Windows Firewall

A firewall is a security system that acts as a protective boundary between a network and the outside world. Windows XP SP2 includes Windows Firewall, software that functions in much the same way for each individual client computer.

Windows Firewall comes installed on Windows XP Professional SP2 and is highly configurable. It is enabled by default and helps protect against network attacks. Windows Live OneCare also monitors Windows Firewall, and provides a single console to check the overall security status of your PC. The rest of this document will show you how to change Windows Firewall settings through the Windows Security Center, which is found within the Control Panel.

Note Windows Firewall is not intended to replace the functionality of a network firewall. Windows networking is enabled and allowed to pass Windows Firewall, which means that you can still communicate with other network computers, print, and access network shares. A network firewall is still recommended to protect the ports that are opened by these functions


 General Settings

Windows Firewall general settings allow you to configure these options:

·         On (recommended).

·         Off (not recommended). Turning off Windows Firewall will make your computer more vulnerable to damage from viruses, worms, or intruders.

1.     To open the Windows Security Center, click Start, then click Control Panel. The following screen will display.

In the Pick a category section, click Security Center. The Windows Security Center screen will display (shown in the following screen shot).

Configuration Notifications

By default, Windows Firewall displays a notification dialog box whenever it blocks a program that attempts to communicate from your computer to another. The dialog box looks similar to the one shown in the following screen shot:

 

The dialog box indicates which program has been blocked and allows you to choose whether to allow this program. The available options are:

·         Keep Blocking. Use this option so the program won't accept connections from the Internet or network without your permission.

·         Unblock. Use this option to place the program in the Windows Firewall exceptions list.

·         Ask me later. Use this option if you do not know whether to block or to unblock the program. This option keeps the program blocked for greater security. This message appears again the next time that this program is blocked.