wtansillNcc1701
join:2000-10-10
Falls Church, VA | reply to kapil
Re: I Don't Like This said by kapil:
Norton sucks!
...besides, if you're an average user and don't host any services, just block all the ports and use NAT, you almost don't need a firewall.
Not so. A NAT firewall will not prevent outbound traffic, so you can't stop things like Media Player or other similarly inclined programs from connecting to the internet at arbitrary intervals and "phoning home". ZA lets me know when this happens, and lets me block these outbound connections.
For an example, go to www.grc.com and download LeakTest.
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That which does not kill me merely prolongs the agony. |
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 kapilThe Kapil
join:2000-04-26
Chicago, IL | True. However, the odds are that you've installed these applications yourself...and the bigger security risk is from stuff trying to come in, not from sleazware trying to call home.
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::: Do, or do not, there is no try:::»www.kapilville.com |
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 mod baitPremium
join:2001-06-11
Rochester, NY | said by kapil:
True. However, the odds are that you've installed these applications yourself...and the bigger security risk is from stuff trying to come in, not from sleazware trying to call home.
That's simply not true. If you have a hardware firewall, nothing is coming in. The only risk--sometimes even if you are very careful--is outbound traffic.
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"Security is a tax on the honest." --Bruce Schneier, Beyond Fear, Copernicus, 2003 |
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kapilThe Kapil
join:2000-04-26
Chicago, IL | If you are an average home user, and use your broadband connection for surfing, email etc....don't have any ports open/forwarded/mapped on your router and are using NAT, there is virtually no SECURITY risk. The security risk comes from inbound traffic. Stupid-user risk, for example installing bonzi buddy which then tries to phone home every 30 seconds is a different matter entirely. Bonzi buddy is not a security risk....it's a matter of user education.
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::: Do, or do not, there is no try:::»www.kapilville.com |
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| Exactly!
I never ever use application protection as it's more of a pain in the ass then anything. Especially to an educated computer user. The truly sad thing is the uneducated computer users have NO idea what to block or let through to begin with. So where exactly is application protection practical? |
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mod baitPremium
join:2001-06-11
Rochester, NY | reply to kapil
said by kapil:
If you are an average home user, and use your broadband connection for surfing, email etc....don't have any ports open/forwarded/mapped on your router and are using NAT, there is virtually no SECURITY risk. The security risk comes from inbound traffic. Stupid-user risk, for example installing bonzi buddy which then tries to phone home every 30 seconds is a different matter entirely. Bonzi buddy is not a security risk....it's a matter of user education.
Ever heard of malware?
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"Security is a tax on the honest." --Bruce Schneier, Beyond Fear, Copernicus, 2003 |
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