Windows XP Home Edition Firewall

[C. T. Hutchins Jr.]

Have just enabled Firewal in Windows XP; uninstalled
Norton Internet Security 2002(included Firewall)and
installed NAV2004 (no firewall) Would appreciate comments
about effectiveness of Windows Firewall vs. Norton IS. Any
comments welcome.

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

Q. "I already use the firewall program in Microsoft Windows XP ,
so I don't need another firewall program, do I?"

A. The Windows XP firewall program is designed to block unauthorized access into
your computer. It does not block unauthorized traffic from your computer to other computers.
So why is this bad? If a virus or worm gets into your computer, it will have unlimited
access to send anything it wants to any other computer -- including personal information
about you. Most commercial firewall programs block access to and from your computer -
so even if a hacker gets into your computer, he still has to defeat the firewall on the way out.

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows XP - Shell/User

Be Smart! Protect your PC!
http://www.microsoft.com/security/protect/

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"C. T. Hutchins Jr." (e-mail address removed) wrote in message:

| Have just enabled Firewal in Windows XP; uninstalled
| Norton Internet Security 2002(included Firewall)and
| installed NAV2004 (no firewall) Would appreciate comments
| about effectiveness of Windows Firewall vs. Norton IS. Any
| comments welcome.

 

[Bruce Chambers]

Greetings --

WinXP's built-in firewall is adequate at stopping incoming attacks,
and hiding your ports from probes. It doesn't give you any alarms to
tell you that it is working, though. What WinXP also does not do, is
protect you from any Trojans or spyware that you might download and
install inadvertently. It doesn't monitor out-going traffic at all,
much less block (or at least ask you about) the bad or the
questionable out-going packets.

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 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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