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Installing a firewall is now standard practice if you’re running any sort of website or small office network. A firewall, available as either hardware or software,  filters the traffic coming in and going out of your computer or network, keeping out viruses and hackers and ensuring  you stay in control of the flow of information.

When you first install a firewall, take your time setting security levels and altering them to suit your preferences. It can take time, and you might not get it right first time, but by only allowing certain applications to connect to the Internet, you will save yourself a lot of hassle later.
 
Analyse the log files your firewall produces (the manual will tell you how to do this) and check if any outgoing connections are using unusual ports. By blocking these, you stop “spyware” (applications sending information back to base) in its tracks.
 
Keep your virus definitions up to date and always run an anti-virus program in conjunction with your firewall.
 
Should your firewall report suspicious activity, don’t panic. There are any number of rational explanations, and it’s extremely unlikely a malicious hacker will be interested in the average small business or home user. Your firewall has done its job by keeping out unauthorised “probes” of your system.