Firewall

[Jarmo P]

I forgot to mention those users running software firewalls as their only protection, but having them poorly configured, allowing more than poor sp2 fw. 

[DavidR]

Not everyone has the same level of experience to help protect them so a firewall that provides outbound protection is advisable. So I would say it is more essential for the 'normal' user who tends to be less experienced.

You are obviously not the 'normal' user so may statement holds true for you, so you could get away without outbound protection. But it only takes one outbound connection with your account details, user names, passwords, etc. to be quite expensive.

If you lessen the risk of attack (the program has to get in first), you lessen the risk of this type of outbound connection being initiated.

[FreewheelinFrank]

If you're the sort of person who could spot malicious outbound traffic and block it, you're probably the sort of person who is going to be careful about not downloading any Trojans in the first place.

And if you're the sort of person who downloads Trojan horses, you're probably going to click 'yes' to an outbound traffic warning without giving it a lot of thought.

For this reason, I agree with Jarmo P: outbound traffic control is not that important for 'normal' users. The importance of leaktests is exaggerated in some places. It's more important to be careful about what you allow onto your computer in the first place.

[Lisandro]

Outbound traffic control is not that important for 'normal' users.
It's more important to be careful about what you allow onto your computer in the first place.

Ok, ask this to 'normal' users that even know what they're doing, what they're allowing onto their computers in the first time.
Sorry, this is a loop discussion: oh, outbound monitoring is useless for normal users, they're to intelligent that they will never commite a mistake and allow nothing bad on their computer... unfortunatelly, they're 'normal' users and even know what and where they are, how bad could be surf..., etc..

[kamulko]

Yes, Tech, you are right... and UNFORTUNATELY many normal users come here every day with spyware, viruses, trojans and worm problems eheheh 

[FreewheelinFrank]

Normal users come here because they have not been using an anti-virus and firewall, they have been downloading any opening any shiny thing they saw on the web, their operating system hasn't been updated since they bought the computer in 2001, their ISP for somereason doesn't filter email viruses and they click on every attachment which says 'I am an evil Trojan' please open me'.

For 'normal' users, outbound traffic control means squat. They'll just click 'yes' to the pop-up which says 'would you like to allow program.exe to connect to the internet?'

A little bit of education about internet security, safe browsing and web behaviour will go a lot further than a firewall that passes all the latest leaktests.

You can blow $40 on outpost if you want; for me, Kerio free and a bit of web sense is enough: never had a Trojan yet.

[kamulko]

Very wise words: I'm not a monster of pc but I had only 1 malware in my pc-life. I know, I'm a little paranoid but maybe this is the cause of my "luck". You know, most of us like to try new utilities and software: is normal. Without any hazard is impossible to discover and learn something new... I think like you: INFORMATION, PRECAUTION and FORUM FRIENDS WHO HELP IN THE CASE OF DAMAGES!!!

[polonus]

Howdy FreewheelinFrank,

It is not always the user, and it is not always the OS, it is also consumer friendliness. What are to-days'  common hazards to surfers in general malicious scripts, drive-by  or rather surf-by infections, the same bugs all over and over all as  sort of variations of Java out of the sandbox bugs  (e.g. BiteVerify exploit etc.). Problem number 1 virus, problem number 2, and growing spy-, ad- & scumware, problem number 3 spam. There are pessimists that predict the internet with its dozen or so backbones will completely clot up, we're heading for a traffic jam. Or is there a way out?

But remember always stay on the bright side of life, tadoo, tadoo,

yours sincerely,

polonus

[kamulko]

  Thanks for your friendly suggestions: may the Gods of the web protect us! ahahah

[FreewheelinFrank]

I love to try new software too, but ever since my first experience with spyware, I've learnt a few thing:

-only download from reliable sources
-check out the software on Google
-scan before installing

For most 'normal' users (i.e. not geeks, and, let's face it, anybody hanging out in a computer forum is by definition a geek a geek) these rules are more important than a 'leak proof' firewall.

[Lisandro]

You can blow $40 on outpost if you want; for me, Kerio free and a bit of web sense is enough: never had a Trojan yet.

No, I'm not doing advertisement on buying a firewall. I'm using ZA free right now  

Even know what they're doing, what they're allowing onto their computers in the first time.

Just examples: http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=13653.0 and http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=6623.0
Unfortunatelly, I have already have a Trojan... One, last week  :'(

[FreewheelinFrank]

Hi Polonus,

I don't think the internet is dead yet!

With a bit of education it's pretty safe. Unfortunately there are a lot of people who haven't got even the most basic message.

I've come across many people browsing with a version of IE so old that they fall prey to ByteVerify, which was patched years ago, and every drive-by ActiveX scumware download.

But with an updated system, a great anti-virus like avast! (can I have my cheque now?) a free firewall from Sygate/Zone Alarm/Kerio and a bit of help from SpywareBlaster, Ad-Aware, Spybot Search & Destroy etc., it's safe to surf.

[kamulko]

Tech, your second example-link is really a sad thing... poor Bob! 

[kamulko]

can I have my cheque now?


LOL, Frank... your cheque is here!

[FreewheelinFrank]

Wahey!

Put they champagne on ice and crack open the caviar!