XP firewall vs zonealarm

  • Thread starter Thread starter Jeff
  • Start date Start date
J

Jeff

The Sept issue of business week said users need to get
"Zone Alarm" firewall for home networks. But in my paid
calls to MS support they said XP firewall support offers
the same protection to deny access without the bells and
whistles. Do you concur?
 
XP's firewall is very basic. I suggest installing one
that is virtually bullet-proof:

Norton Internet Security 2003
http://www.symantec.com/sabu/nis/nis_pe/

-- Includes Norton AntiVirus 2003
-- Includes Norton Personal Firewall
-- Includes prevention of annoying web pop-ups
-- Includes Parental Controls
-- All in one, easy-to-install package


Essential Security Tools for Home Office Users
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/tr...l=/technet/columns/security/5min/5min-105.asp


--
Nicholas

-----------------------------------------------------------------------


| The Sept issue of business week said users need to get
| "Zone Alarm" firewall for home networks. But in my paid
| calls to MS support they said XP firewall support offers
| the same protection to deny access without the bells and
| whistles. Do you concur?
|
 
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, or others using your
computer, 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. I suppose, if
one _never_ downloads or installs anything from less that 100%
trustworthy sources, that it would be sufficient protection.

ZoneAlarm, Kerio, or Sygate are much better, and there are a free
versions available. Personally, I've been very happy with Symantec's
Norton Internet Security 2002 (NIS 2003 is now available), which
includes Norton AntiVirus, Norton Personal Firewall, parental
controls, privacy controls, and ad blocking. (Just the elimination of
most pop-up ads on the Internet made the price worth-while to me.)


Bruce Chambers

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