What do hackers want?
Although some hackers get their thrills from breaking into and vandalising your property, most hackers are thieves. They may be identity thieves looking for credit card information, or they may want access to copyrighted works or sensitive intellectual property either for their own use or for the purpose of resale. Still other hackers are hijackers, who want to use your computer or server to send out spam email in phishing schemes.
How do hackers gain access to your account?
You’ve probably heard of worms, viruses and Trojan horse programs that can seriously damage or make your computer vulnerable to remotely controlled exploits. Hackers like to look for ‘security holes’ through which they can gain entry without much trouble. These holes frequently exist in the programs and plugins that we install on our sites. Hackers also use programs that are designed to figure out the passwords to your accounts. Typically known as brute force password attacks, these programs run through letter and number combinations until it gets a match and gains access to your account. When your server is being bombarded by one of these attacks, the sites may become interminably slow. Perhaps the ugliest type of hack is the one to whom you gave your password willingly because he or she is doing some programming work on your site.
How to Protect Yourself Against Hackers?
Personal firewall software prevents identity theft and the frustration of restoring your credit. Your financial
A firewall is to a computer what a security system is to a home. A firewall, like a security system, only allows certain traffic through specified doors or ports.Without a firewall, your computer is basically an "open door" to hackers. All of your private information such as passwords, credit card numbers you've used for online purchases and documents that you don't want to share with anyone are all available for hackers to steal. Whether you have a dial-up, broadband or DSL connection, every minute that your computer is connected to the Internet, it is at risk.
Many people mistakenly think that the anti-virus software that came with their PC protects them completely from hackers. But anti-virus software does nothing to secure your computer against direct hacker attacks. A personal firewall software will alert you or take one of many predetermined actions when someone tries to tamper with your computer. Today's personal firewall software solutions can make it easy for novices and experts to keep personal information safe.
What to Look for in a Personal Firewall Software?
A personal firewall is software designed for use on a single PC. Personal firewalls lock out intruders to keep individual PCs safe at home or at the office.
Use the following criteria to evaluate personal firewall software:1. Firewall Features
A personal firewall should offer features that go beyond standard protection. The bare necessities include keeping the system hidden and keeping uninvited people and programs out. The best firewalls include tools to manage spyware, cookies and viruses. Some firewalls offer Internet filtering to restrict content.
A firewall should keep intruders out. The firewall should keep your IP address and browser hidden while you browse the internet in stealth mode. This means that others should not be able to see your computer or personal identity unless you allow them. Your personal firewall should do its job consistently, without clashing with other software.
2. Additional Security Features
Great firewall software will include extras like antiphishing, antivirus and antimalware tools. Parental controls and instant message protection are also nice features to find in these types of programs.
3. Ease of Use
A computer novice should be able to understand and use the firewall product without help. The control panel should be intuitive and convenient. We’ve reviewed a few advanced firewall products that are powerful tools, but inappropriate for novices. When we include one of these products we note this in the “Ease of Use” section of the review.
4. Help & Support
The firewall software should give enough instruction for a computer novice to set up the product without help. The manufacturer should also have help online to answer common questions. Look for a firewall manufacturer willing to help you. Customer service telephone support is excellent; toll-free telephone support is a bonus. Some manufacturers use email or online question forms. Our favorite method of support is live chat online.
The software should offer a well-written help section with easy-to-understand information. The manufacturer should also provide technical support in the form of FAQs, email and phone support.
Sources cited from :
1. http://netprofitstoday.com/blog/how-to-protect-yourself-against-hackers/2. http://www.pcsecurityshield.com/lp/shieldfirewall-as.aspx
3. http://personal-firewall-software-review.toptenreviews.com/
