access for the entire network.

Network Associates' technical support line urged us to visit a free Web site. Since our Internet connection was broken, we checked out the phone support options. They were available--via a 900 number with a $2.95 per minute charge. We can understand the need for Network Associates (and, in all fairness, its competitors) to charge for support time, but in a case where the Web site is inaccessible due to a company's own product, the company should provide an alternative.

We used our press credentials to get some answers, and Network Associates assured us that the errors we encountered were very rare. However, the representative couldn't appease our concerns with the tech support catch-22, nor could she assure us of a timely solution to another problem: parts of both the online and physical documentation were bewilderingly cobbled from earlier versions of McAfee Firewall, which had a different interface from Firewall 3.0. The docs refer to menus and dialogs that don't exist in this version, making them effectively useless. That's unforgivable in the case of such a complex, dynamically configurable product.

When it works, McAfee Firewall 3.0 is a secure shield between your PC and the Net at large. It passed the most stringent security tests at Steve Gibson's Web site (www.grc.com) without a hiccup. Getting to that point wasn't worth the hassle, though; until Network Associates irons out the kinks, we strongly suggest using a superior, proven firewall such as Norton Firewall or Zone Labs ZoneAlarm. --Joel Durham, Jr.

McAfee Firewall prevents hackers from stealing private information, blocks Trojan horses from taking control of your PC, and denies access to any number of dangerous intruders. McAfee Firewall makes it easy to put a protective barrier around your PC. It includes a sophisticated intrusion detection system, which provides effective detection and blocking of common security threats. With this system, you can set up a firewall to activate audible alerts that notify you in real time as threats arise. It also features color-coded security alerts, detailed logging, and application-scan for Internet-capable applications with learning mode.

McAfee Firewall gives you all the power you need to control the communications into and out of your PC, ensuring that online experiences will be as safe as they are enjoyable. McAfee Firewall secures your PC's connection to the Internet whether it's via DSL, cable modem, or dialup. It runs transparently in the background, preventing hackers and other prying eyes from accessing your PC and damaging or stealing files.

Publisher: Network Associates
Author: Network Associates
Release Date:
ISBN/EAN: 0731944159508

New Price: $43.61 / Used Price: n.a.

New Price: $24.99 / Used Price: $5.13

New Price: $635.33 / Used Price: n.a.

Getting started is fairly simple and very straightforward. Wizards scan the system for Net-enabled programs and watch for unusual requests for access from within and outside your computer or network. After the first day or two, most users will forget that the software is running: notifications come fast and furious at first and then taper off to one or two per day at most (depending on what the user is doing on the Net). The most noticeable change in the system is a very slight delay in loading Web pages, and this only for bulky sites.

As with any computer security product, Norton Personal Firewall has an upper limit of protection it can offer, at which point the user's knowledge and expertise are required to go further. For most home users--unlikely but still possible targets for assault--Norton Personal Firewall 2002 goes far enough and should keep data safe from all but the savviest hackers. --Rob Lightner

Norton Personal Firewall 2002 keeps hackers out and personal data in. Every minute your computer is online, it's vulnerable to intrusions and the theft of private information. Norton Personal Firewall defends against these threats at multiple levels, without interrupting your work. Right out of the box, it begins to secure your computer by concealing it from hackers. If anyone does attempt to probe your system, such as by scanning its ports, the AutoBlock feature automatically blocks their access.

But Norton Personal Firewall doesn't stop with intrusion protection. It also prevents personal information from being retrieved without your knowledge, including through spyware and Trojan horse programs, by controlling the applications on your PC that can be accessed through the Internet. It automatically sets up firewall rules for the most popular online programs, so you get protection without a hassle. And, greatly simplifying firewall protection for your home network, it automates the process of locating all your computers so you can easily assign them to a trusted security zone.

Whether you have a dialup, DSL, or cable connection, your PC needs the vital protection of Norton Personal Firewall 2002, your defense against hackers and privacy threats.

Publisher: Symantec
Author: Symantec
Release Date: 2001-10-07
ISBN/EAN: 0037648209458

New Price: $0.99 / Used Price: $0.99

New Price: $7.99 / Used Price: $8.00

Unlike earlier versions, McAfee Firewall 4.0 supports Internet connection sharing and has also been enhanced for broadband, so people with home networks are fully supported. Also new in this release is an intrusion detection system that blocks port scanners.

McAfee Firewall 4.0 recognizes most legitimate programs and automatically creates rules to allow them to communicate with the Internet. Users can create their own rules, but this can be tricky for the novice. Some of the warning dialog boxes tend toward jargon-filled prose, too.

The status screen tells you exactly what is going on at any given time. The network traffic display lets you see immediately if any unexpected activity is occurring. A useful visual trace system lets you track down the source of any intrusions, and can even help uncover the owner of the source system. McAfee Firewall 4.0 works with all versions of Windows up to and including XP, although anyone who upgrades to XP from an earlier version must reinstall this program to ensure it continues to work correctly.

Of course, the most important aspect is how well the program actually works, and McAfee Firewall 4.0 passes all the usual tests with flying colors. It happily deals with all the common intrusion techniques and several rarer ones. The built-in auto update feature ensures the product is able to cope with any new threats as they appear.

New users may struggle to get the best from McAfee Firewall 4.0, but more experienced users will find a flexible and feature-rich tool that can be used with confidence. There are also enough new features here to make it a worthwhile purchase for current users wanting to upgrade. --Iain Laskey, Amazon.co.uk

Protect yourself while online with the advanced security of McAfee Firewall. Easy to use yet highly configurable, McAfee Firewall secures your PC's connection to the Internet whether you connect via DSL, cable modem, or dialup. With intrusion detection, color-coded security alerts, customizable audible alerts, detailed logging, and an application scan for Internet-enabled applications, McAfee Firewall gives you the power you need to control the communications into and out of your PC.

Publisher: McAfee
Author: McAfee
Release Date: 2002-09-10
ISBN/EAN: 0731944514871

New Price: $5.00 / Used Price: $4.85