Defence in Depth on the Home Front

The home Internet user is a target for intruders. The key question facing home Internet users is how they can securely access the Internet without sacrificing the required level of usability. After all if the security measures are too severe then use of the Internet will be very frustrating and either the Internet will not be accessed or more likely, the security measures will be circumvented or ignored to increase usability. This paper sets out a defence in depth approach to meet the security needs of the Windows-based home Internet user while maintaining usability. The four layers of defence identified and discussed are: network access; the operating system; user applications; and data. The most important layer of the defended area is the user's data, while the most neglected component is the personal firewall that operates at the network access layer.