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I'm not too sure if this is the right forum section for this (mods please move the post to the right section if needed please) but I need you guys advice when it comes to firewalls.
Can anyone tell me a good free firewall as I have been told time and time again that I need one and i've just been relying on the XP one.
Well you could reley on Wndows XP Firewall - depends what you get up too. Also have you got a router? If so thats most likely got a hardware firewall inside it thats working.
I use both the xp firewall and my routers firewall in conjuntion. That should be ok for you, but if you don't already have a router then I'd reccomend you get one.
The Windows XP firewall is complete and utter crap. Infact it does more harm than good, sorry to contradict, but Im speaking of experience. I'm a heavy gamer, and use ports for HTTP and large bandwidth transfers.
Consumer firewalls like ZoneAlarm, for instance can use CPU and be invasive, some work by setting rules every time you run a program that accesses the internet for the first time, others don't work of rules but monitor traffic. The former, is the best kind.
For the average internet user, who isn't going to be the target of hacking, and who doesnt visit malware filled sites, Windows Firewall can be ok.
I, personally use a hardware firewall, but there are many good software firewalls out there. The benefit off a firewall is that it will detect viruses even before they have saved themselves, almost (but not quite) eliminating the need for Anti Virus.
My choice of sioftware firewall is a matter of personal evaluation and experience.
There is indeed a nice PDF laying out some benefits of Outpost over Windows Firewall...
Quote:
The good idea of all Windows users being protected by default firewall turned out to be tricky: when the same software protects everyone,
hackers do not need to invent too many ways to intrude. Imagine all the houses in your neighborhood being equipped with the same
door locks: it is enough to break one of them to figure out how to open the others. Therefore all security software vendors, including
Agnitum, strongly recommend that Windows users use a different firewall, rather than Microsoft.
Quote:
Why would you choose Outpost over Microsoft Firewall? Check out the comparison table of how these two products cope with most wide
spread Internet dangers.
Now I said once and I'll say again, if you have anti-spyware, anti-virus/malware and parental controls if you need them, outpost probably won''t be required, but you could ease off on some of the CPU intsnsive anti spyware etc, with Outtpost if you are a confident user, or use all if you are paranoid. I'd essensially suggest Outpost though.
Outpost has the following advantages over Windows Firewall
Quote:
Trojans and Worms
Denial-of-Service Attacks
Privacy Leak
Undesirable Content
The biggest drawback of relying on Windows Firewall is that it only does half the job of most third-party firewalls. All firewalls, including the Windows version, prevent malicious inbound connections. That means it would be difficult or impossible for a cracker to smash head-on through your firewall and snoop around inside your system. Unfortunately, that's not the only way or even the most common way of compromising a machine. Viruses can still ride into your computer through email or certain types of Web pages (firewall or not) and, once there, start beaming information, such as passwords or other sensitive data, out rather than in.
Comprehensive firewalls monitor inbound and outbound streams. If a program attempts to open up a channel to the Internet without permission, the firewall blocks the potentially insidious communication and asks you whether you really want that particular bit of software phoning home. Windows Firewall, on the other hand, leaves the outbound gates wide open. The last line of firewall defense against some truly nasty spyware, Trojan horses, and the like is missing with Microsoft's built-in solution.
That said, Windows Firewall is far better than nothing. The fact that it will install itself on WinXP machines and turn on by default will save many home and small-business users some unfortunate lessons in hacking techniques. Reading just this one article, however, vaults you to a relatively high state of computer security consciousness. There's no need to settle for Microsoft's half solution. Full-featured firewalls are easy to use and range in cost from relatively cheap all the way down to free.
Outpost Firewall is the alternative firewall that has won more than a few converts. Although it packs plenty of advanced customization features, Outpost Firewall's main interface is easy to navigate.
On the main screen, a large button on the left side of the toolbar controls just what Outpost Firewall will and will not let through. By default, Outpost Firewall Pro uses a batch of rules that safely lets popular programs interact with the outside world. With a couple of clicks, you can command the firewall to use these rules, use a looser or more restrictive set of rules, or close or open the gates entirely.
Outpost Firewall includes an interesting ability to use plug-ins for specialized functionality. Although home users might not have a lot of use for this feature, network administrators might find plug-ins worth investigating. Outpost Firewall Pro comes bundled with a few plug-ins already, such as an ad blocker that wipes out most Web page banner ads and a content blocker that bars Web sites containing specified keywords.
Like Zone Labs' ZoneAlarm Pro (which we review later in this article), Outpost Firewall offers free and paid versions. Most home users will find the free Outpost Firewall fills their needs; the more advanced Outpost Firewall Pro includes features for building more complex rules governing data traffic and a better log system. Because Outpost Firewall Pro is newer, the built-in rules might work better with some of the newer software on your machine. For instance, we had trouble getting Outpost Firewall to allow Firefox to browse the Web. Outpost Firewall Pro managed the task without effort.
A quick note, Outpost Firewall Pro protects itself from being terminated by malware, and also it has many plugings!
If you add encryption too your wireless network, and a WEP Key, it is impossible for them to steal your connection, unless they know the WEP key
You might want to read this, and refer your neighbor too this article.
Man arrested over wi-fi 'theft' A man has been arrested in connection with using a wi-fi broadband connection without permission. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/6958429.stm
Quote:
When questioned he admitted to using someone else's unsecured wi-fi broadband connection. He has been bailed pending further inquiries.
The case is now being handled by the Metropolitan Police's computer crime unit.
Det Con Mark Roberts said: "This arrest should act as a warning to anyone who thinks it is acceptable to illegally use other people's broadband connections."
Dishonestly obtaining free internet access is an offence under the Communications Act 2003 and a potential breach of the Computer Misuse Act.
Thank you soo much for the advice Sam (yet again) as always I really appreciate it a great deal
After reading through what you wrote I purchased Outpost Firewall Pro and I have to say that it's really easy to use (which is what I wanted) and I do feel somewhat safer online.
Now that I have a decent firewall do you think it would be safe to uninstal the likes of Windows Defender and spybot?
Thank you for the link to the BBC site I have printed that off and have showed it to my neighbours mother and she didn't seem to happy and is going to have words with her sons.
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