A flood in the Garden or . . .

"Why home firewall software is a leaky dike"

Indeed, as Dirk Averesch states,

A chain is only as strong as its weakest link. That's doubly true when it comes to protecting computers that are connected to the internet. Anyone who thinks that a virtual firewall is enough to protect a PC from the dangers of the internet -- such as hacker attacks and unwanted contact with damaging programs -- is making a mistake.

That level of safety requires a combination of several protective measures. Firewall software for home use is not much more than a leaky dike.

I think that Dirk Averesch is my new hero. He has a very common sense approach and his writing is easy to follow -- even for a backyard gardener like me. For example:

Surfers are better advised to take more achievable steps, such as keeping their operating system, browser and other programs constantly up to date. This is because software makers, like hackers, are usually spurred to action only in reaction to published security gaps, Wolf says. This is why anti-virus software armed with the most current virus signatures is the crucial last-gap defence on any computer.

Read the complete article, linked above. It is well worth the time.