Firewall Testing
Once you find out that you can test the security of
your computer online, it makes a lot of sense.
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While on the Internet, your
computer may have 65,535 "ports" open. If the ports
are open, an Internet outlaw's scanner may try to
install a bot to make your computer into a zombie
(part of a botnet). There are many online test
sites. You need to be a bit skeptical about which of
them to rely on. As a rule of thumb, do not rely
solely on a testing site provided by a company that
wants to sell you a personal firewall. Once you
install a personal firewall, testing is needed to
make sure that it is serving its intended
purpose (closed ports plus...) and that you have configured it correctly.
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For background information about online
testing services, see
Scot's Newsletter Firewall Test Suite and Methodology and
Flying under the radar, Dwight Silverman, Houston Chronicle, May 21,
2007.
For comprehensive firewall test results, see the
Matousec
and Test My PC
Security websites.
Online Testing Sites
Another Kind of Test
To find out from direct experience why you need a personal firewall, we suggest that you
try one. After a few days, use the report function to see how many times your
computer has been scanned. Please note that many scans are not dangerous, for
example, your cable/dsl Internet service provider may be checking to see that
your connection is ok. For firewalls that are free for personal use, see our
Security Freeware page. Many vendors offer a free trial of
their products, see our Personal Firewall Software Review
page for choices and links. Whichever choice you make, check the vendor's
website after you install your firewall for updates. The last step is
to test the firewall to see how well it works and to make
sure that you installed and configured it correctly.
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