Norton Personal Firewall 2002

This utility offers relatively simple installation and set up and protects systems from both incoming and outgoing connection attempts. It not only keeps Web sites and hackers from accessing your system, it also won't allow viruses or any other programs to access the Internet without your knowledge. NPF's default Medium security setting blocks any program from accessing the Internet. When a new program tries to access the Internet, a pop-up window asks if you want to permit access. If you choose to save these settings, NPF will remember them every time the same program tries to go online. Eventually, NPF learns which programs you want to access the Internet, and those annoying pop-ups trickle off. However, if you want to configure it for a specific purpose, this remains a complex task, requiring some techie knowledge.

In common with other firewall programs, NPF lets you retrieve program updates from the Web, view how many times outside people or programs have tried to access your system, configure firewall settings (including security levels, Internet access, and port blocking), access the firewall's help files and adjust privacy settings to either Low, Medium, or High. Once installed, it's effective, hiding the most common TCP/IP ports and making them invisible to the outside world.--Roger Gann

Manufacturer's Description
Norton Personal Firewall 2002 keeps hackers out and personal data in. Every minute your computer is online, it's vulnerable to intrusions and the theft of private information. Norton Personal Firewall defends against these threats at multiple levels, without interrupting your work. Right out of the box, it begins to secure your computer by concealing it from hackers. If anyone does attempt to probe your system, such as by scanning its ports, the AutoBlock feature automatically blocks their access.