Re: to PFW or not to PFW

"JIP" <JIP@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message 
news:43df98c6$0$1465$ed2619ec@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Greetings
>
> As a non-techie I am confused. Whilst lurking in this and related groups I 
> see a debate that goes on as to whether there is any point in using PFWs, 
> in particular to monitor outgoing traffic. Some say it's essential (as do 
> most magazines, and of course all companies marketing such products) and 
> others say that they are so easily circumvented that it's a waste of 
> time - and if I understand correctly, some even say that they actually 
> open up further vulnerabilities.
>
> So, what may be a naive question - is there any point in using a PFW to at 
> least stop badly written nasties from kiddy vandals who haven't learned 
> yet how to do it properly?
>
> Byee
>

Depends on a few factors:
1. Operating System and patch level, if you're running XP make sure it's sp2 
and fully patched, turning on AutoUpdate is the easiest way to keep it 
current. Use the built in Windows Firewall. If you're concerned, turn on the 
logging and look at the c:\windows\pfirewall.log.
2. Numbers of users and their level. Do you have kids? Do they logon as a 
user or as an administrator? Users can't install too many programs or modify 
the os too much. Kids tend to click on anything that says "install this to 
play this game" online, keep them as users.
3. Run an antispyware program. Microsoft's AntiSpyWare is free and it works 
very well
4. Run an antivirus application, a good free one is AVG 
http://free.grisoft.com

finally, read the articles below

http://samspade.org/d/persfire.html

http://samspade.org/d/firewalls.html

Wayne McGlinn
Brisbane, Oz 


.

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