Recognized Firewalls

[---Jason---]

Hello. Could you tell me if there are any free firewalls
(like ZoneAlarm free) that the new security centre
recognizes? ie. do they communicate their status like my
antivirus does?

 

[James]

If you have SP2 installed then like the original XP and SP1 the firewall in
it it is free, designed for XP and is the best free firewall you could have.
Go into the control panel and then your security center to adjust or
configure the settings. {]:~)

From everything the real experts here say, the above is simply not
true. I too asked this question and was told in no uncertain terms that
the firewall provided by SP 2 will NOT monitor outgoing programs. Thus
any trojan that somehow makes it on to your system could conceivably
call home with your passwords, keystrokes, credit card information and
virtually anything else and go unnoticed by the SP 2 firewall. The 3rd
party firewalls such as Zone Alarm are better since they monitor both
incoming and outgoing activity. Really... it seems like a no-brainer.
I've no idea why a few people here keep insisting that the SP 2 firewall
is adequate when it evidentally isn't.

 

[History Fan]

I've no idea why a few people here keep insisting that the SP 2 firewall

is adequate when it evidentally isn't.

If you're careful about surfing the Internet, i.e. have a reliable
anti-virus program running, have automatic updates turned on, run
anti-spyware programs regularly, then the XP Firewall should be good enough.
Especially if you're the only one using the computer. If several people use
the same machine, and some don't practice 'safe' Internet surfing, then
perhaps a 3rd party firewall like ZoneAlarm should be turned on.

 

[Phyllis]

I obviously don't understand how a firewall works. I thought if the
firewall blocked incoming why wouldn't it block the trojan from getting to
your system in the first place. Especially if you also had anti-virus
software running, or does this mean that nothing will keep a trojan out.

If you have SP2 installed then like the original XP and SP1 the firewall in
it it is free, designed for XP and is the best free firewall you could have.
Go into the control panel and then your security center to adjust or
configure the settings. {]:~)

From everything the real experts here say, the above is simply not
true. I too asked this question and was told in no uncertain terms that
the firewall provided by SP 2 will NOT monitor outgoing programs. Thus
any trojan that somehow makes it on to your system could conceivably
call home with your passwords, keystrokes, credit card information and
virtually anything else and go unnoticed by the SP 2 firewall. The 3rd
party firewalls such as Zone Alarm are better since they monitor both
incoming and outgoing activity. Really... it seems like a no-brainer.
I've no idea why a few people here keep insisting that the SP 2 firewall
is adequate when it evidentally isn't.

 

[SlowJet]

Run both, add ZA free (newest version) program name to
the WFW exception list (and check box).
ZA does the inside blocking and you get the early startup
protection from WFW. (Only make settings in ZA)

It works and if anything goes bongers with one or the
other you are stil safe until you can figure it out.

EXPERTS - Yesterday, all my troubles seemed so far away,
ooooh, I believe in yesterday.

It's the Zeros, man.

SJ

 

[Richard Urban]

Not all trojans are detected by antivirus because - well, they are not a
virus. Many trojans are attached to e-mails and can be downloaded (without
your consent) just by visiting certain websites. You have to do nothing but
"click on a link"!

Now you're infected, even though you used the good "Windows firewall".

Now the fun begins, when the trojan begins to disseminate your very private
and personal information around the internet. All because you didn't block
OUT GOING traffic!

Learn to compute safely!

--
Regards:

Richard Urban

aka Crusty (-: Old B@stard

 

[Bruce Chambers]

Greetings --

You're very much mistaken.

WinXP's built-in firewall is _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.


Bruce Chambers
--
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