Re: Disabling XP SP2 Firewall

From: Bruce Chambers (bruce_a_chambers_at_h0tmail.com)
Date: 01/19/05 

Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2005 19:51:12 -0700

F.S. wrote:
> According with this page
> http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/viruses/fwbenefit
> s.mspx
> ...I don't need additional firewall software while I'm
> using a dsl hardware router connected to internet.
> Question is, should I disable the firewall built into XP
> SP2 despite of my hardware router? I feel nonsense
> keeping XPsp2 firewall enabled.
> Any suggestion please. Thanks
>
> F.S.

     If you use a router with NAT, it's still a very good idea to use a
3rd party software firewall. Like WinXP's built-in firewall,
NAT-capable routers do nothing to protect the user from him/herself
(or any "curious," over-confident teenagers in the home). Again --
and I cannot emphasize this enough -- almost all spyware and many
Trojans and worms are downloaded and installed deliberately (albeit
unknowingly) by the user. So a software firewall, such as Sygate or
ZoneAlarm, that can detect and warn the user of unauthorized out-going
traffic is an important element of protecting one's privacy and
security. (Remember: Most antivirus applications do not even scan for
or protect you from adware/spyware, because, after all, you've
installed them yourself, so you must want them there, right?)

     I use both a router with NAT and Sygate Personal Firewall, even
though I generally know better than to install scumware. When it
comes to computer security and protecting my privacy, I prefer the old
"belt and suspenders" approach. In the professional IT community,
this is also known as a "layered defense." Basically, it comes down
to never, ever "putting all of your eggs in one basket." 

-- 
Bruce Chambers
Help us help you:
http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html
You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on having 
both at once. - RAH

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