Internet Connection
Firewall
Security becomes a
greater concern as more and more attacks are being developed and
launched against internet connected users and systems. In Windows
XP, Microsoft included Internet Connection Firewall (ICF) to
supposedly keep your system safe while connected to the internet.
The most important thing to understand about ICF is that it provides
only inbound protection; items moving from the internet onto your
machine. There are other firewalls available which provide both
inbound and outbound protection, but understand that ICF does not
fall into this category.
To verify if ICF is
enabled, open Control Panel and navigate to Network Connections.
Open Network Connections and right-click on the displayed connection
(most likely Local Area Connection) and click on [Properties]. A
property sheet similar to the one below should open. If it doesn’t
look similar, check the tabs at the top to be sure [Advanced] is
selected.
If there is not a
check mark under [Internet Connection Firewall], select it and ICF
will be enabled.
The default settings should suffice for most users, but if you
wish to set individual properties for ICF, click the [Settings]
button at lower right corner of property sheet.
Below are three screen shots of the [Advanced Settings] selection;
[Services] [Security Logging] and [ICMP].
With ICF enabled, if
users have trouble accessing specific programs or services on your
Windows XP machine it may be necessary to enable the program or
service to work through the firewall.
The most common services are listed in the Services box, or
additional services can be added by selecting the [Add] button.
Personal Opinion: Logging is not enabled by default. I think it
should be.
I strongly suggest
that after you have enabled Internet Connection Firewall you visit a
site which allows testing to see if it is performing not only
properly, but as you expected. Just because it is doing what
Microsoft expected doesn’t mean it is doing what you expect from a
firewall.
The site I recommend
for testing is Gibson Research, owned by Steve Gibson. An
outstanding feature of the site is ShieldsUp, a port scanner that
will test your connection and provide analysis.
One last note; A
firewall is not a substitute for security patches or antivirus
software. Check frequently to make sure your system has the latest
updates installed and is running an up to date virus detection
program.
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