Two weeks ago, I posted the 5 best free antivirus that are available for download on the web because I felt compelled to write one as my friend’s computer (and data) suffered greatly because of a virus attack. This week, I find it appropriate to create a list of the 5 best free firewalls that you can download on the web to complete the overall protection you can get for your computer.
First of all, a firewall is a program that monitors the internet traffic from your computer, whether it is inbound or outbound. This helps to protect your computer and personal data from any attacks and intrusions. A firewall is basically designed to permit authorized communication while blocking unauthorized access. These access permissions are categorized by the program based on a set of rules and criteria. The truth is Windows itself has a built in firewall which is both practical and useful. However, many computer experts still don’t advise using it. Instead, many recommend using free third-party firewall programs that are not only easier to control, but also have other features, such as allowing you to make quick rule changes. The five firewalls listed below are completely free and works in the same ways as paid firewall programs.
1) Zone Alarm Firewall – this firewall was first released 11 years ago, making it one of the oldest as well as one of the most trusted free firewall programs. Zone alarm has a 2-way firewall and is capable of protecting your computer from intrusion by making your presence invisible to hackers. One of the best features this program has is its ability to detect hacker programs that are trying to impersonate good programs.
2) Comodo Firewall – this firewall is considered to be one of the best as well as one of the most popular free firewall programs in the market. In fact, users who require elevated protection find Comodo to be the best choice thanks to their proprietary Defense+ technology which helps protect you from different threat sources. There are many who even deem that the security performance of Comodo exceeds that of those pay products.
3) Outpost Firewall – this firewall program is created by Agnitum, a company that started developing firewall since the beginning. They offer both Pro versions as well as free versions, with the free version being good enough for the security needs of most average home users. Their firewall program is highly flexible, yet offers good protection that can block almost any kind of hack attack.
4) Online Armor Firewall – this firewall is a solid contender on the category of free firewalls. It has a unique feature that allows the user to run potentially risky applications as if they were under a limited user account.
5) PC Tools Firewall – this is a powerful personal free firewall that has an enhanced security verification which alerts users of potentially malicious behavior of programs. It relies on its library of programs that checks for digital signatures to decrease popup alert notices. It has normal and expert modes which can be useful for advanced and average users.
These days, firewall programs are as essential as antivirus programs because they provide your computer significant protection against intrusion, hacking, and any other type of attack. How you choose your firewall may simply be a matter of preference or requirement. However, it doesn’t matter what you choose – what matters is that your computer is equipped with one to ensure the protection of your computer as well as your personal data.
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{ 32 comments… read them below or add one }
Twitter: callcenterguy75
May 16, 2011 at 2:12 pm
Wow! Thanks for the tip. I’m doing research on which FW to purchase. Thanks Joh!
Dennis@24/Se7en Online! recently posted..Julie Vega- Somewhere In My Past
Hi Dennis,
These firewall here are all free and are considered the best ones available as of now.
Thanks for commenting! Come back soon..
Johanna recently posted..5 Common Medical Myths in the Philippines
I’ve had the pleasure of using both Comodo and Zone Alarm firewalls in the past and I am very happy with their security performance. My only problem with Comodo is that there are lots of popups during its initial learning mode setup. Currently I am using ESET Smart Security as it is provided for by the company I work for. However, if I didn’t have this paid firewall, I’d likely choose either Zone Alarm or Comodo.
Jonathan Sparco recently posted..Several New Innovations in Today’s Pressure Washers
ESET Nod32 is actually a very good combination antivirus, antispyware and firewall. Many people, especially gamers, love using it because it doesn’t hog much of the resource. Its web protection program is great as it blocks websites with potentially dangerous content.
Glenn @ GIJoh.com recently posted..5 Interestingly Unusual Articles from Wikipedia
Yes, I agree with you that it hardly uses any of the computer’s resources. In addition, I love using ESET because there are hardly any annoying popups that alerts you of this and that. Just a small balloon that notifies you that it has just updated its definition file.
