Enable the Windows XP FirewallMost spyware will not take advantage of the lack of a firewall in order to propogate itself, but a firewall should alert you to any attempts by applications on your PC to access the Internet. As it happens, the original Windows XP firewall did not have the functionality to monitor outgoing traffic, but it is still worth enabling as a precaution against viruses - and the new firewall in XP SP2 does have the functionality described (although it is enabled by default so you would not need to follow this procedure). To enable the firewall in Windows XP: 1. Open Network Connections (Click Start, click Control Panel, and then double–click Network Connections Note If your Control Panel is set to Category View, click Network and Internet Connections as show in Figure 2 below. Then click Network Connections 2. Click to select the Dial–up, LAN or High–Speed Internet connection that you want to protect 3. In the task pane on the left, under Network Tasks, click
Change settings of this connection as shown in Figure 5 below. 4. On the Advanced tab as shown in Figure 7 below, under Internet Connection Firewall, select the Protect my computer and network by limiting or preventing access to this computer from the Internet check box. |
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