Personal Firewall Software Considerations

Personal firewall software prevents identity theft and the frustration of restoring your credit. Your financial data and password lists may all be stored inside your computer. Even a novice hacker with the right tools can steal your identity.

A firewall is to a computer what a security system is to a home. A firewall, like a security system, only allows certain traffic through specified doors or ports. A personal firewall product will alert you or take one of many predetermined actions when someone tries to tamper with your computer.

Today's personal firewall software solutions can make it easy for novices and experts to keep personal information safe. On this site you'll find articles related to personal firewall protection and comprehensive reviews to help you make an informed purchasing decision.

At TopTenREVIEWS We Do the Research So You Don't Have To.™

What to Look For in a Personal Firewall Program

A personal firewall is software designed for use on a single PC. Personal firewalls lock out intruders to keep individual PCs safe at home or at the office. TopTenREVIEWS uses the following criteria to evaluate personal firewall software:

Feature Set
A personal firewall should offer features that go beyond standard protection. The bare necessities include keeping the system hidden and keeping uninvited people and programs out. The best firewalls include tools to manage spyware, cookies and viruses. Some firewalls offer Internet filtering to restrict content.

Ease of Use
A computer novice should be able to understand and use the firewall product without help. The control panel should be intuitive and convenient. We’ve reviewed a few advanced firewall products that are powerful tools, but inappropriate for novices. When we include one of these products we note this in the “Ease of Use” section of the review.

Setup Ease
Installing personal firewall software should be simple and fast, even for a computer novice.

Reliability
A firewall should keep intruders out. The firewall should keep your IP address and browser hidden while you browse the internet in stealth mode. This means that others should not be able to see your computer or personal identity unless you allow them. Your personal firewall should do its job consistently, without clashing with other software.

Support
The firewall software should give enough instruction for a computer novice to set up the product without help. The manufacturer should also have help online to answer common questions. Look for a firewall manufacturer willing to help you. Customer service telephone support is excellent; toll-free telephone support is a bonus. Some manufacturers use email or online question forms. Our favorite method of support is live chat online.

Help Documentation
The software should offer a well-written help section with easy-to-understand information. The manufacturer should also provide technical support in the form of FAQs, email and phone support.

To choose the personal firewall software that best fits your needs, check out our detailed reviews. Be sure to read about the top-rated software: Comodo Internet Security Pro, Online Armor Premium and Kaspersky Internet Security.