[access-uk] Re: SP2 and should you install it

  • From: "Barry" <bbinc@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Mon, 30 Aug 2004 06:30:36 +0100

Is there a way of stopping the *Your machine is not protected...* bubble that 
comes up after start up when the windows firewall is disabled?
Barry H

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Andrew Hodgson 
  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
  >   >
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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
  >   ** access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the Subject:- faq
  > ** 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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  >=20
  ** 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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** Going on holiday and want to halt messages? Send a message to:-
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** and in the Subject line type
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** where ## is the number of days followed by d for days.
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