Is a software firewall necessary nowadays ?
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- Re: Is a software firewall necessary nowadays ?
Is a software firewall necessary nowadays ?
07-11-2010 12:48 PM
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They also have ZoneAlarm. Unfortunately, although I have documented and coached them about the 'Allow/Deny' and 'Remember this setting' for ZoneAlarm, they see it as an annoyance and just click on 'Allow' every time an alert appears. Of course this means that they get an alert each time that program wants to access the internet which adds to their annoyance.
With todays routers and Windows Firewall is it necessary for them to still have a software firewall ? (especially as they are not using it correctly).
Any opinions would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks, Peter
Re: Is a software firewall necessary nowadays ?
07-11-2010 1:05 PM
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Dont think that the M$S firewall below Win 7 actually do anything with outgoing information, and how often do there Info bases get updated
Re: Is a software firewall necessary nowadays ?
07-11-2010 2:08 PM
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Yes, you do need a software firewall and if push comes to shove then the Windows firewall is better than nothing.
In the case of my friend I took all the free security software off the machine and installed Kaspersky. Blessed silence! She has not complained once and the computer is secure. This is one situation where I would say that paid for security is good as it is all in one and gets on with the job with no hassle for the user. There are plenty of good 3 license offers for Kaspersky - get them to share and it won't sting the pocket so much.
Re: Is a software firewall necessary nowadays ?
07-11-2010 3:12 PM
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I have tried free firewall and antivirus software on several occasions. After a short period of usage, I have always returned to using Norton Internet Security. NIS is available for about £20 for a 3 user 1 year licence - a small price to pay for good security.
From a 'silver surfer'
Re: Is a software firewall necessary nowadays ?
07-11-2010 3:35 PM
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Looks like general consensus is to keep a s/w firewall.
Will do some research into suggestions.
Peter
Re: Is a software firewall necessary nowadays ?
07-11-2010 3:41 PM
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open "Program Control" (left side menu)
Click on Programs......
You will now be presented with all the programs that "could" need access to the web,
all you need to do is to see which ones have a tick, and which ones don`t....
left click on the program you want to change in the ACCESS column, and you will be presented with three choices.... Allow....... Block..... or ... Ask....
once you have set these, then there will be less incidences of the "pop - up" window appearing, and you can advise your "pupils" that if they are not sure, to just give you a quick call,....
Re: Is a software firewall necessary nowadays ?
08-11-2010 12:06 AM
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I fix peoples computers for a living so I get to see a lot of different ones. These days very few people indeed still run ZoneAlarm. Many people have other security software with a built-in firewall (e.g. Norton Internet Security) but I don't find that these people are less prone to trouble than those using a pure antivirus program and the Windows firewall.
Re: Is a software firewall necessary nowadays ?
08-11-2010 6:40 AM
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Re: Is a software firewall necessary nowadays ?
08-11-2010 9:07 AM
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Quote from: pierre_pierre and it your customers who run the botnets ...
Absolutely not (and that is rather libellous, don't you think)? Nobody who becomes a customer of mine goes away without a full suite of all the necessary security software (unless they refuse). I also do my best to make sure that all those non-Windows applications like Java, Flash Player etc. are up-to-date to minimise the risk of infiltration though security holes in older versions.
I used to install ZoneAlarm as a necessary part of the security software on computers running Windows 98 & ME and I saw how my clients struggled with it. The point I have to make time and time again is that ZoneAlarm adds no value unless you have the time and computer skills to find the correct answers to the cryptic questions posed by its outbound firewall. A botnet running on your computer isn't going to identify itself as such. You'll get a message like "FriendlyApp.exe wants to access the internet" and then it's down to the computer user to discover if "FriendlyApp.exe" is the friendly app. it purports to be.
Re: Is a software firewall necessary nowadays ?
08-11-2010 9:20 AM
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For a while I added the firewall control software that made it fully two-way because for me it was too complicated to configure.
These days I am more cautious due to the increasing sophistication of cyber criminals.
I agree with comments about paid-for software being a small price to pay for security and peace of mind, particularly if (like me) you conduct a fair amount of financial transactions online.
Without being 'ageist' (and I include myself in this category), most older people find it easier to have an all-in-one solution to security which 'just works' and does not intrude or present complex problems. That is why I much prefer the simplicity of the internet security suite - one programme and that's it. With Kaspersky I hardly know it's there.
Added to this, if necessary there is help available via the telephone or dedicated forums when purchasing paid-for security.
Re: Is a software firewall necessary nowadays ?
08-11-2010 3:30 PM
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Windows XP software is good for defending against an external attack but its useless at stopping outbound connections from rogue software which in this day and age is still just as dangerous.
I still firmly recommend a software firewall which stops outbound connections. ZA is the best I've used and certainly the easiest to setup and use but it still has its niggles. One being its ability to question the user who hasn't initiated the program (IE the one who is disconnected from their session instead of the one who started the program and has an active session).
Re: Is a software firewall necessary nowadays ?
10-11-2010 11:45 PM
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Most people are behind routers etc. and provided they dont go looking for trouble (dodgy porn sites and such) you tend to be alright regardless what security packages you prefer.
Personally i use NOD32 Business + windows Firewall, i DID use NOD32 Smart Security for a while, but the SS slows the machine down, the AV is barely noticable (except in Garrys Mod)
Re: Is a software firewall necessary nowadays ?
12-11-2010 3:25 PM
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The problem with outbound connections is that they are just that - CONNECTIONS. Just because it's not an incoming connection doesn't mean it can't still transmit and receive data streams and commands. On the contrary they still can its just that the connection is initiated the other way around.
The machine can still be taken over, still zombied and still used as a bot etc. The consequences of not stopping outbound connections as well as inbound are still dangerous. Imagine a program on your PC which finds your personal information saved somewhere and transmits it to another system via an outbound connection. Or worse it makes an outbound connection and turns itself into a p2p file sharer for child porn.
Anything could happen. Admittedly for incoming connections and attacks you don't really need much more than a router or the basic OS in a perfect world but this isn't.
Re: Is a software firewall necessary nowadays ?
12-11-2010 5:23 PM
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I suppose that technically it is better to be warned about some nasty program wanting to send data than to not be warned about it, but what is best is to not be running that malware on your computer in the first place.
If some particularly nasty malware <b>is already running</b> on your computer, without getting detected by the anti-virus software, I don't really see what is stopping it disabling any software firewall. Plus it could always try sending all your stolen personal data by launching and controlling the default web browser - which would be already allowed by the firewall. Anyone remember that tooleaky program?
Someone mentioned doing financial stuff online - according to one of my banks, antivirus + firewall isn't enough, you also need "Rapport", in some insane attempt to keep your online banking details secure against all the keylogging and screenshooting programs and other malware that your computer might be infested with. It's the wrong solution, even if it could work.
Re: Is a software firewall necessary nowadays ?
12-11-2010 6:38 PM
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