Although the market offers some very capable software firewalls,I am not a
fan of the concept. They work in much the same way as a hardware firewall,
examining every incoming packet to see if it was really intended for your
machine or just randomly jiggling the handles looking for an unlocked door.
But the difference is that the software firewall is already insideyour com-
puter, running under your operating system. That’s too close for comfort for
me; I like the idea that a hardware firewall sits outside the computer with an
electronic shotgun.202 Part IV: Failing to Communicate