Norton Internet Security and XP Pro *before* logon

[CDB]

Hi everyone,

- I'm new to this group and I've looked through your posts and Googled for
an answer to my query to no avail.

I have a home network. The Internet Gateway is an XP Pro SP2 machine running
Norton Internet Security 2005 connected by a cable modem (NTL in the UK) on
a dedicated Ethernet card.

Windows is up to date on all the networked PC's. Since I run Norton Personal
Firewall, the Windows firewall is disabled. I run Spybot S&D, Anti-Adaware
and MS Anti-Spyware on a weekly basis on each PC and have never had a
problem. The network is connected via a switch to a second Ethernet card in
the gateway PC.

If I turn on the gateway PC, switch and cable modem, the rest of the network
has access to the Internet, shared folders on the gateway and shares on
other connections *even though the gateway PC is sitting at the logon
screen*.

My question is this:

Does Norton load before the Windows logon?

Am I protected from Internet intrusions *before* I logon to XP or should I
establish a user connection to the gateway before I turn on the other home
PC's?

Your comments will be really appreciated.

Cheers,

CDB.

 

[Adam Piggott]

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA1

Hi everyone,

- I'm new to this group and I've looked through your posts and Googled for
an answer to my query to no avail.

I have a home network. The Internet Gateway is an XP Pro SP2 machine running
Norton Internet Security 2005 connected by a cable modem (NTL in the UK) on
a dedicated Ethernet card.

Windows is up to date on all the networked PC's. Since I run Norton Personal
Firewall, the Windows firewall is disabled. I run Spybot S&D, Anti-Adaware
and MS Anti-Spyware on a weekly basis on each PC and have never had a
problem. The network is connected via a switch to a second Ethernet card in
the gateway PC.

If I turn on the gateway PC, switch and cable modem, the rest of the network
has access to the Internet, shared folders on the gateway and shares on
other connections *even though the gateway PC is sitting at the logon
screen*.

My question is this:

Does Norton load before the Windows logon?

Am I protected from Internet intrusions *before* I logon to XP or should I
establish a user connection to the gateway before I turn on the other home
PC's?

By design I believe that NIS should be protecting you even before Windows
has started up and if there are no users logged on. It does this by running
as a special type of program called a "Service". Such programs are designed
to run quite happy with no logged on users.

HTH
- --
Adam Piggott, Proprietor, Proactive Services (Computing).
http://www.proactiveservices.co.uk/

Please replace dot invalid with dot uk to email me.
Apply personally for PGP public key.
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
Version: GnuPG v1.4.0 (MingW32)

iD8DBQFDENM97uRVdtPsXDkRAm6bAJ9UcSnNyXDcZNel7IPAqP5g1RABRgCdHeEg
Qov+ws1H2hL1YMsQ45/7srs=
=PSWt
-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----

 

[CDB]

Hi Adam,

- thanks for your swift reply, it's put my mind at ease; I can now listen to
streaming BBC7 comedy from the PC downstairs with no worries!!

Cheers,

Chris.

 

[Duane Arnold]

- thanks for your swift reply, it's put my mind at ease; I can now
listen to streaming BBC7 comedy from the PC downstairs with no
worries!!

The buck stops at the O/S. It doesn't stop anywhere else. You should
consider *hardening* the XP O/S to attack for a machine with a direct
connection to the Internet, especially one that acting as a gateway using
ICS.

http://labmice.techtarget.com/articles/winxpsecuritychecklist.htm

Duane

 

[CDB]

The buck stops at the O/S. It doesn't stop anywhere else. You should
consider *hardening* the XP O/S to attack for a machine with a direct
connection to the Internet, especially one that acting as a gateway using
ICS.

http://labmice.techtarget.com/articles/winxpsecuritychecklist.htm

Duane

Hi Duane,

- thanks for the advice.

The link provided some interesting reading.......

Cheers,

CDB.