I should have qualified my statement with the fact that I use a 2-Wire home
portal from SBC and that it does have a hardware firewall included.
Gene
On MSN and Yahoo: guystevens@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
I agree with most of this; sounds fine for the most part. However, unless DSL modems are inherently different than cable modems, I would say that most of them *do not* include a hardware firewall. You can pay more, and buy your own which does, but the ones handed out by our cable companies and our local DSL companies don't have any frills like a hardware firewall.
If there's any question about this, the original poster could just ask the installer.
Chip Orange Database Administrator Florida Public Service Commission
Chip.Orange@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (850) 413-6314
(Any opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the Florida Public Service Commission.)
-------Original Message----- From: jfw-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:jfw-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Gene Stevens Sent: Tuesday, July 05, 2005 2:08 PM To: jfw@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: Re: DSL question
Most of the DSL modems come with firewall software included. Now I know I'll hear some flack about this one... but here goes any way. Switch over to the Norton Internet Security package. It has most of the software protection you will need. It's firewall runs well with the hardware firewall used by most of the modems. Then install the Microsoft Anti-Spy software. It's a little cumbersome to run, but it's always active function is quite handy. Combine this with something like Ad Aware and you have pretty much covered all the bases. Just remember to do your scans regularly and keep your definitions up to date and you should be fine.
Gene
On MSN and Yahoo: guystevens@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
----- Original Message ----- From: "Chip Orange" <Corange@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <jfw@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Tuesday, July 05, 2005 2:00 PM
Subject: RE: DSL question
>I think you're best thing would be to find the manuals or
the help files
> for the software you do have and read them from start to finish.
>
> Then, if you still have time, go google for a web site article that
> talks about security for home computers.
>
> You have perhaps 3 basic worries:
>
> 1. viruses, which you're familiar with. You can't catch a
virus unless
> you execute a program that someone gives you in some way,
and if you've
> got antivirus software with regular updates to its files of
viruses, it
> should stop it from executing.
>
> 2. spyware. This is much like a virus; you can't catch it
unless you
> execute a program someone gives you. Unlike a virus, it doesn't
> necessarily try to do damage to your pc; it tries to extract some
> information from your pc, and send it back to the creator. This is
> where a software firewall can help, but not a hardware firewall.
>
> What the spyware does is attempt to open a connection over
the internet
> to deliver its information. A software firewall on your pc
can block
> this, and ask you if it's ok to let program XXX connect to
the internet.
> This is where it gets complicated, because even for
knowledgeable folks,
> it's hard to know how to answer. Your best course is to
always answer
> "no", but don't check the checkbox that says "never ask me again".
> That's because you'll eventually learn that you sometimes
need to answer
> "yes". For instance, when the windows automatic update
program needs to
> check for updates, you need to let it do so. You'll
eventually learn
> what program it is, and when it runs, and you'll eventually
say "yes"
> and "don't ask me again".
>
> This kind of constant questioning is bothersome, and frustrating,
> because you often don't know how to answer. You could go out on the
> internet and research each program name each time it asks you.
>
> By doing this, you could possibly prevent some spyware from
getting your
> info on to the internet. I admit, it could be a lot of
effort, for a
> rather small bit of extra security, especially if you run
anti-spyware
> software checks every day.
>
> 3. You have to worry slightly about people from the outside making
> their way on to your pc; either to steal information, or just to do
> malicious harm, or to "hijack" your pc as part of some
larger internet
> hacking project. This is where either a hardware or a
software firewall
> will help prevent them from making contact with your pc.
Even the free
> XP SP2 firewall is good for this kind of protection.
>
> Go out and find some web tutorials that cover all this
better. At home
> I have both a hardware and software firewall, I have both
anti-virus and
> anti-spyware software running constantly, and I have made changes to
> some default xp settings to make my pc more secure.
