What Firewall?

[Si...]

I use a hardware firewall builtin to my router and Zone Alarm Pro

Nothing gets out without me knowing

 

You might want to look at this site GRC.com to test your firewalls

[Guest NickInTheNorth]

pretty happy with my test results:

 

Your system has achieved a perfect "TruStealth" rating. Not a single packet — solicited or otherwise — was received from your system as a result of our security probing tests. Your system ignored and refused to reply to repeated Pings (ICMP Echo Requests). From the standpoint of the passing probes of any hacker, this machine does not exist on the Internet. Some questionable personal security systems expose their users by attempting to "counter-probe the prober", thus revealing themselves. But your system wisely remained silent in every way. Very nice.

[jeepster]

i use sygate and a dlink wireless router and got the same results as you nick, i always assumed i had things covered, nice to have it confirmed

[Newt]

Hardware firewalls are better if they offer the features you want. Full stop!!

 

Better = much faster at evaluating and acting on internet traffic packets. However, unless you are on a large network, you probably won't notice the speed increase since good software firewalls are pretty fast.

 

Better = not open to attack by virus critters. It is possible for a virus that manages to sneak in (and some are written to do just this) to silently disable your software firewall and AV programs so that they appear to be working fine but in fact, are doing nothing but running.

 

Routers doing NAT help safeguard your network (one PC to many PCs) by virtue of the way they operate. If you want more info in laymans terms, take a look Here for a short piece I wrote for another forum.

[peterpikefisher]

ZoneAlarm pro As good as you'll get

 

ZoneAlarm Pro

[zenith10]

hardware firewall is the best you will get, but software firewalls such as sygate, zonealarm and windows sp2 are all excellent

[Jaffa]

Hi Nick,

 

I am however experimenting with Ubuntu Linux, and like what I have seen so far, so may well ditch windows altogether for any internet connected PC's.

QUOTE

Your system has achieved a perfect "TruStealth" rating. Not a single packet — solicited or otherwise — was received from your system as a result of our security probing tests. Your system ignored and refused to reply to repeated Pings (ICMP Echo Requests). From the standpoint of the passing probes of any hacker, this machine does not exist on the Internet. Some questionable personal security systems expose their users by attempting to "counter-probe the prober", thus revealing themselves. But your system wisely remained silent in every way. Very nice.

 

 

Do you use any software firewall with Ubuntu?

 

My standard Ubuntu installation "fails" at firewall test sites, as it shows that the ports are closed but not "stealthed" . My win2k and previous Suse installations both passed with flying colours; fully "stealthed" .

 

I spoke to some of the techheads on the Ubuntu IRC channel and they told me it was nothing to worry about .....

 

Any thoughts on this?

 

Cheers,

Chris.

[Guest NickInTheNorth]

Hi Chris

 

I don't currently run any softare firewall on Ubuntu, however I get the same result. That is because I am behind the router/firewall, and a dedicated smoothwall box.

 

I only run software firewalls on the windows boxes as they are far more prone to getting nasty critters on them when my wife and kids allow all sorts of junk to install. At least I then get warned if anything unauthorised tries to send data out.

 

If you happen to have an old PC lying around idle I can highly recomend smoothwall!!

 

I would also say that the techheads on IRC are pretty well correct, the fact that the ports are closed but not stealthed is no huge concern, particularly on a linux system.

 

Open ports on windows systems are what you want to be careful of.

Edited December 19, 2005 by NickInTheNorth

[Jaffa]

Thanks Nick.

 

I'll give smoothwall a try; providing the wife lets me add more clutter!

 

My son is just entering the growth stage that seems programmed to download maximum junk....

 

Chris

[paul mc]

I have just run that firewall check and i failed on this

 

Ping Reply: RECEIVED (FAILED) — Your system REPLIED to our Ping (ICMP Echo) requests, making it visible on the Internet. Most personal firewalls can be configured to block, drop, and ignore such ping requests in order to better hide systems from hackers. This is highly recommended since "Ping" is among the oldest and most common methods used to locate systems prior to further exploitation.

 

Should i be worried and does anybody know how to stop people pinging me with zone alarm pro .

I also run usenet for downloading will it have anything todo with that as when i installed it i think it opened up a port to use.(not sure what it meant but i agreed anyway).????????

Edited December 19, 2005 by paul mc