Windows XP Hacks

ZoneAlarm: The World’s Best Free Firewall

For the best protection, get this firewall that’s far superior to XP’s Internet Connection Firewall, and keeps you safe from Trojan horses and other dangers.

The Internet Connection Firewall (ICF) that ships with XP has one very serious deficiency: it can’t monitor and block outbound traffic from your PC to the Internet. Many Trojan horses do their damage by installing themselves on your system and then allowing others to take control of your PC, or using your PC to attack web sites, servers, and other computers. The ICF won’t offer you protection against these types of Trojans; it won’t be able to tell when a Trojan is making an outbound connection, so the Trojan will be able to do its damage without your knowledge.

Other firewalls, however, will offer that protection. The best of them is ZoneAlarm (http://www.zonealarm.com). There are three versions of the program, a free version and two for-pay versions with differing levels of protection. The free version offers excellent protection against inbound threats as well as against Trojans. It also tells you whenever someone is probing your computer for security holes and gives information about the prober, often including his IP address, and the nature of the probe.

ZoneAlarm Plus, which sells for $39.95, also protects you against email-borne worms and viruses and does better tracking and reporting about those who may have tried to attack your PC. ZoneAlarm Pro, which sells for $49.95, ...