To Firewall or not to Firewall, that is the Question

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

I have to pour some more naplam on Ron Reaugh's fire(wall). The electronic
newsletter from long-time noted Windows authority Brian Livingston has this to
say about the firewall built into Windows XP SP2:

Emulate the Windows Firewall. Windows XP SP2 ships with Windows Firewall, a
personal firewall program that provides protection against network-based
attacks.

Windows Firewall has one major failing that third-party firewalls do a much
better job of addressing. Because Windows Firewall protects only against
incoming attacks, it cannot help you if you unknowingly install a malicious
software program that attempts to "phone home."

We recommend Zone Labs' ZoneAlarm, which offers a free version. This firewall is
more full-featured than Windows Firewall, and does support two-way (inbound and
outbound) protection. Heck, even SP2 users should grab a copy (and turn off
Windows Firewall as soon as ZoneAlarm is running).

.... Ben Myers

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

The organic entity known as Ben Myers communicated the following:

> I have to pour some more naplam on Ron Reaugh's fire(wall). The
> electronic newsletter from long-time noted Windows authority Brian
> Livingston has this to say about the firewall built into Windows XP
> SP2:
>
> Emulate the Windows Firewall. Windows XP SP2 ships with Windows
> Firewall, a personal firewall program that provides protection against
> network-based attacks.
>
> Windows Firewall has one major failing that third-party firewalls do a
> much better job of addressing. Because Windows Firewall protects only
> against incoming attacks, it cannot help you if you unknowingly
> install a malicious software program that attempts to "phone home."
>
> We recommend Zone Labs' ZoneAlarm, which offers a free version. This
> firewall is more full-featured than Windows Firewall, and does support
> two-way (inbound and outbound) protection. Heck, even SP2 users should
> grab a copy (and turn off Windows Firewall as soon as ZoneAlarm is
> running).

If your computer is behind a router, which I find preferable, a firewall
that blocks only incoming traffic is pretty superfluous. As far as free
firewalls are concerned I prefer either Outpost or Sygate to ZoneAlarm.

Hans

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

<ben_myers_spam_me_not @ charter.net (Ben Myers)> wrote in message
news:41653e7e.2005198@news.charter.net...
>I have to pour some more naplam on Ron Reaugh's fire(wall). The
>electronic
> newsletter from long-time noted Windows authority Brian Livingston has
> this to
> say about the firewall built into Windows XP SP2:
>
> Emulate the Windows Firewall. Windows XP SP2 ships with Windows
> Firewall, a
> personal firewall program that provides protection against
> network-based
> attacks.
>
> Windows Firewall has one major failing that third-party firewalls do a
> much
> better job of addressing. Because Windows Firewall protects only
> against
> incoming attacks, it cannot help you if you unknowingly install a
> malicious
> software program that attempts to "phone home."
>
> We recommend Zone Labs' ZoneAlarm, which offers a free version. This
> firewall is
> more full-featured than Windows Firewall, and does support two-way
> (inbound and
> outbound) protection. Heck, even SP2 users should grab a copy (and
> turn off
> Windows Firewall as soon as ZoneAlarm is running).
>
> ... Ben Myers

Further to what Ben says, the Windows Firewall is being critcised for
not actually blocking incoming in all cases. ZA must be much improved
from when I stopped using or recommending it several years ago; Kerio,
Sygate are also good.

Q

 

[jonr]

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

"Quaoar" <quaoar@tenthplanet.net> wrote in news:3PudnZ3py42ht_vcRVn-
uw@comcast.com:

>
> Further to what Ben says, the Windows Firewall is being critcised for
> not actually blocking incoming in all cases. ZA must be much improved
> from when I stopped using or recommending it several years ago; Kerio,
> Sygate are also good.
>
> Q
>

I went to the PC Flank site and ran all it's programs and my MS firewall
did as well as the ippackets firewall I have setup on my Linux box for
incomming. So what, facts have you seen about the faults of the MS
firewall on incomming?

Jon