Anonymous writes "

There are no precise or reliable statistics on the amount of computer crimes; however, many sites which offer scanning tools to test your current security settings do report their findings.

Currently, Shields UP!! Has tested 26,025,987 systems (or shields as they call it)
with nearly four million names exposed and over three million directories exposed.
Though most hackers who break into computers used them as zombies to exploit other networks,
12% of hacker attacks do cause significant damage.

This 10 page article focuses on firewall applications and how well they perform as far as securing your system.
Four typical firewall applications were tested including two routers, one being the Cisco 831 SOHO
which performed rather well. In total, nine security test were conducted to measure how well each firewall performed.

• Norton Personal Firewall 2004 - $44.98
• Sygate Personal Firewall 5.5 - $47.95
• ZoneAlarm 4 - Free
• McAfee Personal Firewall Plus 2004 - $39.99

The two routers tested were the D-Link DI-604 priced at around $35.99 and the Cisco 831 SOHO which cost about $399.

Two types of test were conducted, inbound and outbound. This article also covers issues concerning usability, features and support for each of the software firewall applications tested.

Before we get into the testing and results, we will first cover usability, features and other aspects of each of the firewall applications tested.

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