Firewall Info Page
Many times I talk to folks wanting to know how they can protect their personal information and data on their computers. I tell them the best way to keep outsiders "outside" is to have good locks. I've heard my brother with a background in law enforcement say "locks are made for honest people" and I've found that to be as true in cyberspace as in the real world. We could all go out and buy expensive routers and invest thousands of dollars in software to make our PC as secure as Fort Knox, but where's the cost justification in that. We just want to keep the bad guys out (people as well as software) and allow those we trust in, simple as that. I've put together a list of sites you can peruse to get information as well as software to begin taking control of your personal domain in cyberspace without breaking your wallet.
For a more detailed look at how a firewall works, click here for an excellent article from one of my favorite sites How Stuff Works.
Zonelabs - Zonealarm is a firewall many of you may be familiar with. If you're not, I suggest you check it out. I use this one personally on my laptop when I'm not behind my hardware firewall on my home network. I give it a big thumbs up and it's free to boot. Look for the direct link to the free Zonealarm download page.