Re: Avast or Zone Alarm using proxy server?

From: Julian (julian_at_address.invalid)
Date: 02/17/05 

Date: Thu, 17 Feb 2005 14:07:41 +0000

Gerald Vogt wrote:

> Summary: if you intentionally want to use a service you have to consider
> about the security of this service because you want it. If you run a
> internet server it is your own problem and you should know what you do.
> But generally, for a simple e-mail&browsing computer that you were
> refering to you don't need these services and you can shut them down or
> configure them in a way that they do not accept connections from the
> internet.
>
> Never just install some PFW software and think this software will make
> everything secure, whatever it will be what you are doing.
>
> Gerald

I agree with you in theory, especialy with regard to the problems caused
by PFW applications, but that's because I'm a fairly techno-savvy guy
who doesn't use IE or OE and never visits dodgy websites.

However, I have a fair bit of experience of dealing with the problems of
ordinary users. The trouble is, they are so ignorant of the risks they
face they don't even know that they *should* think about the security
risks of what they are doing, never mind have the *ability* to think
about it if someone told them to.

It's easy to fall into the trap of thinking that what works for us will
work for other people. It won't, because they don't think like we do. I
hate PFWs, and think that a lot of what they do, they do because the
marketing department wants to create an application that looks clever
and technical and constantly reminds the customer that it's doing the
job they paid for. The Windows firewall just gets on with the job,
quietly. (And my SMC router does the same job just as well, with the
added advantage that no bit of rogue software can quietly disable it
when I'm not looking.)

But PFWs *do* help to protect ignorant users from themselves, and it's
easier to get across the message "use a PFW" than it is to educate
people to the level where they can avoid the risks by knowing what they
are doing.

The PC is an appliance for most people now, like the video, and they
don't want to know any more about it than what buttons to push to get it
to do what they want to do. 

-- 
Julian Moss
Tech-Pro Limited
http://www.tech-pro.net

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Avast or Zone Alarm using proxy server?
    ... Gerald Vogt wrote: ... > about the security of this service because you want it. ... > internet server it is your own problem and you should know what you do. ... > Never just install some PFW software and think this software will make ...
    (comp.security.firewalls)
  • Re: Avast or Zone Alarm using proxy server?
    ... Gerald Vogt wrote: ... > about the security of this service because you want it. ... > internet server it is your own problem and you should know what you do. ... > Never just install some PFW software and think this software will make ...
    (comp.security.misc)
  • Re: The Coalition against Personal Firewalls
    ... too familiar with the language of the "bad guys". ... And furhermore it *does* give You a false sense of security. ... PFW may lower some but will also add to it. ... botnets and want people to drop their firewalls to make your life easier. ...
    (comp.security.firewalls)
  • Re: whats the point of windows firewall?
    ... "Trying to control the behaviour of malware already ... That's true for any PFW. ... In a default installation with the user running as admin, ... problems for the user and false sense of security) to a system to ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.security_admin)
  • Re: Vista Firewall
    ... You are an proponent of PFW and I am ... Jesper and Steve can be easily approached via e-mail. ... to Steve Gibson as any sort of security "expert" is, at best, a sick joke. ... out to rescue the poor, defenseless computer user, all the while ...
    (microsoft.public.windows.vista.security)