It's not enough just to run antivirus software anymore. Especially if you've got a broadband connection or spend a lot of time online, you need a personal firewall to keep an eye on hackers trying to access your computer. This is a complex area and unless you're a security expert, you need a program that's simple to configure but that also offers strong protection so you know you can trust the options it suggests. Norton Personal Firewall 2003 fits the bill on both counts. When you install it, the instructions walk you through configuring your system by choosing network settings and scanning your PC for programs that access the Internet. It knows about common applications, so you won't have to tweak umpteen settings to get your e-mail working, and helpful dialog boxes explain the risks of allowing or blocking access.
Not only does it block port scans (where a hacker tests your connection to the Internet, trying to get access), Norton Personal Firewall 2003 also checks all the data entering and leaving your computer, looking for anything suspicious. If it spots suspicious data transfers, it checks the signature database (like the definitions in an antivirus package, and updated in the same way through LiveUpdate). This protects you against Trojan horses and worms like Nimda and Code Red.
You can also protect yourself on the Web. Turn on ad blocking to get rid of irritating pop-up ads from Web sites. You can also choose what information a site sees about you and your browser, turn off animations, scripts, and flash, or block ads on the page itself; a number of sites are preconfigured for you.
Norton Personal Firewall 2003 blocks all the common attacks, making your PC invisible as well as secure online, and it does it without making your applications hard to use or demanding you become a security expert. --Mary Branscombe
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