Re: Is it possible for someone to access my HD even though I am running a firewall?

From: Leythos (void_at_nowhere.lan)
Date: 10/31/05 

Date: Mon, 31 Oct 2005 19:45:28 GMT

In article <n6scm1dtoj3i3k694hfhvv4n331b80vhnj@4ax.com>, Jeff says...
> This is probably just an empty threat from some net.k00k with a grudge
> but I'd appreciate your advice.
>
> Someone on a web forum I visit is claiming that they have accessed my
> hard drive, stolen my personal details and installed files to 'prove
> that they were there'. According to this person, all they needed was
> my IP address to do this.
>
> I am running the latest version of Zonealarm, check for
> viruses/trojans/spyware on a regular basis, have not run any strange
> files or opened any attachments and have done nothing besides allowing
> this person to discover my IP address. As far as I know, my machine is
> clean and as secure as it can be.
>
> Is there any possibility that my security has been compromised? If so,
> what steps can I take to prevent someone doing this again? Thanks.

A "personal" firewall is only as strong as the person that set it up. If
you created exceptions (holes) then you really don't have a lot of
protection. If you browse to a website and then click a link, you could
be running a program without understanding that you are running it - and
it could phone-home to the author of the program and allow them to do
anything they want with your machine.

If you have CABLE/DSL, get a NAT router with logging, this will block
unsolicited inbound connections and the LOG will show you in/out bound
traffic so you can see just what is reaching your computer and what is
going outbound from it.

So, in short, if you don't screw-up your firewall it will protect you,
but many users self-compromise their security all the time by not
understanding what they are doing. 

-- 
spam999free@rrohio.com
remove 999 in order to email me

Relevant Pages

  • [REVS] Bypassing Client Application Protection Techniques
    ... Get your security news from a reliable source. ... protection programs. ... * Kerio Personal Firewall 4.0 ... And we got actually nothing in the field of client application ...
    (Securiteam)
  • Re: A firewall wont stop this one
    ... instead of port filtering with a piece of crap. ... If "some sort of protection" cannot be calculated, ... Firewall" a black-box filtering solution is meant, ... OpenSSH had security flaws, that's right. ...
    (alt.computer.security)
  • Re: Alternative to Norton Internet Security?
    ... Is there an alternative security ... 2.For the average homeuser, the Windows Firewall ... protection like SeconfigXP and practise ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.general)
  • Re: Firefox, AVG, and Infections
    ... I expected total protection, but as I just learned from their tech support that's not necessarily true. ... Their firewall via DSL seems sound. ... First, the tech guy said basically you are on your own, but then clued me into their Security Suite, which I'm now downloading, and will install shortly. ... help you avoid unsafe Web sites. ...
    (microsoft.public.security.virus)
  • Re: Question for the Group
    ... And those who claim security are doing better than VMS. ... vulnerabilities then the firewall provides zero protection. ...
    (comp.os.vms)