Naked on the net: do you use a personal firewall to protect your home systems? (On Task:...

Firewalls, like nearly all security-related technologies, come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and price ranges. You can certainly purchase a hardware-based firewall for a few hundred dollars. A hardware firewall is a small device that you place between your Internet connection and your home computers. It is usually good to go this route if you have the budget or have several computers--often the case for people who maintain a home office. The hardware-based firewall will block unauthorized attempts to access your computers.

Another route to consider is replacing the pie