>
> In order to do some things that I want (such as use a BitTorrent
> client), I've had to make security compromises; so, I make
backups of my
> system, and rotate them, so if I had to I could fall back
to a backup if
> I got hurt by something. If I had my credit card number
stolen by some
> spyware I'd be in trouble, so I'm going to start using
special one-use
> only credit card numbers offered by my credit card company.
>
> I have a wireless router, so I have to do special security
for that as
> well. It's a never-ending battle, and you can't just ask
someone for a
> quick bit of info to make it all safe; I'm afraid you have
to spend some
> time educating yourself.
>
> hth,
>
> Chip
>
>
>
>
> Chip Orange
> Database Administrator
> Florida Public Service Commission
>
> Chip.Orange@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> (850) 413-6314
>
> (Any opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not
> necessarily reflect those of the Florida Public Service Commission.)
>
>
>
>
>
> ________________________________
>
> From: jfw-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:jfw-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]
> On Behalf Of Judith Bron
> Sent: Tuesday, July 05, 2005 11:44 AM
> To: jfw@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: Re: DSL question
>
>
> Chip, I have Norton corporate edition and software spyware. Is
> that enough or should I download a software firewall when I get DSL?
> Are there instructions that would help me operate this
software so that
> I don't disable any of the things I already have running? Thanks,
> Judith
>
> ----- Original Message ----- > From: Chip Orange <mailto:Corange@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> To: jfw@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Sent: Tuesday, July 05, 2005 11:36 AM
> Subject: RE: DSL question
>
> It's not an either or type of decision; they do
> different jobs for the most part.
>
> A hardware firewall usually takes no effort to setup,
> but does the least to protect your pc. A software firewall
catches many
> more potential problems than a hardware firewall, but takes a lot of
> effort to setup and understand. It's theoretically
possible it could be
> disabled, but I've never seen a report of it actually happening to
> anyone.
>
> The free firewall that comes with XP SP2 is kind of
> strange in that it is a software firewall that acts like a hardware
> firewall (that is, rather poorly, but is little trouble to operate).
> The *real* software firewalls really can be a *lot* of trouble to
> operate and understand; it's very easy to set them up incorrectly so
> that they allow spyware to communicate, or you stop your
valid software
> from performing some automatic function such as self-updating.
>
> MS should have put more effort into solving this issue,
> and I guess they are with their beta version of their
anti-spyware tool.
> This will eventually catch spyware without making folks
deal with the
> complexities of a software firewall.
>
>
>
>
> Chip Orange
> Database Administrator
> Florida Public Service Commission
>
> Chip.Orange@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> (850) 413-6314
>
> (Any opinions expressed are solely those of the author
> and do not necessarily reflect those of the Florida Public Service
> Commission.)
>
>
>
>
>
> ________________________________
>
> From: jfw-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> [mailto:jfw-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of chevelle
> Sent: Friday, July 01, 2005 10:24 PM
> To: jfw@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: Re: DSL question
>
>
> Hi, I would say if you are going to dsl or
> cable, it is definitely a good idea to have a firewall. YOu
can still
> with the Norton firewall that you have or go with a
hardware firewall
> built into a router. I would suggest going with a hardware
firewall. For
> one thing today's spyware, and other bad programs are able and do
> disable a software firewall. They can't disable a hardware firewall.
> People will probably say you should have both, but it is up
to you. I am
> only using a hardware firewall. Also since I've gone to a hardware
> firewall I don't have as many hastles as I used to.
>
> ----- Original Message ----- > From: Judith Bron
> <mailto:jbron@xxxxxxxxxxx>
> To: jfw@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Sent: Friday, July 01, 2005 3:00 PM
> Subject: DSL question
>
> Hi Friends,
> We are looking into getting DSL. Here
> are my questions:
> 1. How do I notify everyone in muy
> address book that my email address has changed?
> 2. Do I need a firewall or any other
> software with DSL? I have Norton corporate edition,
windows 98 and Jaws
> 5.1. Thanks, Judith
>
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