Odds are that your machine is open wide. Some piece of software you have installed in your computer may be sending private and confidential data to some place in the World without your knowledge.

AWFT probes the protection provided by your Personal Firewall software using six different tests. Each test uses a different technique for gaining access to the outside World.

Techniques are differently rated, according to their sophistication, and your Personal Firewall is doing a great job if is able to score 10 points in total.

If your Personal Firewall scored less than 10 points you may be able to adjust some settings to improve its performance. Do it and repeat the AWFT tests until you are happy. If you remain unhappy with your Personal Firewall you may, of course, try a different one.

Please note that you can only test five times before you will have to register the software. Download available at the Atelierweb homepage.

Update: Atelier Web Firewall Tester is no longer a free product. The download is no longer available. The latest version is available as a trial version only, the program retails for $19.95. the trial version is limited to ten runs before it cannot be used anymore unless purchased.

Here are a few alternatives that you may try instead. All of the following solutions are free.

• CPL Test Suite
• Firewall Leakage Test

Just download the programs or run the services directly from the web browser to start the firewall test.