You probably know that you need a firewall program to use the Internet safely. In addition to protecting you against attacks from the Internet, a good firewall will also tell you when programs installed on your computer are trying to phone home and enable you to prevent them from doing it.

This is something that Windows own firewall doesn't do, and it's essential for identifying and stopping the activities of many malicious virus and spyware programs. For example, this enables you to prevent your system from being turned into a “zombie” controlled by destructive hackers or spammers.

Small and efficient instead of big and confusing
If you don't have a degree in computer science, using a firewall program can be quite frustrating. In addition to all the confusing jargon, current firewalls are getting to be very big programs. Sometimes you have the feeling that you're installing an entire office suite instead of a basic network tool.

The brand-new Ashampoo FireWall is different. It's Configuration Assistant guides you through every step of the the simple setup process. And Easy Mode makes using it a breeze – you don't need any special technical knowledge and everything is explained clearly.

Ashampoo FireWall is also amazingly compact. Even with its four additional security tools it's a tiny program that uses very little memory and computer resources. You get the heavy-duty protection without heavyweight overload on your system.

Self-explanatory user interface
Ashampoo has years of experience in making programs simple to use. The Ashampoo FireWall user interface explains itself, every step of the way. The information is right there on the screen where you need it, so that most users will never need to consult the help. But detailed help is also there when you need it.

Activate expert features if you need them
This doesn't mean that Ashampoo FireWall is a lightweight program. On the contrary, it has a full range of expert features if you want to use them – just activate Expert Mode and you're ready to go.

For example, in Expert Mode you can create detailed rules for every program, specifying exactly which ports and which types of connections you want to let it use.

Experienced users can also monitor both local area network connections and the internal connections inside your own computer. You also get detailed information on all your computer's internal, LAN and external connections and communications settings and statistics, updated continuously at user-defined intervals.

Four additional network security tools
In addition to solid firewall protection, Ashampoo FireWall comes with four additional integrated tools that can significantly increase your security:
· AutoStart Manager:Both regular programs and malicious programs often configure themselves to start automatically with Windows. This can be both annoying and dangerous. This tool shows all auto-starting programs and enables you to disable them.
· System Processes Monitor:Shows you all the processes running on your system and enables you to stop them. Useful for identifying and killing malicious programs.
· Internet Cleaner:Wipes all traces of your surfing activity from your computer to protect your privacy.
· IP Spam Blocker:Prevents annoying popup spam on the desktop that is sent using the Windows messaging service (not to be confused with the Windows Messenger instant messaging program).

Here are some key features of "Ashampoo Firewall":

· Heavy-duty firewall protection: Monitors all your computer's network activity and protects you against both incoming and outgoing connections.
· Easy Mode: Get full protection in seconds with Easy Mode and the Configuration Assistant. No expert knowledge required.
· Expert Mode: Experience users can activate this mode for powerful additional capabilities.
· Simple and compact: Self-explanatory user interface. Very small program that uses minimum memory and resources.
· Learning Mode: Automatically identifies programs that try to make connections and lets you decide whether you want to allow them. One-click operation in Easy Mode or full configuration in Expert Mode.
· Rules: Create rules for every program that controls how they can access the network. One-click in Easy Mode or full configuration in Expert Mode.
· Block All: One-click panic button for emergencies that lets you block all traffic, for example if you are under attack or suspect that a malicious program is active.
· Monitor local connections: Ashampoo FireWall can also monitor the local connections used inside your computer. Useful for identifying suspicious activity. Can be enabled or disabled.
· Monitor LAN connections: Monitor all the local LAN traffic into and out of your computer. Can be enabled or disabled.
· Connection log: Detailed logging of all internal, LAN and Internet connections with date, time, application, port used and IP address.


Requirements:

· 128 MB RAM, around 12 MB for the program files.
· Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0 or higher is required.
· Full administrative rights are required to install the program. After it has been installed it can be used with any user account.