This is like a sort of

This is like

a sort of phone number, and is issued either to an individual computer or to

a “gateway” that connects a private network to the ‘net.

Domestic dial-up internet connections normally use a system called Dynamic

IP Addressing where people are issued with a sort of “new identity” every

time they connect, so it’s difficult to find and attack an individual computer

– Dynamic IP addressing is a bit like having your phone number change every

time you use the phone, which makes it difficult for the bad guys to find you.

But the longer you keep a particular ?phone number? the more chance

there is of someone finding you and that is why high-speed always-on connections

need handling with care.

In particular, with “always on” DSL and cable connections you are

connected for extended periods of time which give the attackers more chance

of finding you if you’ve got an unprotected connection.

In these days of identity theft and with more and more security holes being

uncovered in commercial software it is vital that you have a good firewall

if you use a high-speed connection.

You may already have a firewall, either in a device called a “Broadband

Router” which goes between your computer and the Internet or the very

basic firewall built in to Windows XP Service Pack 2 and you might think that?s

all you need.

But there’s another reason that you won’t have thought of.

Basic firewalls will tell you, and hopefully protect you if someone is trying