Re: Zone Alarm (free addition) and Netscape dialup accelerater.


On 31-Aug-2006, "Jason Edwards" <none@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Obviously not the same writer as the article I found.
What is the date of this issue? September 2006?

Yes, Sept. '06. There are several 'sections' to the whole 'article', and
this was/is in the second main section.

Why would a user be expected to enable existing protection?
Why wasn't it enabled for them?

I think most new computers nowadays do have it turned on by default,
unless they come with some other 'security' software (McAfee, Norton,
whatever), which would / should be on instead. They (CR) seemed to be
trying to make sure people were aware of it in the first place.

I'd like to know how a computer with blocked outgoing communications
could do
very much on a network. Requesting a web page might be difficult, not to
mention
an IP address if it's using DHCP.

Ok so maybe I should assume that they meant it only blocks selected
outgoing
communications based on rules set up by the user.
How would the average Windows user know how to correctly set up the
rules

Google? Help files within the program? Yes, I know 'most' or 'average'
users won't, but the answers aren't usually too hard to find, all the
software can do is make it as easily available as possible, without
shoving it in the face of a more advanced user.

and
what would stop malware changing the rules? What would stop malware
making other
changes to the firewall or disabling it completely while making it look
to the
user like it's still working?

I think checksums and maybe 'other' methods, hey, I am not the
programmers, I do not know _all_ the inner workings.
The obvious (to us) is to be careful and knowledgeable while surfing,
checking emails, etc., I'm sure the programmers do all they can, but it
does indeed come down to the users behaviour online. No matter if they
put brakes on a car, if you fall asleep at the wheel and don't hit them,
you will hit that wall in front of you - same for surfing online even with
a firewall, it is (supposed to be) subservient to the user, if they don't
'use' it correctly it really isn't the softwares 'fault'.

What would stop malware using
communication
channels which are not blocked by the firewall?

Program permissions?

Why is the average personal
firewall user not aware of these issues?

Lack of specific education about it?
Whether it is the software coporation(s) that does not shout about any
possible deficiencies (is there any corp. that does?), or just the user
not paying attention to what _is_ reported in the media.

Why are groups like microsoft.public.security.* full of people who, in
many
cases, seem to already have personal firewall software but are still in
a dazed
and confused state about why their computer seems to be possessed?

There are indeed people that should not use computers, but until there is
some kind of test (like a drivers test for your drivers license) before
you are allowed to buy one, any schmuck/bozo/moron/whatever with an IQ
under 80, but with the money, can go buy whatever they want. Or, even if
they are almost a genius, but know nothing about computers, just that they
want one because everyone else has one.

And all we can do is to try to help if / when we can.

Jason

--
Never raise your hand against a child.
It leaves your groin unprotected.
.

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