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CGM Systems, Inc. - Technology Consulting since 1988
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A firewall is essential today. Even if you are running a hardware firewall (and you should be) you might want to add a software firewall such as the Norton Firewall.

In addition to providing firewall protection, Norton Firewall can also block pop up and on page ads.

If you set the on page ad blocking on, you may find that some sites don't work. There is also an ethical issue in blocking on page advertising. The publishers provide free access to content and depend on advertising to make their endeavor financially worthwhile. If you block ads, you are removing a portion of their revenue. Pop up ads, because of their abuse, are one thing, but blocking on page ads raises some questions.

Another problem with ad blocking is that the algorithms are not perfect. Quite often, you will have to disable Norton Firewall in order to view a page. You could go into the configuration to allow that page but the process is a little awkward. To temporarily disable the Norton Firewall, right-click on the NIS icon in your tray. Choose 'disable'. Don't forget to re-enable NIS after you load the page you want. Also, keep in mind that you do not have firewall protection when you disable NIS.

Norton Firewall is a real firewall. Part of the process requires that you 'teach' it what you want to let through and what you want to block. Almost every time you run a new application that accesses the internet, you will see a screen where Norton Firewall is asking you what you want to do (permit, block, manually configure) etc. The problem is that you, or someone else using the machine, could accidentally allow an application to access the internet that poses a security risk. You need to have a multi layered defense of backups, a hardware firewall, a current antivirus, current patches and due diligence.

Certain applications such as messenger apps and games may require that you manually configure  the hardware and software firewalls to permit access. Be aware that when you open up ports, you run some risks of intrusion.

For Webmasters:

You might find that NIS is blocking some of your content and ads. You can purchase NIS and leave it in it's default configuration. Surf through your site. Then go back into NIS (double clicking on the NIS icon in the tray) Go to Statistics and view logs and look at the content blocking and privacy logs. You will see what NIS is blocking for visitors to your site who are running it. 

Tips

• To Disable the Norton Firewall - Simply right-click on the firewall icon in your tray and select disable.  (lower right of your desktop).  If you have an older version be sure to re-enable it as soon as possible. The newer versions will allow you to disable it for selected time periods. You should only disable the firewall when absolutely necessary.

• You should periodically check the rules to make sure that all of the rules are what you want.

• Remember to enable Norton Firewall if you have disabled it. (look for the little red x on the icon in the tray to indicate that Norton Firewall is disabled)

• If you are having trouble viewing a site, open NIS and check the various reports and logs to see why the contents are being blocked.

• You can loosen restrictions on a particular site by using the web assistant in your IE toolbar. It will allow you to allow pop ups and/or allow advertising for the site you are viewing.

Summary

We won't run without it. It requires some effort to properly  train the software, but it does provide some peace of mind

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by CGM Systems, Inc