Best Software Firewalls

Reader Nick Markosian asks: What is the best software firewall?

Generally speaking I don't really recommend using a software firewall as your sole method of protection against web nasties. From a security standpoint, they just don't make a lot of sense. The idea with a firewall is that it is supposed to stop malicious traffic before it reaches your PC. And if your firewall is installed on the PC you're trying to protect, there's something a little off with that equation, right? You can't really stop the traffic after it's already on the PC.

Well, yes and no. In practice, software firewalls work fairly well, and I've tested about a half dozen over the last couple of years and have found many that get the job done. But before I tell you the best, consider instead protecting your system with a hardware firewall. If you use a wired or wireless network, your router almost undoubtedly has a firewall built in and turned on by default. These are generally more secure than software firewalls and they won't eat up your PC's resources. Naturally, you can use a hardware and software firewall together if you're paranoid or want the extra peace of mind, and it doesn't really hurt to leave the built-in Windows XP Firewall turned on if you don't mind the minor performance hit.

If you want to move up to a more sophisticated firewall (and you want to pay for it), there are many capable apps on the market. Surprisingly, they haven't changed much since I started reviewing them way back in 1998. The best on the market today is the same as it's been for several years: Zone Labs ZoneAlarm. It's easy to get started with, let's you see your security status at a glance, and offers in-depth tweakability when you get more comfortable with the software. Failing that, you might consider the firewall included with Kaspersky Anti-Virus, which is extremely capable but might be overkill for most users. I've got additional comments in the review linked previously. I also like the Norton Internet Security application, especially for novices. But frankly, the combination of a hardware firewall and the integrated Windows Firewall hasn't failed me yet.