Stop attacks and viruses using Windows Firewall in Windows Vista

jjones | Guides | 23/01/2007 16:46pm
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In order to communicate with other computers, PCs have various ports – so for example chat software might use one port, file sharing software another, network printing yet another, and so on. Ports are a bit like real-world doors – and just like doors, if you don’t keep them locked there’s always the possibility that something nasty will sneak in. Windows Firewall addresses the problem by locking any ports you’re not using, and by doing so it can prevent some of the nastier kinds of online attacks from affecting your PC. It’s switched on by default and you can see its settings by clicking on Windows Firewall in Windows Security Center.

Locking the doors

Windows Firewall blocks incoming connections from local networks or the Internet, and it’s switched on by default. If a program attempts to establish such a connection, for example because you’ve just installed a new Internet program, the Firewall will ask whether the program should be allowed to continue.

If you say yes, you can get Firewall to remember your answer in future; if you say no, the program will remain blocked.

Stronger security

Click on Change Settings to see more of Firewall’s options. As you can see, it’s already switched on – but it isn’t blocking all incoming connections, because doing so would block lots of software programs. If you’re in a potentially insecure environment such as an airport or other public place, the “block all” option is worth using for maximum security.

The guest list

Unless you’ve selected “block all”, Windows Firewall blocks all connections from programs you haven’t added to its exceptions list. Click on the Exceptions tab and make sure “Notify me…” is checked: that way, if the Firewall decides to block a new program, you’ll be able to override that decision and add the new program to the Exceptions list. If you find that Windows Firewall blocks a program it shouldn’t or doesn’t block a program it should, you can add or remove programs from the exceptions list here.

Different strokes

Windows Firewall can have different settings for different connections. In this screen it’s keeping an eye on our local network, but if we installed a wireless networking card we’d be able to set different rules for our wireless network – without changing our local network settings. That’s particularly handy if you use your PC in various different locations: Windows Firewall will automatically detect which network connection you’re using at the time and use the appropriate settings to protect your PC.

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