Using a firewall is very important when you use broadband or Wi-Fi.

This is because a fast, permanent internet connection makes you more vulnerable to hackers and rogue software like spyware.

Unless you want the hackers of the world snooping round your hard drive it's important to keep your connection secure.

Broadband security

With broadband, you are connected to the internet all the time your computer is switched on.

A firewall protects you from malicious internet activity by monitoring all the traffic which enters and leaves your computer and watches for anything unusual.

Perhaps the best known firewall is Zone Alarm which is free for home users and very easy to use

Every time a program on your computer tries to access the internet, your firewall detects the request, stops the program in its tracks and asks you if it's ok for this program to get access to the outside world.

In practice, a few programs like Internet Explorer, Windows Media Player and Outlook will want to access the internet all the time and once you've said that's ok, you won't be asked again.

The other type of firewall you might come across is built into the Windows or Mac OSX operating system. These offer basic protection but are also the most likely to be undermined by a serious hacker.

You should consider an additional program to be better protected.

A hardware firewall can also give an extra layer of protection. These are actually built into your broadband modem or router and are good for protecting multiple machines.

E-mail mischief

The main way that viruses get onto your computer is via e-mail.

Not when you read e-mails but when you open attachments like photos or other documents.

You know when an e-mail has an attachment because it has a small paperclip icon next to it.

To be safe from viruses, don't open these if you don't recognise who they are from.

Remember, just opening an e-mail attachment is enough to unleash a virus!

Most ISPs scan e-mails for viruses, but some still may get through. You can invest in some virus software which scans your computer and e-mails for you.

Wi-Fi security

One potential problem with Wi-Fi is that if you transmit computer data with radio waves, other people will be able to tune in.

This clearly has security implications, not least when it comes to online shopping and entering credit card details.

The answer is to use encryption to scramble the signal.

Wi-Fi uses a system called WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) which can be turned on or off. This is quite easy to do but often people don't bother because it seems complicated.

When you set up your Wi-Fi box, you will get a CD in the pack which takes you through the setup process step by step. During this process you will see a page which talks about 'Security Mode'.

Often this is set to 'disable'.

If you click the drop down box, you can choose 'WEP' from the list.

You are then asked to think up a pass phrase which is unique to you and protects your broadband connection from being used by anyone else.

If you want other computers in your house to access broadband wirelessly, then they will need to enter the same phrase, or 'WEP key', to connect.

SOURCE  http://www.bbc.co.uk