If you connect to the Internet--particularly over a broadband connection--you should have a firewall. We take a look at two popular personal firewall packages: McAfee Personal Firewall and Symantec's latest personal network security application, Norton Personal Firewall 2001. Read our reviews to find out which one offers the security and features you need.

Norton Personal Firewall 2001

We had a chance to evaluate the beta for Norton Personal Firewall 2001, which is currently shipping for AU$99.00. It's a significant upgrade (version 3.0 of Norton Firewall product) that adds several innovative features.

The most useful addition is the ability to scan your hard drive for Internet applications. With other firewall programs, you have to approve, or disapprove, the activity of each of your Internet programs when it first tries to break through the firewall, which can be a tedious process. Where some firewall programs may find a handful of popular Net applications, Norton Personal Firewall can find hundreds of programs and add configuration files for them during the initial setup.

Pros and Cons Pros Easy to use Automatically configures hundreds of Internet applications Customised outbound content filtering Cons Relatively expensive

Like BlackICE Defender, the Norton program can detect when your system is being port-scanned and dynamically block all access to the intruder. And as with products like ZoneAlarm Pro, you can easily add IP addresses to a trusted zone, which makes it simple to configure the program for a network. Norton Personal Firewall also includes some useful privacy features, such as the ability to protect specific information from prying eyes. It can specifically block access to your credit-card numbers, Social Security number, and email address, unless you give your permission for their release.

Norton Personal Firewall 2001 does an excellent job of shielding users from the complexities of a firewall. You can separately adjust the security, Internet access, and privacy to minimal, medium, and high settings (they're set to medium by default), or dig deeper into each setting and adjust its components to create customised levels. All in all, this latest version is much more powerful than its predecessors yet it's still one of the most user-friendly firewall programs to use.

It's pricier than many personal firewall products but it doesn't carry ongoing subscription costs commonly attached to others such as McAfee Personal Firewall.

Norton Personal Firewall 2001
Company:Symantec
Price:AU$99.00
Distributor: Syantec Australia
Phone:(02) 8879 1000

McAfee.com Personal Firewall

As you might guess from the name, McAfee.com Personal Firewall is tightly linked to the McAfee Web site. You pay an annual subscription fee of AU$53.90 and receive automatic updates as they become available.

Geared in large part toward the corporate market, this program shields users from much of the decision making. Accordingly, it's not easy for users to add new Internet applications or trusted IP addresses. The help section often suggests that you check with your network administrator for additional information. As with BlackICE Defender, a simple control panel hides the complex rules that determine who gets in and who doesn't. Typically, corporate users don't want to be bothered with the details, so the event log includes only short descriptions of attacks.

Pros and Cons Pros Automatic updates Integrates well with other McAfee applications Cons Limited configuration options Inadequate built-in help

Most of the menu choices are simple and straightforward. For example, one screen lets you block everything, filter everything, or allow everything. You can block fragmented packets--most applications don't need to send or receive them--or add password protection to the firewall program, adding another layer of security. You can also allow or disallow a wide range of protocols for network adapters.

McAfee.com Personal Firewall is one of a group of subscription-based applications that McAfee is selling to corporations. The firewall program shares a common system-tray icon with McAfee's VirusScan, Privacy Service, FirstAid, Oil Change, and wireless security programs. That's a real advantage for corporations preferring to buy utility software from a single source, but for individuals and small businesses, especially those without networks, McAfee.com Personal Firewall may not offer enough configuration options or help.

McAfee.com Personal Firewall
Company:McAfee.com
Price:AU$53.90 for 12 month subscription
Distributor:Network Associates
Phone:1800 644 646

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