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This page is to tell you what a given item on the helps and links page is. Most of these are links, some are direct downloads. Keep in mind that some items such as the antivirus software links and the cookie wall are also items that pertain to security. You may wish to read other pages on this site if you have not done so up to this point if you are concerned with online secuity of your system. Close This Browser Window Zone Alarm Website Download page. This link should take you to the ZoneAlarm website. If you look carefully you should see a link to download their free for personal use firewall. It will of course try to direct you toward purchase of the Pro version, but the freeware version works very well and the Professional version just adds features that many would have little use for. Features added to the Pro version control over a given port address, password access into your computer for remote FTP access, and a few other assignable values not adjustable on the standard-free version. Only you can decide if the additional features of the Pro version are ones you require. There should be plenty of information there about the additional features for you to read about. As far as the Zone Alarm product, I have found it to be the best overall software based firewall product available, mostly because it is easier to control, and set than the rest. The free for personal use version is my recommended firewall for most online systems. I personally would not be online without a firewall. This one is easy to use, does not take a lot of computer to operate, and is free. Unless you have advanced connection requirements, or lots of very critical information on your computer the free firewall should do a good job of protecting your data provided you do take the time to fully set up and test the operation of the firewall. See my security page for more information about that. See the Steve Gibson Research link also. Sybergen Networks This link is to the Sybergen Networks page and should contain a download listing for the Sybergen Secure Desktop firewall. It is not too hard to set up and provides basic protection. It is a free for personal use product as well. I have used and tested this product in the past and it has worked acceptably for me. This firewall will do a good job for 95% of the online users also. See the Steve Gibson Research link as well as my Security page(s) for more information. Steven Gibson Research This link is to the Steve Gibson Research page. The Shields up firewall test as well as the firewall leak test program links are both listed here for downloading of the small aids / programs you can test the firewalls with and not have to go to the site. The IP Agent program provides you with a small quick little desktop item that you can get your IP address easily from without the need to type anything, as well as a button to test your shields with the link to the Shields Up test page. The Leak Test is a small program that will attempt to link to the Steve Gibson site and if successfull it will tell you that your firewall leaks information by not controlling the outbound data. Both items are less than 25k as far as programs, and I suggest making shortcuts to them and making them possible desktop items for some of you. At the very least a folder item where you can get to them without too much work. Both worth the download. The main link is to the site which also provides data on many items including spyware and other things that pertain to many areas of computer use. I strongly suggest any new firewall be tested atleast on the Shields Up test and it should pass those tests ( including the "Probe My Ports" Test. ). AVGrisoft Anti-Virus Free Antivirus software for most locations. ( not free in Europe ) Highly rated by many. PandaSecurity Antivirus Software Recent winner of a test of Antivirus products by PC World. Not free but apparently very effective. Far higher rated than both Norton, and McAfee. Security Space The Security Space Website. This site is one of the best security sites around. Provides EXTENSIVE firewall testing up to testing all 65,532 ports. (for a fee) It however provides a few 1500 plus port scans for free that are multi connect attempt per port and will take in excess of an hour in most cases. If you really wish to test your firewall this is a good place to go, just be prepared to be there for sometime if you scan ports. They also have a good little newsletter that keeps you up to date on security items such as patchs from Microsoft. This is a bit more that what most people need for personal use and the site is geared more for small company use. AnalogX Script Defender This little (222kb download) is a program that stops VB Scripting running without your approval. With the program in operation, any VB or JAVA script will need to get approval from you to run. Also see the Cookiewall by listed on my Helps and Links Page. AnalogX CookieWall I am not sure this was on the security button but it is what I consider a must for security. This little program works well for Internet Explorer users. ( sorry it does not support Netscape or Opera ) however it does support those brower types that require Internet Explorer to be used also ( such as Neoplanet , KaZaA, Morpheus, etc. Less than 250k download. Basics of Encryption Page This page might prove useful to those who wish to know about text and file encryption. It should also have links to provide software for those interested. ( also consider Winzip and password protection of zipped contents if you want to encrypt data/text.) Close This Browser Window |