[access-uk] Re: Hardware or Software Firewall was SP2 and should you install it

Hi Andrew and all,

May I ask, what is the different, if there's any, between a hardware
firewall and a software firewall? I'm not an expert in this field at all but
I used to think that they both work in the same way and give pretty much the
same level of protection.

Cheers,

Amro
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Andrew Hodgson" <andrew@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Sunday, August 29, 2004 8:59 PM
Subject: [access-uk] Re: SP2 and should you install it


> Hi,
>
> Yes, but it may cause crashes etc.  It depends on how well the firewall
> is written.  I would say that the best practise would be to have a
> hardware firewall on a router and an application firewall.  I really
> don't see what benefits two software sirewalls will give you on the same
> system, and as I have said, I have seen crashes when both are enabled,
> admitedly not with the MS firewall, but the principal is the same.
>
> Andrew.
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx=20
> > [mailto:access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Barry
> > Sent: 29 August 2004 18:35
> > To: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> > Subject: [access-uk] Re: SP2 and should you install it
> >=20
> > Can we run a third party firewall and the SP2 firewall at the=20
> > same time?
> > Barry H
> >=20
> >   ----- Original Message -----=20
> >   From: Colin @ New Vision=20
> >   To: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx=20
> >   Sent: Sunday, August 29, 2004 5:26 PM
> >   Subject: [access-uk] Re: SP2 and should you install it
> >=20
> >=20
> >   Hi John
> >   That's where most of the flaw reports are now coming from,=20
> > as companies test
> >   it with their own bespoke software. We can safely assume=20
> > all the Microsoft
> >   software and the major software vendors have put it through=20
> > extensive tests.
> >   I totally agree with you when you say it has to be better=20
> > for the home PC
> >   user as they tend to use the more standard application software.
> >=20
> >   The point of more concern being users tending to rely on=20
> > SP2 being the fix
> >   to their security problems and ignoring or taking off their existing
> >   firewalls and security measures.
> >=20
> >   I think it has already been mentioned on this list if they=20
> > download SP2 can
> >   they remove their existing firewall.
> >   I think ZoneAlarm was the one mentioned.
> >=20
> >   I would certainly recommend not removing any backup=20
> > security measures until
> >   we can be assured that SP2 is functioning as it should.
> >=20
> >   Regards
> >   Colin
> >=20
> >   ----- Original Message -----=20
> >   From: "John Farley" <john_farley@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> >   To: <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> >   Sent: Sunday, August 29, 2004 4:08 PM
> >   Subject: [access-uk] Re: SP2 and should you install it
> >=20
> >=20
> >   > It is not necessarily the flaw reports that are stopping=20
> > companies from
> >   > installing SP2. It is because they have not yet tested=20
> > and proved it with
> >   > all of their applications, many of which will be bespoke=20
> > and not, by their
> >   > very nature, tested by Microsoft.
> >   >
> >   >
> >   > For the home user, not using any particularly special=20
> > software, there is
> >   no
> >   > real reason not to install SP2. In fact the extra=20
> > security in it probably
> >   > means that the home user should install it as soon as practical.
> >   >
> >   > As usual there are too many scare stories going around=20
> > about the odd
> >   > potential issue where the real fact is that it will=20
> > improve the situation
> >   of
> >   > security.
> >   >
> >   > Please be aware that I am not saying that SP2 will cure=20
> > all ills, just
> >   that
> >   > it will improve the security of the home PC.
> >   > There will, of course, be issues found in it; there will=20
> > be subsequent
> >   > fixes. Install them!
> >   >
> >   >
> >   >
> >   >
> >   >
> >   >
> >   > Regards, John
> >   >
> >   > Contact on : (Home)
> >   > john_farley@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> >   >         or : (work)
> >   > john.farley@xxxxxxxx
> >   >
> >   > -----Original Message-----
> >   > From: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx=20
> > [mailto:access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf
> >   Of
> >   > Colin @ New Vision
> >   > Sent: 29 August 2004 15:49
> >   > To: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> >   > Subject: [access-uk] SP2 and should you install it
> >   >
> >   > The flaw reports are causing companies to hesitate even=20
> > more before
> >   > installing Microsoft's latest step to secure Windows.=20
> > Many companies have
> >   > said they will hold off on the update until it has been=20
> > thoroughly vetted.
> >   > SP2 is designed to add better security to the operating=20
> > system's handling
> >   of
> >   > network data, program memory, browsing activity and=20
> > e-mail messages by
> >   > changing the system's code and configuration. For=20
> > example, a revamped
> >   > firewall is intended to keep attackers out and attempts to prevent
> >   malicious
> >   > applications from connecting to the Internet by requiring=20
> > that the user
> >   give
> >   > specific permission to each application.
> >   >
> >   > The major software update, which took almost a year to=20
> > create, came to
> >   life
> >   > after the MSBlast worm hit the Internet on Aug. 11.=20
> > Almost 26 days before,
> >   > Microsoft had issued a patch for the security hole the=20
> > worm exploited, but
> >   > many people did not install the fix even though there was=20
> > widespread
> >   > expectation that a virus would be created to take=20
> > advantage of the flaw.
> >   >
> >   > Microsoft have never claimed that SP2 would close all the=20
> > security holes.
> >   >
> >   > Microsoft firewall protects only against inbound threats,=20
> > not outbound
> >   > threats, such as keystroke-logging Trojans that report=20
> > your passwords and
> >   > credit card information to others. Also, the lack of=20
> > outbound protection
> >   > means your infected PC could still participate in distributed
> >   > denial-of-service attacks. In short  keep your=20
> > third-party firewall
> >   enabled
> >   > alongside Microsoft's. Two firewalls are better than one.
> >   >
> >   >
> >   > Since we're talking about Microsoft software, it's=20
> > entirely possible that
> >   > virus writers will soon write code that turns off the=20
> > Windows Security
> >   > Centre or at least leads it to falsify its status reports=20
> > (saying, for
> >   > instance, that a security measure is enabled when it's=20
> > really not). So
> >   don't
> >   > just rely on the Security Centre's status messages.=20
> > Periodically check
> >   your
> >   > antivirus and firewall applications independently of the centre.
> >   >
> >   > Bottom line: Microsoft made significant progress toward=20
> > remedying its past
> >   > problems, but it still falls far short of putting=20
> > Microsoft on the leading
> >   > edge in PC security. Install Windows XP SP2 when you get=20
> > the opportunity
> >   but
> >   > don't expect this one update to solve all your Internet=20
> > security issues.
> >   To
> >   > be safe, keep and maintain third-party antivirus and=20
> > firewall programs.
> >   >
> >   > Regards
> >   >
> >   > Colin
> >   >
> >   > ** Going on holiday and want to halt messages? Send a message to:-
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> >   >
> >   > ** Going on holiday and want to halt messages? Send a message to:-
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> >=20
> >=20
> >=20
> >   ** Going on holiday and want to halt messages? Send a message to:-
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> >   ** and in the Subject line type
> >   ** vacation ## d
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> >   ** For other things like digest mode, send a message, to=20
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> > ** Going on holiday and want to halt messages? Send a message to:-
> > ** access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
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> >=20
> ** Going on holiday and want to halt messages? Send a message to:-
> ** access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
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>
** Going on holiday and want to halt messages? Send a message to:-
** access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
** and in the Subject line type
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** where ## is the number of days followed by d for days.
** For other things like digest mode, send a message, to 
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