Platinum Edition Using® Microsoft® Windows® XP

Securing Your Internet Connection

Internet connections are vulnerable to attacks from outside users, and always-on connections, such as those that use a cable modem, fixed-base wireless, or some types of DSL connections, are extremely vulnerable to being hacked and compromised by other users. Computers that are connected to routers and computers that are ICS clients are protected against most types of incoming threats because their actual IP addresses are not visible to the Internet. However, an ICS host is vulnerable, because it must be connected directly to the Internet. To block incoming threats, computer experts recommend using a firewall appliance or firewall program. The simplest firewalls work by examining incoming data packets and blocking ...