“Securing your home computer or home network requires that you
understand a little about your setup. Important considerations
include the kind of network connection you have (cable, DSL, or
dedicated T1-T3), the approximate amount of network traffic that
goes through your system, any extra hardware that can be used as a
dedicated firewall, and operating system choice. Knowing this
information greatly helps you make informed decisions later
on.”
“The most common method of securing a home network is to use a
firewall. A firewall is a computer, hub, or router configured
specifically to stop unwanted outside traffic from accessing your
internal network. For example, you don’t want people to gain access
to your computer, but you do want people to view pages on a web
server. Think of a firewall as the first line of defense against
outside attacks. And that’s exactly what it is, no more, no less.
You give yourself a false sense of security by stopping at the
firewall level. In fact there is much more to be done, but a
properly configured firewall goes a long way toward stopping cyber
criminals. For the purposes of this article, we concentrate on the
firewall. Future articles will cover other security issues.”
“Edge FirePlug is a very well-designed firewall solution from
FirePlug Computers, Inc. in Vancouver, BC. One of the reasons I
chose Edge FirePlug (just called Edge) is that it’s designed
specifically for use on cable modem and DSL connections. Another
reason I chose Edge is that it is very easy to set up and customize
to the needs of my network.”