Jackson wrote:
> Very new to XPHE :-)
>
> After I put a router on my 98SE desktop I removed ZAfree because I was
> told it was redundant and would interfere with booting and shutting
> down.
>
No, that's not true, at all (the part about a software firewall being
redundant with a router, anyway - but I also don't recall ever having
booting/shutdown problems with Win98/ZA, but that _was_ years ago....
;-} ).
If you use a router with NAT, it's still a very good idea to use a
3rd party software firewall. Like WinXP's built-in firewall,
NAT-capable routers do nothing to protect the user from him/herself
(or any "curious," over-confident teenagers in the home). Again --
and I cannot emphasize this enough -- almost all spyware and many
Trojans and worms are downloaded and installed deliberately (albeit
unknowingly) by the user. So a software firewall, such as Sygate or
ZoneAlarm, that can detect and warn the user of unauthorized out-going
traffic is an important element of protecting one's privacy and
security. (Remember: Most anti-virus applications do not even scan for
or protect you from adware/spyware, because, after all, you've
installed them yourself, so you must want them there, right?)
I use both a router with NAT and Sygate Personal Firewall, even
though I generally know better than to install scumware. When it
comes to computer security and protecting my privacy, I prefer the old
"belt and suspenders" approach. In the professional IT community,
this is also known as a "layered defense." Basically, it comes down
to never, ever "putting all of your eggs in one basket."
> Now I have a Compaq with XP running off the router. Can I install my
> old ZA on the laptop without screwing things up?
>
Well, I certainly wouldn't recommend your using that old Win9x version
of ZoneAlarm on WinXP; it'll be ancient. Download the latest version of
ZoneAlarm from
http://www.zonelabs.com/store/content/home.jsp and
install it, instead.
> If I do install ZA, must I shut down the Microsoft firewall (which I
> am told does not protect against outgoing signals).
>
WinXP's built-in firewall is _not_ designed to act as a compliment
to 3rd party firewalls, and Microsoft actually recommends disabling it
if you use another software firewall, although a great many people have
reported no problems using ICF in conjunction with other products. My
position is that running two or more software firewalls simultaneously
is generally unnecessary and can _sometimes_ cause conflicts, possibly
negating the protection of both. In any event, having two firewalls
running simultaneously is most certainly an unnecessary drain on system
resources.
> If I must shut down the MS firewall, how do I do that?
>
Control Panel > Windows Firewall > Off.
> There are two reasons I would prefer to have ZA:
>
> 1. It protects against incoming AND outgoing traffic.
> 2. It puts a great icon in the taskbar that shows activity with the
> internet; it indicates which way the data is flowing and gives a rough
> indication of speed. That is really nice to know if I have clicked on
> something and there is no immediate response that I can see.
>
WinXP's built-in firewall is usually adequate at stopping incoming
attacks, and hiding your ports from probes. What WinXP SP2's firewall
does not do, is protect you from any Trojans or spyware that you (or
someone else using your computer) might download and install
inadvertently. It doesn't monitor out-going traffic at all, other than
to check for IP-spoofing, much less block (or at even ask you about) the
bad or the questionable out-going signals. It assumes that any
application you have on your hard drive is there because you want it
there, and therefore has your "permission" to access the Internet.
Further, because the Windows Firewall is a "stateful" firewall, it will
also assume that any incoming traffic that's a direct response to a
Trojan's or spyware's out-going signal is also authorized.
ZoneAlarm, Kerio, or Sygate are all much better than WinXP's
built-in firewall, and are much more easily configured, and there are
free versions of each readily available. Even the commercially
available Symantec's Norton Personal Firewall is superior by far,
although it does take a heavier toll of system performance then do
ZoneAlarm or Sygate.
Having said that, it's important to remember that firewalls and
anti-virus applications, which should always be used and should always
be running, while important components of "safe hex," cannot, and should
not be expected to, protect the computer user from him/herself.
Ultimately, it is incumbent upon each and every computer user to learn
how to secure his/her own computer.
--
Bruce Chambers
Help us help you:
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They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. -Benjamin Franklin
Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. -Bertrand Russell
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