Useful Books and Software

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Norton Personal Firewall 2001 3.0 is part of a family of Norton products designed to offer the home user the protection enjoyed by corporate networks. These include Norton Internet Security, the highly respected Norton AntiVirus package, and the Internet Security Family Edition, which offers parental controls.

Most Internet users these days use dial-up accounts, and the random nature of connecting and the dynamically assigned IP addresses offer them a modicum of protection against the misguided souls who derive pleasure from hacking into PCs. The risk is much greater if you have a permanent connection, and that's why most corporate networks employ protection tools known as firewalls to keep out the bad guys. However, soon many home users are going to enjoy continuous Net connections, thanks to flat-rate, unmetered phone charging and permanent high-speed ADSL or cable modem links. And these unwary users will be very vulnerable to external attack. To put it another way: home users are going to need firewall protection very soon.

Norton Personal Firewall 2001 3.0 is a hybrid package, combining firewall functionality with privacy controls, and runs under Windows 95, 98, 2000, and Me, as well as NT Workstation 4.0. At its heart, Norton Personal Firewall is a rule-based interactive "learning" firewall, supporting both inbound and outbound filtering. The firewall itself will block ActiveX controls and Java applets, as well as more basic TCP/IP attacks, and has special built-in rules designed to block hack attacks or other intrusive spyware.

The big problem with firewalls is their unbelievable complexity--normally, configuring one makes rocket science look easy. However, Symantec has hidden many of the complexities of a firewall behind a simple front end: users can simply choose between low, medium, or high levels of protection. But if you do want to tweak, you can still drill down to fine-tune Norton Personal Firewall's security configuration. If you spend a lot of time online, sooner or later you'll need firewall protection, and Norton Personal Firewall 3.0 is arguably the best on the market. --Roger Gann

New to this edition:

• Enhanced intrusion protection alerts you when a hacker tries to scan your PC for vulnerabilities
• AutoBlock feature automatically blocks the malicious system that's trying to scan your computer
• Security Assistant makes it easy to set up or modify Norton Personal Firewall settings
• Norton's exclusive automatic firewall configuration recognizes common Internet applications, minimizing disruption to the user
• Internet Zone Control offers simplified firewall protection for home networks
• Alert Tracker informs you of important activities, such as port scan attempts and security alerts
• Implementation guides and interactive tutorials make setup easy

Norton Personal Firewall provides comprehensive protection against attacks by hackers and other Internet threats to your privacy and system integrity. The Intrusion Protection feature in version 3.0 alerts you to all invaders, including port scans. AutoBlock works with Intrusion Protection to stop systems that are trying to probe your PC. Your credit card number and e-mail address will be kept secure from those systems that try to access them. You can also decide which applications should be allowed to access the Internet, and receive guidance about which ones can do so safely. Norton Personal Firewall lets you block Java applets, ActiveX controls, and cookies on a site-by-site basis, permitting you to use your favorite Web sites without hindrance while protecting your PC from unfamiliar sites. The Security Assistant makes it easy to customize the program to suit your needs, and the Internet Zone Control feature simplifies firewall protection for home networks by allowing you to easily assign computers to a trusted zone.

Publisher: Symantec
Author: Symantec
Release Date:
ISBN/EAN: 0037648207829

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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

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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

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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 constantly interrupting your work. Right out of the box, it begins to secure your computer by "hiding" it from hackers. If anyone does attempt to probe your system, such as by scanning its ports, the AutoBlock feature automatically blocks access.

Publisher: Symantec
Author: Symantec
Release Date: 2001-10-18
ISBN/EAN: 0037648211499

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