Posted: 08th Feb, 2005 By: MarkJ
V Two One's (
V21) Managing Director, Steve Kaye, has applauded police and computer experts in Wales for tackling the growing issue of Internet crime at a conference in Cardiff today:
"While it is to be welcomed that high-tech crime is being addressed, consumers should not be afraid to use their computers for fear of becoming victims of internet crime - there are easily-available ways of protecting themselves," he says.
"One of the major security concerns consumers have relates to broadband - they fear that if an internet connection is always on then they will be more at risk from criminals being able to hack into their files.
"A firewall will ensure the computer, and all data, is protected. Firewalls come in two varieties: software and hardware firewalls. A software firewall is one that is installed onto a user's PC and a hardware firewall is one that is either installed onto a separate machine or device.
"It is also a good idea to ensure that up-to-date virus protection software is used in addition to firewall software on all computers that have Internet access."
The cost of both software and hardware firewalls varies. Basic firewalls can be downloaded for as little as £10, however, at the top end of the market, consumers can expect to spend £1500.
Steve says it is also worth looking in to downloading free security software, although these are often only offered on a limited trial basis. It is also possible to purchase ADSL routers, as an alternative to ADSL modems - which have built in firewall. The D-Link DSL-604+ is one router that has many additional features to help safeguard computers.
Zonelabs.com and sygate.com provide such software on their site for downloading freely. On the itsfree4u.com site, there are a selection of firewalls and other useful freeware for downloading.
www.zonelabs.com
smb.sygate.com
www.itsfree4u.com