Please Help! XP security...advice wanted!

[Guest]

Hi-I'm not XP security savvy but would like to get other users opinions based
on my situation. I just purchased a new laptop directly from Dell. Its
running XP SP2 Professional, Office 2003 Professional, Symantec Antivirus and
I use a dial-up connection. So my system I would presume is as virus,
adaware, malware, trojan-free as it can get since its new. My understanding
is that XP SP2 comes with a built in Firewall. My 1st question is, "is the
XP firewall adequate enough to be my one and only firewall?" I'm currently a
ZoneAlarm Pro subscriber on my old laptop. Of course, ZA will be a better
firewall simply because thats been their line of business for years and even
pc magazines agree. But like any product out there, there is always a bigger
and better product a consumer can buy. So I just dont want to jump the gun.
1) So for my security concerns and because I'm not security savvy, is the XP
firewall adequate enough to be my one and only firewall?

Alot of these other firewall companies claim that the XP firewall only
protects "inbound". While these other companies protect "inbound and
outbound". More specifically, they claim that XP doesnt protect against
"piggy backing" and "the stealing of financial information, credit card
information, etc". I do online banking and even purchase things online.
These other firewall companies make me feel (on their webite) that I'm not
protected AT ALL if I just use XP firewall. I'm not sure if its just a scare
tactic or if its actually true. 2) So my 2nd question is, am I not protected
AT ALL with my personal information if I'm just using XP firewall? Again, I
know most likely ZA is a better product but is XP adequate.

Last part is that I have my windows update set to "automatic", I have my
SymantecLive update set to "weekly" and I have my IE 6.0 set to "block all
block ups"...3) with that said, generally speaking, am I adequately protected
or should I run for the hills and get Zone Alarm? Thank you for taking the
time in reading this but most importantly thank you for any suggestions.
Rochelle.
PS- 4) I'm curious if all that respond to my questions are using ONLY XP
firewall?

 

[Doug Knox MS-MVP]

The firewall in XP SP2 now protects against inbound attacks, and monitors and controls outbound traffic. Its been completely overhauled since it originally debuted. In my personal opinion, yes, its good enough to stand on its own.

I personally don't feel you need Zone Alarm, but you should set your AV updates to Daily, if it allows for that. New virus's come out all the time........ They don't wait for Friday.

 

[Tom Pepper Willett]

According to MS, and the XP MVPs, the new SP2 firewall still does *not*
monitor outbound traffic.

Tom
The firewall in XP SP2 now protects against inbound attacks, and monitors
and controls outbound traffic. Its been completely overhauled since it
originally debuted. In my personal opinion, yes, its good enough to stand
on its own.

I personally don't feel you need Zone Alarm, but you should set your AV
updates to Daily, if it allows for that. New virus's come out all the
time........ They don't wait for Friday.

--
Doug Knox, MS-MVP Windows Media Center\Windows Powered Smart Display
Win 95/98/Me/XP Tweaks and Fixes
http://www.dougknox.com

 

[Doug Knox MS-MVP]

I'm an XP MVP, and it certainly does.

 

[jeffrey]

Hi,

As for firewall and virus protection your good, but I would recommend
installing anti-spyware programs as well. My home computers are behind a
hardware firewall, plus the built-in software firewalls from XP SP2, and AV.
I have 6 spyware programs running, 3 are passive, 2 are scanners and one is
both scanner and passive. I run the scanners once every other day and I
still catch one or two spyware after each scan. So even with AV and
Firewall, you still need to install a spyware detector.

If you do install one, one is not enough, I suggest you install both Adaware
SE personal and Spybot Search & Destroy. Spybot you can schedule for daily
scans, plus use the teatimer to notify you when something is trying to make
a registry entry. Spyblaster and Spyguard are passive spyware defense, they
help immunize your system from majority of spyware and malware programs.
Pestpatrol is also nice, but its not free like the other 4 I mentioned

I have heard different stories about software firewalls though. There are
those who are happy with the built-in one and other who suggest using
Zonealarm or some other popular one. As for that, its more in personal
preference.

Jeff

 

[Bruce Chambers]

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

Help us help you:



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

 

[Bruce Chambers]

Doug --

SP2's firewall doesn't monitor outbound traffic, beyond checking
for IP spoofing; it won't notify the user when a Trojan "phones home."
Microsoft's on-line documentation is quite clear on this.

Application proxies are "stateful," meaning that they keep the
"state" of connections inherently. The Internet Connection Firewall
feature that is included in Windows XP is a "stateful" firewall, as
well as Windows Firewall. Windows Firewall is included in Windows XP
Service Pack 2 (SP2).

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;321050

--

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

The firewall in XP SP2 now protects against inbound attacks, and
monitors and controls outbound traffic. Its been completely
overhauled since it originally debuted. In my personal opinion, yes,
its good enough to stand on its own.

I personally don't feel you need Zone Alarm, but you should set your
AV updates to Daily, if it allows for that. New virus's come out all
the time........ They don't wait for Friday.

 

[Bruce Chambers]

Read the dialog again. It says that the application is blocked from
_accepting_ unsolicited communications from the Internet. This has no
affect upon application-initiated outbound traffic.

--

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

I do know it will ask you if you want to allow a specific program to
access the internet. Some, by default are built in and are not
monitored, as I recall. JPG attached:

--
Doug Knox, MS-MVP Windows Media Center\Windows Powered Smart Display
Win 95/98/Me/XP Tweaks and Fixes
http://www.dougknox.com

 

[Doug Knox MS-MVP]

Good point. I must not be thinking clearly today.

 

[Guest]

thanks for everyones advice.

 

[Bruce Chambers]

Well, we all have are off days.... ;-}

--

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

Good point. I must not be thinking clearly today.

 

[Bruce Chambers]

You're welcome.

--

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