Every person that uses their computer to get on the Internet, to get email and surfs websites must have security in mind. Whether your a home user or a business the general concept remains the same. You need protection from threats on the Internet, Viruses and Spyware.

Firewalls
You probably have an Internet connection that is always connected, meaning the computer is online and just waiting for you to call up a website or check your email. Most likely you have DSL or Cable Internet AKA Broadband.

With your computer always connected to the Internet your are exposing it 24x7 to all the bad stuff out there. You need some protection in the form of a Firewall. A Firewall for your computer is much like the Firewall in your car. The Firewall in your car separates the passenger compartment from the engine. So if anything bad happens in the engine the Firewall will protect the passengers.

Now there are two kinds of Firewalls, software Firewalls and Hardware Firewalls. You want a hardware Firewall and here's why. 

Software Firewalls are software programs that you install on your computer. So the Firewall is "On your computer". The problem with that is when bad things come in from the Internet they reach your computer, you don't even want the threats to get that far. Also software Firewalls are easily detected and disabled by threats from the Internet. Lastly software Firewalls are "Software" meaning it another program you have to install on your computer, that also has to be running 24x7 in the background and it's just bogging down your system.

Hardware Firewalls are much better because it is actually a device, called a Router, it sits between your computer and the Internet. All threats from the Internet are stopped at the device, the Router. It actually does more then just that. Because the Firewall is the Router you can use the router to share your Internet connection to as many computers in your location as your want.

A lot of people have more then one computer now, maybe a desktop and laptop or maybe each of the kids have their own computer. Well the router has network ports/jacks on the back of it and you can plug in a computer to each of them. Also routers these days are Wireless so you can connect to the router (the Internet) without having a network cable, you would connect to it wirelessly.

The router does a very good job as a Firewall because it's job is to hide your computer from the Internet. Meaning if an attack comes in from the Internet it reaches the router and the router says "Sorry, there's no computers here, go away". Hardware Firewalls cannot be disabled or turned off by threats either. There is no software needed to be installed and it won't bog down your computer.
  

Bottom Line

• My choice is a Hardware Firewall, they start at $35 and don't need a subscription AKA annual fee like many software programs require.
• If you have a laptop computer get a wireless router, a little more money but very nice to be on the couch surfing the Internet.
• Backup your computer all the time, should you get infected you might have to do a clean install.
• Know where your Windows install disc is and Applications install disc's are, along with serial numbers.