The purpose of a firewall is to prevent unauthorised computer users gaining access to information contained on your machine. The always-on nature of Broadband means that whenever your machine is turned on and connected to the internet there is a risk of an intrusion taking place.

We would advise that you invest in one of the many excellent Firewall software packages or hardware products to be found on the market, a selection of these can be found on our Downloads / Security on the Internet page, or activate the personal firewall software built into Windows XP or Mac OS X if you are using these operating systems.

A Firewall will prevent a malicious attack on your computer (someone attempting to gain access to remove sensitive data or plant software which can monitor your activities) as well as prevent software already installed on your computer from sending information back to the internet (often called spyware).

Mac OS X
The personal firewall is integrated in the Sharing preference pane, with simple on/off checkboxes to enable protection. In addition, it can be customized for additional communication services, IRC, Gnutella, or other user-definable services.

Microsoft Windows XP
The firewall feature is not turned on by default on SP1 editions of XP Home & Professional, to turn the firewall on go to the properties for your connection, select Advanced and tick the box to activate the firewall. In SP2 the firewall is turned on by default and gives greater protection, it can also be configured to suit the requirements of your home or business.