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PRODUCTS FROM NETWORK ICE, ZONE LABS, AND SYMANTEC PROVIDE EASY-TO-USE SECURITY
High-bandwidth Internet connections make accessing the Web a more pleasant experience than using dial-up links. But these persistent connections present a greater opportunity for security breaches.
If you're on the Internet via digital subscriber line or cable modem, you're especially vulnerable to hackers. Even if you use dial-up access, your PC can be attacked, particularly if you leave it connected for a long time.
Personal firewall software operates in a similar fashion to antivirus software. It runs constantly while your computer is on the Internet, scanning for possible attacks. It can detect unauthorized transmissions from your PC to the Internet, such as zombie denial-of service attacks or messages being sent to hacker sites containing personal information and passwords.
This article looks at products from Network Ice, Zone Labs, and Symantec. I tested them against Gibson Research Corp: s Shields Up attack-simulation service.
BlackIce Defender, from Network Ice, is priced at $40 and is easy to install, although I wasn't happy that it added itself to the Startup menu automatically The product is automatically configured with a "cautious" security level, which detects and blocks most inbound attacks. There are two higher levels of protection: "nervous" and "paranoid."
The application has two parts-the BID Engine, which watches for attacks and reacts, and the BID Log, which shows attacks by time, date, URL...