If you’re not the only computer on your network and use a router to connect to the Internet, chances are your router has a built in firewall. This helps protect you, in addition to the firewall already included on Vista. It’s been upgraded and tweaked over the firewall which was offered in XP and has been proven to be more than adequate at protecting its users, when it is turned on. If you’re not behind a router and you’re looking for some extra protection while browsing the web, there are a few programs you can download which are Vista compatible and offer decent protection.

1. PC Tools Firewall Plus – This program is a free firewall which has no included support, but has been reported to work with Vista quite well. If you’re looking for additional protection for a good price (who can beat free?), then PC Tools might have the product for you. Since it’s not bundled with anything else, you won’t have to uninstall any features you don’t want. Just remember, if you run into problems, you’ll have to troubleshoot them yourself.

2. AVG Firewall Plus – This product is bundled with a purchase of AVG Anti-Virus plus. You can’t get it alone, so it isn’t free, but in addition to AVGs excellent Antivirus protection, you can’t go wrong. Since this is a paid product, you’ll receive all the support you need for a period of one year from the purchase date. If you’re unsure about the features and want to try before you buy, AVG also offers a demo of its services.

As you can see, there’s not much extra protection currently available for Vista users, but hang in there and you should be fine with the above options.