Your excellent antivirus application prevents nasty files from infecting your computer with all kinds of baddies, but when it comes to securing your computer against malicious attacks, that's not the end of the security story. Unless you're running a solid firewall, your PC is wide open to all kinds of vulnerabilities as soon as you connect it to an internet connection. The hardware router on your home network should take care of most of your firewall needs while you're at home, but when you hit the streets with your laptop, a software solution is a must. So for this week's Hive Five, we want you to tell us all about your favorite software firewall. Keep reading for details and to nominate your preferred firewall. Photo by for3w. Update: For the five most popular tools, check out the Five Best Windows Firewall; then take a look at the most popular tool for the job from that bunch.NOTE: We've covered this territory once before pre-Hive Five, but this is one topic that deserves the full Hive Five treatment. Hive Five nominations take place in the comments, where you post your favorite tool for the job. We get hundreds of comments, so to make your nomination clear, please include it at the top of your comment like so: VOTE: Firewall Application Goes Here. If you don't follow this format, we may not count your vote. To prevent tampering with the results, votes from first-time commenters may not be counted. After you've made your nomination, let us know what makes it stand out from the competition. About the Hive Five: The Hive Five feature series asks readers to answer the most frequently asked question we get-"Which tool is the best?" Once a week we'll put out a call for contenders looking for the best solution to a certain problem, then YOU tell us your favorite tools to get the job done. Every weekend, we'll report back with the top five recommendations and give you a chance to vote on which is best. For an example, check out last week's Hive Five Best Media Converters.