Jonathan Sparco recently posted..Several New Innovations in Today’s Pressure Washers
Twitter: lavenderuses
May 18, 2011 at 12:47 pm
Hi Johanna
Thanks for the reminder. I have just had a techie do some updates on my site. I will get him to check that this is in order too. Appreciate the information you bring to us Johanna. Have to be alert at all times and having effective firewall is a must!
Patricia Perth Australia
Patricia@lavender oil recently posted..Is This Lavender Pill Hard to Swallow
Hi Patricia,
Glad you’re reminded on this subject of computer security. Antivirus programs and firewall should always go hand in hand when it comes to fending off any virus attacks or harmful intrusions on your computer.
Thanks for commenting! Come back soon..
Johanna recently posted..Windows 8 Portable Allows you to Bring Your Desktop Workspace with You
Twitter: ronniedare
May 19, 2011 at 10:34 am
I used COMODO before and for a free program, I think its the best FREE Firewall I’ve used.
Ron recently posted..Reasons To Play Dress up Barbie Games Online
Hi Ron,
Glad you think that the Comodo firewall works best for you! Typically, free antivirus programs and free firewall are quite enough to fend off any unwanted viruses or other malware on your computer.
Thanks for commenting! Come back soon..
Johanna recently posted..What Most of Us Do Not Know About Cats Part 2
I haven’t tried installing another firewall on my laptop except from the pre-installed software called Windows Firewall. I’m not techie at all so reading this post gave me an idea how important having a third party program helps in securing your privacy. Thanks!
Paul @ Fort Wayne Internet Marketing recently posted..Ever Heard Of Google Think Insights
Hi Paul,
Welcome to my blog!
The built-in firewall on Windows is usually sufficient enough for normal usage. However, if you want to have extra control over your firewall and added protection, it is suggested that you disable the built-in Windows firewall and install a third-party firewall.
Thanks for commenting! Come back soon..
Johanna recently posted..Don’t Get Fooled by Rogueware
Wow, thank you for this list
Edwin@Computer Tips recently posted..How to Control Your iPhone from Your Computer
Hi Edwin,
Glad you liked this list
Thanks for stopping by! Come back soon..
Johanna recently posted..Windows 8 Portable Allows you to Bring Your Desktop Workspace with You
Some of these look great! Do you think any of them would work with my current virus protection? I use McAffee but it keeps letting viruses though, its so annoying!
Harriet recently posted..Mobile Phone Exchange
Hi Harriet,
It basically depends on the type of McAfee you have installed. If your version is Internet Security, then you should use the software to its full potential and have the antivirus, anti-malware, and firewall enabled. However, if your version is Antivirus Plus, then these free firewalls wouldn’t cause any problem or conflict with your current antivirus program.
Also, since you mentioned that your AV keeps letting viruses through, I suggest that you regularly update your AV definition files.
Thanks for commenting! Come back soon..
Johanna recently posted..The 8 Important Parts of a Blog Part I
I’ve been using spyware terminator since then. It’s also good in protecting my computer. But it’s good to know that there are free firewalls. I’ll try to check this out. Thanks for sharing this up Johanna! ^_^
April @ Park City Real Estate recently posted..Bank Owned Condos in Lower Deer Valley!
Hi April,
Welcome to my blog!
I’m not aware of this Spyware Terminator. I will check it out on my free time or ask my husband about it, maybe he knows..
Glad you found this post useful.
Thanks for commenting! Come back soon..
Johanna recently posted..The 8 Important Parts of a Blog Part II
I had been a part of the Best Five Anti Virus Programs, and here you are with best five Firewalls available. As of my personal recommendation, I have been using Comodo, which works really fine for me.
Adam Gardner recently posted..Kitchen Furniture for the Outdoors
Hi Adam,
I don’t quite get what you said on your first sentence here.
Glad Comodo works fine for you.
Oh, and please try to get a Gravatar. That way, I could easily distinguish your comments as not spam.
