These are software products running on a Windows-based Operating System. The primary benefit of a Windows-based firewall is its low cost. It too runs on an inexpensive PC. Additionally, high quality Windows-based firewalls are available in a wide range of prices, making this choice an easier fit to your Budget.

Windows is the most widely known family of Operating Systems. So it is likely that your firewall administrator will know how to use it. This familiarity reduces the Requirements and increases the Value of this platform.

Given security-related bugs identified in Windows Operating Systems and in Microsoft applications, some industry commentators have concluded that the platform is easily hacked and consequently unstable. On closer examination however, this conclusion proves largely unsubstantiated.

In terms of security, there are three main criticisms with Windows:

• Security-related bugs have been found in Windows.
• Security-related bugs have been found in Windows applications.
• Windows is not a stable enough platform for a firewall.

Addressing the issues in order, there is a long history of security-related bugs being found in Windows Operating Systems. Of course the same can be said for Linux, Unix and any other Operating System connected to the Internet. Should this stop you from choosing either one? Not at all. On all platforms, it is the firewall software that envelops the Operating System, inspecting the data packets before passing them along. The firewall protects not only the network, but the platform on which it runs.

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