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personal firewall

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  • J JimmyRopes

    Ryan saod; "newer trojans can get round personal firewalls, using IE automation and other nasty tricks" I agree, but who that takes security seriously would use IE in the first place? I'm on-line therefore I am. JimmyRopes

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    B Offline
    Bruce Duncan
    wrote on last edited by
    #8

    When I last reinstalled Windows, instead of letting the firewall (Kerio 2.1.5) prompt me each time something wanted to connect out, I just blocked everything and enabled things as I needed them. I still haven't unblocked IE.

    "Time sneaks up on you like a windshield on a bug."
    - John Lithgow

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    • K Kim0618

      Hi, Is the built-in window xp firewall sufficient enough to stop the personal pc from hackers' activities ? If not, any personal firewall products recommended ? Thanks

      realJSOPR Offline
      realJSOPR Offline
      realJSOP
      wrote on last edited by
      #9

      I use a hardware firewall. MS's history regarding security doesn't give me a warm-n-fuzzy about their security software. In fact, I would recommend setting up a computer with a Linux-based firewall configuration installed. It might cost a bit more at the outset (for the hardware), but it can be easily updated to address new security threats. ------- sig starts "I've heard some drivers saying, 'We're going too fast here...'. If you're not here to race, go the hell home - don't come here and grumble about going too fast. Why don't you tie a kerosene rag around your ankles so the ants won't climb up and eat your candy ass..." - Dale Earnhardt "...the staggering layers of obscenity in your statement make it a work of art on so many levels." - Jason Jystad, 10/26/2001 -- modified at 11:46 Monday 13th February, 2006

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      • K Kim0618

        Thanks But dont quite understand. Since the reference you provided sells personal firewall products, why they provide a test that prove the window xp build-in firewall being good enough ? (then no one will buy their products)

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        I Offline
        Igor Vigdorchik
        wrote on last edited by
        #10

        They just provide it to test your pc, period. Windows firewall has some limitations but it does its job quite well. Their firewall is supposed to be better but it's not free. You just use their software to verify one way or the other and decide what solution will work better for you. I am using build-in firewall for about 4 months and never had any problems.

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        • K Kim0618

          Hi, Is the built-in window xp firewall sufficient enough to stop the personal pc from hackers' activities ? If not, any personal firewall products recommended ? Thanks

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          D Offline
          Douglas Troy
          wrote on last edited by
          #11

          I use Zone Alarm Internet Security Suite[^] and have only had one problem with it (an issue with VS2005 when it was first released, and Zone Labs had it patched that month). I find it to be an excellent product, that's very reliable, and always scores the highest "rating" when testing via Shields Up[^]. This product allows you complete control over what programs/processes have access to your "Trusted Zone" (Local network) and the Internet. You can control if they have access to act as a server in either zone as well. Good-luck with your decision.


          :..::. Douglas H. Troy ::..
          Bad Astronomy |Development Blogging|Viksoe.dk's Site

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          • B Bruce Duncan

            When I last reinstalled Windows, instead of letting the firewall (Kerio 2.1.5) prompt me each time something wanted to connect out, I just blocked everything and enabled things as I needed them. I still haven't unblocked IE.

            "Time sneaks up on you like a windshield on a bug."
            - John Lithgow

            J Offline
            J Offline
            JimmyRopes
            wrote on last edited by
            #12

            Bruce said; "I still haven't unblocked IE" Good thinking! :~ I'm on-line therefore I am. JimmyRopes

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            • R Ryan Roberts

              JimmyRopes wrote:

              In my opinion1, it is essential to filter outbound traffic also so that your machine cannot unknowingly be used for nefarious purposes

              That would be good, but loads of the newer trojans can get round personal firewalls, using IE automation and other nasty tricks. Good enough to stop realplayer, but not a serious trojan. Ryan

              O fools, awake! The rites you sacred hold Are but a cheat contrived by men of old, Who lusted after wealth and gained their lust And died in baseness—and their law is dust. al-Ma'arri (973-1057)

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              P Offline
              Perry2
              wrote on last edited by
              #13

              > That would be good, but loads of the newer trojans can get round personal firewalls, I'd think that would be true for only poorly written firewalls. Any decent firewall should refuse passage to processes running as the normal (limited) user, at least without querying interactively the logged in user. Of course, if the user is silly enough to be running as Administrator, then they're opening themselves up to trojans anyway, right?

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              • K Kim0618

                Hi, Is the built-in window xp firewall sufficient enough to stop the personal pc from hackers' activities ? If not, any personal firewall products recommended ? Thanks

                5 Offline
                5 Offline
                5of0
                wrote on last edited by
                #14

                Not sure about XP's firewall, but I crave the control and detail that ZoneAlarm gives me. It shows logs of everything it's blocked and let through, and lets you easily control what's blocked and not.

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                • P Perry2

                  > That would be good, but loads of the newer trojans can get round personal firewalls, I'd think that would be true for only poorly written firewalls. Any decent firewall should refuse passage to processes running as the normal (limited) user, at least without querying interactively the logged in user. Of course, if the user is silly enough to be running as Administrator, then they're opening themselves up to trojans anyway, right?

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                  P Offline
                  Perry2
                  wrote on last edited by
                  #15

                  Hm, on second thought I don't think my reasoning is very good. Anything the user deliberately installed was probably installed by logging in as Administrator, which would give the software the power to subvert firewalls. :(

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                  • realJSOPR realJSOP

                    I use a hardware firewall. MS's history regarding security doesn't give me a warm-n-fuzzy about their security software. In fact, I would recommend setting up a computer with a Linux-based firewall configuration installed. It might cost a bit more at the outset (for the hardware), but it can be easily updated to address new security threats. ------- sig starts "I've heard some drivers saying, 'We're going too fast here...'. If you're not here to race, go the hell home - don't come here and grumble about going too fast. Why don't you tie a kerosene rag around your ankles so the ants won't climb up and eat your candy ass..." - Dale Earnhardt "...the staggering layers of obscenity in your statement make it a work of art on so many levels." - Jason Jystad, 10/26/2001 -- modified at 11:46 Monday 13th February, 2006

                    J Offline
                    J Offline
                    JimmyRopes
                    wrote on last edited by
                    #16

                    John said; " I would recommend setting up a computer with a Linux-based firewall configuration installed." I strongly agree. Long live ipcahins! The only drawback is that you have to be an administrator to set up the firewall. This is countercultural for the casual windows user. Are you trying to say that it is not a toaster I am using? Next you will probably try to tell me that my telephone is not a telephone! I'm on-line therefore I am. JimmyRopes

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                    • K Kim0618

                      Hi, Is the built-in window xp firewall sufficient enough to stop the personal pc from hackers' activities ? If not, any personal firewall products recommended ? Thanks

                      T Offline
                      T Offline
                      TheRealEye
                      wrote on last edited by
                      #17

                      Hi, Really, there is no firewall that is 100% sufficient enought to stop the personal pc from hackers' activities. XP firewall is the worst in the scene. This is not a conjecture. During my research in traffic content filtering I happened to read an article (http://www.vigilantminds.com/files/defeating\_windows\_personal\_firewalls.pdf) Look at the result of so called top 6 commercial firewalls urself. I haven't tried Tiny Desktop Personal Firewall myself. I used ZoneAlarm Pro but price I had to pay was relatively slower traffic (needs some tweaks). But these guys have done a greate NDIS hook driver development (dynamic instead of boot loading). TrueVector is truly a great system. (Still XP firewall was able to defeat some DoS attacks I tested); .::Dhilung::.

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