Being smart with computer security.

[CountDuckula]

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Good luck.

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LOL, some people like you have over faith of those antispyware and firewalls.

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No, I use multiple layers of security, and still am paranoid.


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Did you know for example that some versions of ZoneAlarm is actually WORSE than having no firewall at all? This is beacuse some people found a way into your computer by using an exploit in the firewall itself, witch would not be there if it was not installed.

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Yes, I did know about that, and updated as soon as it was possible. I also have my computer sitting behind a router with all but essential ports blocked, so someone probing for computers running ZA would have had to get that past just to find me. That's what multiple layers is all about. Everything has flaws, and you can't rely on any one defense.


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It is always the most paranoid who uses all those crappy programs and then say "now my computer is safe", guess what, it is not.

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I never say, "now my computer is safe". My attitude is, it's as safe as I can make it, given what I know right now, and I try to find ways to make it safer.

I think your approach is more dangerous; you're relying on one layer of security, which you say you use only for programs you've downloaded, plus avoiding what you know to be risky behavior. But what if you visit a site you have no reason to think is unsafe, but has a hidden exploit embedded in its code? It's the problems you don't know about that may bite you someday. The only way to be completely safe is to stay off the Internet altogether, and nobody here is about to do that. Next best is to cover all the bases you can, and keep looking for more, which is what I do.

-Mike

[Jim Kuhn]

How do we determine what ports are needed open? How do we close other ports? Thanks for the info and your help!

Thank you,

Jim Kuhn
Catfish4u
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[CountDuckula]

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How do we determine what ports are needed open? How do we close other ports? Thanks for the info and your help!


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A good place to start is Shields Up! This tests your current set up, tells you what ports are open, and offers some help as to what they're for. In short, you're best off having all ports closed by default, and only opening ones that specific applications need (applications which do require certain ports should say so somewhere in their documentation). What you're trying to prevent is a worm seeking open ports to infiltrate through, and Shields Up! will tell you how vulnerable you are.

As to how to close them, you'll need to see the documentation for your router, if you have one. If you don't use a router, a firewall will serve the same purpose (I use both); as I said, I use ZoneAlarm, but you could use Norton or the new Windows XP firewall (I tried the XP one a few months ago, but it was pretty buggy then, and I switched back to ZA).

There is a free version of ZoneAlarm, though I think the additional features offered by the commercial versions are worth it. The nice thing about it is, if something new happens (an application asks for Internet access, etc.), ZA will pop up a dialog box asking whether to allow or deny access, and give you the option of having it do the same thing every time the app repeats it. So, the first time you use IE, for example, you'll need to tell ZA to allow it, but if you check the box, it will remember that and not ask you again. Check out the Zone Labs web site for more info.

-Mike