A great deal of protection is provided to you if you configure your firewall to prevent other computers or people from being able to "see" or do anything with it over the network.
The windows firewall is fairly complex and can be configured to prevent icoming connections from parts of the Internet that you choose. It can also be configured to prevent outgoing connections too.
The complexity of options though, make it difficult to configure rationally; and unless you are an expert in networks or very knowedgable, we advise you do not attempt this unless you have a a compelling need.
If your computer is a Windows supported desktop, contact your computer officer to enable and configure the firewall.
If your computer is self-managed, follow the steps below.
- click on the Start menu
- type the word "firewall" into the [Search programs and files] box
- click on the security and privacy icon (in the top row)
- click on the [firewall] tab near the top of the dialogue box
This gives you access to the firewall configuration parts. If you understand how network addresses and network ports are used, you can configure the firewall. If in doubt, leave this to a network expert or to your Computer Support Officer.