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Why use a firewall?
Hackers often 'roam' the Internet, looking for machines with open communication ports from which they can infiltrate systems. According to data from organizations such as the FBI or the Computer Security Institute, some 85 percent of large enterprises have been victims of network intrusion.
Firewalls block unauthorized access to computers, as well as prevent confidential information from leaving the network.
What does a hacker aim to do?
In general, computer intruders rarely have the best intensions, they will often try to:
- Access confidential information , such as passwords to Internet services like online banking or even antivirus services.
- Gain complete control of the PC , and manipulate it like a 'zombie'. This means that a hacker could use your computer, along with numerous other 'zombies', to redirect a mass attack against a website, overloading it and causing it to crash. This is also known as a DOS (Denial of Service) attack.
- After taking over part of your hard disk, they can set up your computer as a platform for downloading and distributing pirated software .
Is there any additional risk when using DSL modems?
DSL connections create a permanent connection to the Internet, this kind of connection leaves an open door to the Internet whenever you turn on your computer (even though you are not browsing at the time).
This means that DSL users are exposed to increased risk of hacker attacks, especially if a firewall is not installed. A similar problem applies to online connections when other computers share the same cable connection.
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