Re: Alternatives to using a Personal Firewall
- From: B. Nice <b__nice@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 29 Jun 2006 06:25:54 GMT
On Wed, 28 Jun 2006 19:26:47 -0700, zzy <anon@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
The point I keep getting stuck at is the part about "disabling
unnecessary services". On my machine right now, there are 109 services
listed, of which 61 are running. In the past I've tried disabling
various ones, and often discovered some time later that some application
or other has stopped working properly. I never get an error message that
the reason is due to a stopped service, so end up burning a lot of time
discovering that, then figuring out which one(s) I have to restart. I
see that I could easily spend a very great deal of time doing this
"disabling unnecessary services" bit which the experts toss off as a
trivial matter.
I get Your point. My idea was definately not to go through _all_ the
services running, unless You are very sensitive to Your CPU usage. For
a novice that will undoubtly lead to trouble with applications that
suddenly won't work. Don't do that!
You just need to disable those services that are in a network
listening state and that You don't need. I would like to be able to
post links to good step-by-step guides but haven't done much googling
for english ones. I have some very good guides that even a novice can
use to harden his/her machine in less than half an hour. But
unfortunately they are in my native language.
My main machine is behind a hardware router and is on all day every day.
So far, nothing malicious has gotten in. So I'm satisfied with the
security the router provides. Like some other folks who've commented
here, I like to know what's "phoning home" and often prohibit it --
Windows Media Player, Windows Genuine Advantage Notification (every time
I boot), PGP Tray, Real Player, and on and on. Windows (the MS DTC
Console) even tries to call home every time I compile a VB program. This
is maybe not a security issue, but neither is closing my window shades
at night when everybody walking by can look in -- and I do that, too. A
number of desktop firewalls give me the ability to stop at least some of
this "phoning home".
For me that does'nt make sense. If I don't trust the program vendor to
be serious about my privacy I will not allow it on my machine.
As PFW's are concerned, I personally would'nt install a big chunk of
code just to be able to control "home phoning".
However, if it makes sense to You, that's fine. We are all different.
As long as people don't put it into a security context claiming that
they will prevent malware from doing nasty stuff it's fine with me.
When malware is already run, damage is done. No matter what people
claim. The hard but real trick is to prevent it in the first place.
My main concern is my laptop machine, which I take when I travel. It has
ample opportunity to pick up malware from the various wired and wireless
networks I connect to when on the road. Without the benefit of a
hardware router, it needs some kind of protection.
If running TCP/IP on Your LAN, yes. In those cases I would recommend a
simple packet filter like the windows firewall or as an alternative
for non-XP's like W2K the CHX-I packet filter with "workstation" setup
or, if You are a little techy, You could even configure the build-in
IP filter.
The reason I recommend those is, that they do what they are supposed
to without asking silly questions.
Like my other machines, I keep it backed up. But it would be a genuine nuisance if it
picked up some malware then distributed it to the other machines on my
home LAN when I brought it back and hooked it in. So a layer of
protection beyond the router for all the machines on my LAN seems
prudent. My laptop, like my home machine, isn't just an
email-and-surfing toy, but one with a large number of applications and
the need to be able to ftp files to and from my web site, download
software and patches, and the like.
Very good point. If You have it connected to Your LAN at home and
ocassionally takes it outside there are special issue not covered by
my guide. My guide, as posted, was targeted primarily at stand-alone
machines with an internet-connection - which unfortunately was'nt too
obvious. I am currently working on putting up a web-site with ground
rules (or traffic rules) that even a novice should be able to follow.
I am struggliing to make it very precise. But since english is'nt my
native language it takes some time.
So, is there any methodical way to close ports and disable unneeded
services other than try this and that and see what it breaks, and
"Search the net and seek help in relevant forums"?
Yes. I will see if I can google You some good ones.
When faced with the task of doing that for 61 running services and another bunch of
automatic ones which can be started without my explicitly starting them,
I'd just about as soon take my chances with a personal firewall.
Very understandable.
.
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