Re: Is additional firewall necessary?

Sebastian Gottschalk wrote:
freesailor wrote:

Juergen Nieveler wrote:
Super Lemon <fruit@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Xp fw only protects you from incoming packets.

Just like any other software packet filter running on the same machine.

If the malware is active on your machine, it can deactivate any
"Desktop Firewall".

Sorry, all this "outgoing traffic checking with desktop firewalls is
useless or detrimental" is *plain bull****.

Yes, a *well written* malware already installed on the PC *COULD*

deactivate any desktop firewall, but by not using such a firewall you
open the door even to *simpler malware written by kids* ...

Now you're really showing what's really plain bull***.

ROTFL!


The "strange" thing is that nobody goes around blabbing about
"antivirus software is useless"! :-D

Oh, I do.

Well, I've guessed it ... ;-)


Admitting that a well-written malicious application could circumvent
security software is no excuse for taking any care at all

And you're twisting "taking care" with "installing pseudo-security stuff".

LOL!
Just the second usual "false sense of security" bull*** I was talking
about! :-D


Moreover, using a (real) desktop firewall allows you to be alerted when
not-malware applications try to connect with outside, letting you the
option to deny this (you can think at many circumstances for it, some
legitimate, some much less but ...).

I fail to see any. Please enlighten my.

For example, stopping any program that insists "calling home" just at
the first run, sometimes even before you have the chance to uncheck the
"connect for updates" option (if there is any ...).
It's a basic privacy safeguard, quite surprised to have to mention it
here ...


My advice: turn off the much-limited Windows XP SP2 firewall and
install a good desktop firewall.

Such a thing doesn't exist.

ROTFL!


ZoneAlarm is quite easy to configure and use and in recent releases I
haven't found any incompatibility with any other software nor any
detectable loss in performances.

Except that it fucks up the system?

Maybe other desktop firewalls, like Kerio or Sygate, could be as much
as good or even better.

In fucking up the system? Indeed!

So, you are spreading your "truth" just on the base of your previous
personal bad experiences (and not with security issues but with system
issues!)?
Well, I'm sorry for you, but this is hardly a "good security policy" to
share here ...

I had to repeat it: I use ZoneAlarm since version 3.x (it was many
years ago). Only time I had some trouble was with a very old version
that had problems with Norton Antivirus (this is just one of the
reasons why I gave up with Norton and choose a less intrusive
antivirus, living happy since then ...).

By the way, speaking about "security policies", could you explain in
detail to us your beliefs about antivirus software?
That way, maybe we all could learn something new and interesting.
Maybe ... ;-)

freesailor

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