Thanks for commenting! Come back soon..
Johanna recently posted..Firefox 4 is Awesome!
I have been using Zone Alarm for over a year now and I must say that it is the best of all the alternatives available out there. And I guess no one likes a breach in security.
Joshua@Plumbing training recently posted..Why Choose Plumbing as a Career
Hi Joshua,
Glad Zone Alarm works well for you. True, no one really likes to have their computer from being hacked.
Thanks for commenting! Come back soon..
Johanna recently posted..Don’t Get Fooled by Rogueware
I have used Comodo firewall as well, and I was satisfied with it. It was just that in absence of a setup file I switched to Zone Alarm and have kept myself stuck to it since.
Regards
Joshua@Plumbing training recently posted..Why Choose Plumbing as a Career
Me too, I love Zone Alarm. It gets the job done really well.
Jasmine@Top Web Hosts recently posted..HostGator Windows Web Hosting Review
Is it wrong for me not to use a firewall?
Really, over the years i tried all the top firewalls and all i got was a headache.
My PC was slower and i still got infected with all kind of malware.
Then one day i ran into NoScript and that was the best day in my life. I’ve been using it for about a year and i love it.
I recommend it to everyone.
Antonia@Conversational hypnosis recently posted..The Hypnotic Connection
Personally, I prefer having a firewall installed on my computer because I feel safer knowing that I have a system that protects me from intrusion.
I’ve used noscript before and it basically is an extension for firefox that allows only whitelisted websites by the user to run executable content. I’ve had it installed in my old computer and it runs great as it protects you from scripts that encroaches on security vulnerabilities. Although this can significantly protect you from malware, it does not beat the capability of a full-fledged firewall. Look at it this way, if you download a program and install it on your computer, the installation process does not necessarily go through your firefox web browser. If in case the program has malicious scripts in it that collects data and send it over the internet, noscript is in no way capable of protecting you. However, a good firewall will notify you that a certain program wants to gain access to the internet, with which you could deny.
Glenn recently posted..“My Kidney for an iPad 2… Deal!”
You’re right, once infected you can no longer count on NoScript. But if you have over 20 years of surfing the net, like i do, you don’t download unknown programs that could get you infected. And nowadays you can even scan the files online without the need of an antivirus (kasperski, nod32, etc i believe have online scanners).
Antonia@Conversational hypnosis recently posted..20 Day Persuasion Review
You are right with that one. As long as you do not download any unnecessary or unknown programs, you are practically safe.
Glenn recently posted..3 Amazing Fruit Facts – Fruits that are Found Also in the Philippines
“But if you have over 20 years of surfing the net”. Kinda hard to believe in this one. The internet as we know it hasn’t been in existence for more than 20 years. And even if one considers the early BITNET as the old “internet” – this one existed over 20 years ago – there was no “surfing” (no WWW) and no malware or even viruses. Oh well, I guess anyone can write anything these days, anyway…
That’s no doubt a good list of firewall software. My favorite is Zone Alarm firewall. It’s simple to use and quick to install. I also like its ability to detect hacker programs that are trying to impersonate good programs.
Jasmine@Top Web Hosts recently posted..How to Choose the Best Web Hosting Service
Twitter: atweetbydan
July 19, 2011 at 3:04 am
As with my other comment in regards to Anti-virus, I’d going to have to put Comodo on the top and my personal recommendation from my experience.
Not only is Comodo firewall resource-light, but it does its job amazingly well.
I can attest to the effectiveness of all those firewalls, a lot of people use it because it is free, best thing on earth right? And of course they make our computers safe from most attacks. Although they can’t always save us from harmful viruses and malwares especially when we go about our internet activities recklessly. But they can really take care most of our needs from a firewall.
Good recommendations. Even though Windows has had a firewall since XP, it can be very useful to have a third party firewall installed, due to the ever-increasing threats as we get more and more intertwined with the internet for all our needs and purposes. I only have experience with Zone and Comodo so far and both are quite good.
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