The key statement you made was "keep your definitions up to date".
Norton, AVG or anyone else are only as effective as their definitions.
Cy, the Ancient Okie...
-----Original Message-----
From: jfw-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:jfw-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On
Behalf Of Gene Stevens
Sent: Tuesday, July 05, 2005 1:08 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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