ICF control by Microsoft

  • Thread starter Thread starter Hawkeye
  • Start date Start date
H

Hawkeye

My firewall shows enabled after going through the process
of allowing Microsoft's "let us do it for you" process.
Functionality is still nil as far as using the properties
to change anything else. I don't believe that it really
is firewalled as Microsoft's Instant Messenger still
works without enabling any ports. The only way to turn
this back off that I can find is to go through the
network setup process which will wipe out whatever
settings that Microsoft was able to put in online. Does
anyone know of any other way to control this once it has
been turned on with AOL.
 
Greetings --

WinXP's ICF recognizes Microsoft's Windows Messenger IM
application as a valid, authorized application, so it isn't blocked,
no more than is Internet Explorer or Outlook Express. In fact,
WinXP's ICF doesn't block _any_ outgoing traffic. It's simply not
intended or designed to do so.

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. Nor is it very easily
configurable. What WinXP also 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 ICF 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 Symantec's Norton
Personal Firewall is superior by far, although it does take a heavier
toll of system performance then do ZoneAlarm or Sygate.

If you're using AOL, you'll either need to find a 3rd party
firewall that is compatible with AOL, or switch to a real ISP that is
compatible with the real Internet. This is because AOL is an on-line
content provider that ignores international Internetworking standards
in favor of its own proprietary products, and has deliberately made
its connection software incompatible with both WinXP's built-in
firewall and WinXP's Internet Connection Sharing feature. AOL's
proprietary connection applet is deliberately designed to preclude
your setting/adjusting any of its properties, to include
enabling/disabling WinXP's ICF and ICS.

I believe that the free version of ZoneAlarm (www.zonelabs.com) is
AOL-compatible. Sygate's free Personal Firewall
(http://smb.sygate.com/buy/download_buy.htm ) is also AOL-Compatible

You can test your firewall at:

Symantec Security Check
http://security.symantec.com/ssc/vr_main.asp?langid=ie&venid=sym&plfid=23&pkj=GPVHGBYNCJEIMXQKCDT

Security Scan - Sygate Online Services
http://www.sygatetech.com/


Bruce Chambers

--
Help us help you:




You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on
having both at once. -- RAH
 
-----Original Message-----
Greetings --

WinXP's ICF recognizes Microsoft's Windows Messenger IM
application as a valid, authorized application, so it isn't blocked,
no more than is Internet Explorer or Outlook Express. In fact,
WinXP's ICF doesn't block _any_ outgoing traffic. It's simply not
intended or designed to do so.

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. Nor is it very easily
configurable. What WinXP also 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 ICF 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 Symantec's Norton
Personal Firewall is superior by far, although it does take a heavier
toll of system performance then do ZoneAlarm or Sygate.

If you're using AOL, you'll either need to find a 3rd party
firewall that is compatible with AOL, or switch to a real ISP that is
compatible with the real Internet. This is because AOL is an on-line
content provider that ignores international Internetworking standards
in favor of its own proprietary products, and has deliberately made
its connection software incompatible with both WinXP's built-in
firewall and WinXP's Internet Connection Sharing feature. AOL's
proprietary connection applet is deliberately designed to preclude
your setting/adjusting any of its properties, to include
enabling/disabling WinXP's ICF and ICS.

I believe that the free version of ZoneAlarm
Click to expand...
(www.zonelabs.com) is
AOL-compatible. Sygate's free Personal Firewall
(http://smb.sygate.com/buy/download_buy.htm ) is also AOL-Compatible

You can test your firewall at:

Symantec Security Check
http://security.symantec.com/ssc/vr_main.asp? langid=ie&venid=sym&plfid=23&pkj=GPVHGBYNCJEIMXQKCDT

Security Scan - Sygate Online Services
http://www.sygatetech.com/


Bruce Chambers

--
Help us help you:




You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on
having both at once. -- RAH




Superior advice. Thanks for the info. Out of curiosity
Click to expand...
I'll test what Microsoft left me with using their online
support then remove it via running the network setup
wizard again. After that I will try one of the other
firewalls for compatibility while waiting for my AOL
prepaid to run out.
 
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