The Windows XP firewall protects us from theft of data and private information. In the real world, we lock our personal stuff up in our homes, offices and cars so they don't get stolen. In the computer world, everyone should do the same. In fact, it is easier to steal something on a computer then it is in the real world.

Windows XP comes with a built in firewall that keeps those thieves and snoopers out. Before we discuss how to use and enable the XP firewall, let's first talk about exactly how a firewall works.

How do Firewalls Work

Firewalls can be either hardware or software that kind of acts like a gatekeeper, monitoring all internet activity going in and out of your computer. The firewall will then inspect this data and make sure it has no viruses, spy ware or any other harmful data to your computer.

The XP firewall accomplishes this two ways, packet filtering and Stateful inspection. Packets are clumps of data which contain the IP address of the computer it came from, and the destination IP address.

So what is an IP address? An IP address is a certain number that is an identifier for your computers device. The IP address is in a 32-bit numeric format written with fours numbers that are separated by periods.

If Windows XP firewall recognizes the packet and the IP address, it will be allowed to pass. Then the Stateful inspection will look at some of the data in the packet, and compare it to trusted data to see whether it is safe.

Hardware Firewall Devices

Next we need to discuss hardware firewall devices, which are designed to run software firewalls. This is a huge advantage over the XP firewall, since the hardware will be doing the checking, not your entire computer. This basically means you won't be using system resources which tend to slow a computer down a lot more.

There are so many ways that a hacker can access your computer and abuse it when it isn't protected. This can be anything from them actually being able to see what your monitor shows you, to running applications on your computer.

The best threats that a firewall will protect you from are corrupt emails and viruses. Emails that are corrupt can contain viruses and worms that will help give them access to your computer or other important accounts. We all know the devastating effects of viruses, so I needn't tell you how important it is to keep those out of your system.

The bottom line is, if you have serious data that needs protecting, use a good hardware firewall device and software. If you are just an average Joe with Windows XP, and you don't have much data to protect, then just use the Windows XP firewall that is built in. To enable the XP firewall, if it already isn't, follow these steps.

How to Enable the Windows XP Firewall

First, click that Start button and go to the control panel. Once in the control panel, double click Network connections. Once your Network Connections box is open, right click on Local Area Connection and then click Properties.

When the Local Area Connections box pops up, click the advanced tab. Under this tab, you will see a check box asking you if you want to enable the internet connection firewall. Check the box and then click OK. After that, your firewall will be turned on and you will be protected.