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“Not having a firewall is like leaving the door to your house unlocked,” says Dusty Carden, general manager of Parsons, Tenn.-based NetEase. “Some people think that having antivirus software means that their computers are totally secure, but that’s not the case.”

While antivirus software is useful at combating Internet predators, it should not be your first line of defense, Carden says. In other words, people who rely solely on antivirus software are like homeowners who spend all their time swatting flies indoors instead of simply shutting all the doors and windows.

Besides, antivirus software can protect you only from viruses that have already been identified, says Harry Flowers, a system software manager at the University of Memphis. It doesn’t do anything to protect your computer from new threats that infect it before a new virus signature can be written to combat them. Firewalls can.

“Just like a firewall of a building blocks flames from getting to the other side, the computer version blocks unauthorized users from gaining access to your computer,” Flowers says.

Firewalls, which serve as barriers between the DSL or cable modem and the actual computer, act as one-way swinging doors that allow Internet traffic to flow out, but prohibit any unauthorized or unsolicited material from coming in.

Without a firewall, a computer is subject to all kinds of invasions. “If hackers gain access to your network, they might stumble across employee records and Social Security numbers,” says Tim Stinson, director of operations at Nashville-based ISDN-Net. “Also, if your company uses Quicken, or any other kind of financial planning software, hackers could gain access to your bank account information—all things that increase your chances of falling victim to identity theft or credit card fraud.” Another common threat to unprotected computers involves spam. “Hackers can use Internet worms and viruses to put spam engines on your computer that send thousands of spam messages without you even knowing it,” Stinson says.

Spam engines can slow down the computer so much that dial-up users generally notice that something is wrong, but with high-speed Internet connections, it’s nearly impossible to tell, Carden says.

Firewall prices range from really cheap to really expensive, depending on the level of security. However, the needs of a small business rarely require anything more than the mid-level varieties sold at stores such as Best Buy and Wal-Mart, says Carden, who also cautions small businesses against spending too much money on firewalls. “Just because a firewall is expensive doesn’t mean that it’s the best for your system. Spending thousands of dollars on a firewall is like putting bulletproof armor on your car—sure you’re safer, but is it really necessary?”

What is necessary, however, is a properly configured firewall—which is why many computer experts recommend hardware firewalls over the software kind that are installed on each individual desktop.

“If the firewall isn’t configured properly and a computer program, such as an e-mail client, isn’t functioning, an inexperienced employee—instead of finding out what port needs to be opened—may just panic and open the firewall completely in an effort to get their software to work,” Stinson says. “Meanwhile, that entire computer is not being protected and could infect others on the network.”

Hardware firewalls, on the other hand, aren’t as easy to fiddle with once they’ve been configured. However, configuring the firewall correctly—a crucial element in Internet security and customer satisfaction—requires a fair amount of technical prowess. “Depending on how much computer expertise you have in-house, you may not have to hire a professional to install your firewall,” Flowers admits. “But it wouldn’t hurt to hire someone to set up your firewall on the front end and show you how to make changes if need be—especially if you’re not a ‘computer person.’”

And if you’re really not sure about what kind of firewall you need, there are always Internet security consultants who can assess your network, find out what your needs are, and make the necessary recommendations, says Carden, whose company offers consulting services for $50 per hour.

“Once you install and configure a firewall, there’s really not much additional maintenance required,” Stinson says. “So it’s worth it to take the time on the front end to secure things correctly.”

“If you can keep updated antivirus software running on each computer and keep them protected behind a properly configured firewall, then your network will be pretty secure and you’ll be in business.”

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