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About firewalls

What is it?
Do I need one?
Is there a cost?
What else can I do?
Where can I get help?

What is it?

A firewall is a protective barrier that prevents unwanted sources, such as viruses, worms, trojans, and other malicious code, from accessing your computer, or network. Firewalls can be either hardware-based or software-based. These two types of solutions can also be used in conjunction with one another.

Do I need one?

C&IT highly recommends that a firewall be used for all home computers. The rampant infiltration of viruses and worms warrants the use of all the protection available.

Recognizing the importance of firewalls, and as a precautionary measure, C&IT has a firewall in place for its production data and email systems. (Note: It's still important that you be careful with email messages and attachments.)

Is there a cost?

The cost of a firewall depends ultimately on what application is chosen.

Firewalls that are native to the operating system, such as the built-in firewalls in Windows XP and Mac OS X, come at no additional cost.
There are freeware firewalls available, but in most cases these are for home use only.
Firewall applications that need to be purchased normally fall between the range of $40-$70.

What else can I do?

Diligence is the best practice in this era of viruses, worms, and hackers. With this in mind, there are numerous things you can do to make your computer more secure and difficult to compromise. Here are some of the more important things:

Use Antivirus Software, such as Symantec AntiVirus; and turn on, and schedule, the automatic updates. (Symantec AntiVirus is available at the WSU Software Clearinghouse.)
If you're using Microsoft Windows, turn on the automatic update feature for critical updates, here's how. If you prefer to do this manually, then go to http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com. Note that you must use the Internet Explorer Web browser to visit the Windows Update site, even if it is not your default browser.
Use personal firewall software
Use anti-spyware software. This will find and remove any hidden programs.
Turn off file sharing.
Choose a difficult password
Backup your data as often as possible (once a week if possible).

Where can I get help?

See Secure your computer system: Use a firewall for information on how to set up a firewall.

If you have questions, or are in need of assistance with any of the mentioned procedures, contact the C&IT Help Desk (313-577-4778 or helpdesk@wayne.edu).