Windows XP Home Edition Firewall

[Curt]

Is the Windows XP Home Edition Firewall sufficient to protect a PC from
hacking attempts, or would it be advisable to download and install either
McAfee or Symantec's Personal Firewall software for added protection?

============================================================================
=======
For incoming threats yes, but it does nothing to stop installed
programs,(spyware and such), from accessing the net without your permission.
I prefer Symantec myself, however others like McAfee......the choice is
yours. Sygate, www.sygate.com, has an excellent free firewall as well.

 

[Eric The Brontosaurus]

Is the Windows XP Home Edition Firewall sufficient to protect a PC from
hacking attempts, or would it be advisable to download and install either
McAfee or Symantec's Personal Firewall software for added protection?

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

How can I harden my computer or server to secure it from hackers?
http://securityadmin.info/faq4.asp#harden

To secure your computer and prevent future security breeches,
consider installing a first-rate internet security program:

Norton Internet Security 2004
http://www.symantec.com/sabu/nis/nis_pe/

-- Includes Norton AntiVirus 2004
-- Includes Norton Personal Firewall
-- Includes prevention of annoying web pop-ups
-- Includes Parental Controls
-- All in one, easy-to-install package

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

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

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| Is the Windows XP Home Edition Firewall sufficient to protect a PC from
| hacking attempts, or would it be advisable to download and install either
| McAfee or Symantec's Personal Firewall software for added protection?

 

[RonK]

XP's firewall is not enough.
I would recommend the FREE Outpost firewall:

http://www.agnitum.com/download/outpostfree.html

 

[Courtney]

The latter. XPs firewall is one way only. It will only protect you from
incoming packets but will allow anything on your system to access the
Internet. So, if you get a trojan, say, Back Orifice, or a worm, say Blaster
or Welchia, XP will do nothing to protect you.

Courtney

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

in message

Is the Windows XP Home Edition Firewall sufficient to protect a PC from
hacking attempts, or would it be advisable to download and install either
McAfee or Symantec's Personal Firewall software for added

protection?


The built-in XP firewall protects against incoming threats only,
but does nothing to protect against outgoing threats, like rogue
programs trying to call home.

It's also not at all configurable. For example, you can't have it
block internet threats but allow local file and printer sharing.
For that reason, it's almost useless for those on a network.

So I prefer a third-party product. I'm happy with the free
version of ZoneAlarm.

 

[Eric The Brontosaurus]

Symantec's Norton AntiVirus software is installed on the PC which is running
Windows XP with the built-in XP firewall enabled. As long as updates are
installed as soon as they become available, should this not have the
capability to detect and remove worms, trojans and viruses, should they be
encountered, before they can do any damage, or would it still be a good idea
to install a firewall which has the capability to block unauthorised
outgoing traffic.

 

[Guest]

I whole heartedly second Carey's suggestion. Definately
money well spent!

 

[Bruce Chambers]

Greetings --

WinXP's built-in firewall is fine 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, and are much more
easily configured, and there are a free versions of each readily
available. Even Symantec's Norton Personal Firewall is superior by
far, although it does take a heavier toll of performance then do
ZoneAlarm, Kerio, 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]

Greetings --

Antivirus software suffers from one key weakness: it's simply not
always possible to provide protection from threats that have not yet
been developed and/or discovered. Antivirus software is, by it's very
nature, re-active rather than pro-active. A firewall that can detect
and warn you of unauthorized out-going traffic is an important
security component.

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

Symantec's Norton AntiVirus software is installed on the PC which is running
Windows XP with the built-in XP firewall enabled. As long as updates are
installed as soon as they become available, should this not have the
capability to detect and remove worms, trojans and viruses, should they be
encountered, before they can do any damage, or would it still be a good idea
to install a firewall which has the capability to block unauthorised
outgoing traffic.

The latter. XPs firewall is one way only. It will only protect you from
incoming packets but will allow anything on your system to access the
Internet. So, if you get a trojan, say, Back Orifice, or a worm,

say

 

[Alex Nichol]

For incoming threats yes, but it does nothing to stop installed
programs,(spyware and such), from accessing the net without your permission.
I prefer Symantec myself, however others like McAfee......the choice is
yours.

Or you might be like me and refuse to allow either of those near my
machine. There is however a free effective version of the Zone ALarm
firewall from www.zonelabs.com, and other free ones around that I have
not tried