Absolute Beginner’s Guide to Personal Firewalls

Chapter 10. Habits of Security-Conscious Surfers

The Internet represents a great leap in human communications. It enables people across the globe to communicate and access information that only a few years ago would have been nearly impossible. Surfing the World Wide Web is an individual experience and it is easy to get lost in the millions of Web sites awaiting you. However, it is very important that you remember that even when you are all alone on your computer surfing the Web, you are never really alone. You are surrounded by millions of other people all sharing and working over the same network.

On the surface, a personal firewall might seem like an unnecessary piece of hardware or software to many users. It does not provide an obvious service ...