Backup: The first defense is a good back, or two or three. My recommendations are:

• Second Copy: This is an excellent, award winning backup program for data. Copies data to Optical drives, or network drives.
• Acronis True Image: This is my choice for imaging software to copy your entire hard drive for full recovery in case of hard drive failure.
• Ibackup: This is my choice for offsite, Internet data backup. Automatically and securely backup all your data to their secure servers. I am an Ibackup partner.

Personal Firewalls: Personal Firewalls are programs that are installed on single machines which directly connect to other machines or the Internet. They offer some good protection for home and soho users. I recommend them even when you are using a physical firewall.

• Zone Alarm: This is my personal favorite and the one I use.
• Sunbelt-Kerio: This is an excellent alternative and much lighter weight. Good company.

Physical Firewalls Physical computers or other hardware and the software to reside between you and the NET and protect more effectively (theoretically) than personal firewall protection. Simple NAT routers are good for this and will protect against 95% of the attacks from the Internet. A full-blown firewall is even better.

• Linksys: Simple NAT routerl
• Sonic Wall: Full firewall

Virus Protection

• Nod32: This is my recommended Firewall

More information about security in general and Net security

• NT Bug Traq: Keep up to date. Learn what new NT security flaw was found today!
• Gibson Research: Steve will attack your computer and let you know how secure it is. Lots of good information here for beginners, and small soho offices.
• Sygate's Free Scan and test your firewall site. Very good.
• Anatomy of a network intrusion an excellent article.
• Hackers.com
• Technotronic.com
• Packetstorm.securify.com
• Insecure.org
• Zot Consulting A local security expert.

Copyright (c) 1998-2006 by Steven Shank All rights reserved.
steve@steveshank.com