With the release of SP2 this week Microsoft has made Windows XP more secure. Especially with the overhaul of its old built-in firewall (Internet Connection Firewall). Microsoft’s Internet Connection Firewall was a joke when it was introduced; all it did was cause users more problems. With SP2 came a new firewall dubbed "Windows Firewall". According to some analysts this firewall from Microsoft isn't much better.
When compared to other firewalls such as ZoneAlarm, SP2's firewall is pretty bad. Commercial firewalls such as ZoneAlarm includes a feature that only allows authorized programs to access the Internet. This isn't the case with Windows Firewall; in fact Windows Firewall only filters incoming traffic. That's right Microsoft’s firewall doesn't block outbound traffic, which means applications can send outbound packets. According to commercial firewall makers "the API used to manage the Windows Firewall could also be used by attackers to modify the software or turn it off." This is according to comments made by other firewall makers.
Granted that SP2's firewall isn't as robust as its rivals (ZoneAlarm, Sygate, etc...) it's still a good step. I think it's also true in some way that these firewall experts are feeling the pressure from Microsoft’s free firewall. After all these companies make their revenue by offering security applications for Windows. I agree that Windows Firewall lacks features that I feel are important in a firewall, but this firewall update is still better than the original. In the end it will give the general public a more secure computer.
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When compared to other firewalls such as ZoneAlarm, SP2's firewall is pretty bad. Commercial firewalls such as ZoneAlarm includes a feature that only allows authorized programs to access the Internet. This isn't the case with Windows Firewall; in fact Windows Firewall only filters incoming traffic. That's right Microsoft’s firewall doesn't block outbound traffic, which means applications can send outbound packets. According to commercial firewall makers "the API used to manage the Windows Firewall could also be used by attackers to modify the software or turn it off." This is according to comments made by other firewall makers.
Granted that SP2's firewall isn't as robust as its rivals (ZoneAlarm, Sygate, etc...) it's still a good step. I think it's also true in some way that these firewall experts are feeling the pressure from Microsoft’s free firewall. After all these companies make their revenue by offering security applications for Windows. I agree that Windows Firewall lacks features that I feel are important in a firewall, but this firewall update is still better than the original. In the end it will give the general public a more secure computer.
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The event will climax on Thursday, 23rd September, when Sony's guests and competitions winners will be given VIP access to the Alton Towers Park, including priority access to rides and exclusive access to gaming areas.
They will also be able to enjoy musical performances from various artists - including breakthrough urban acts, established chart artists and upcoming rock bands - as they zoom over sets installed in amidst the park's various spiralling attractions.
Sony is also planning a multi-artist finale within the Alton Towers' castle walls, to be followed by an after-show party in the Stateroom adjacent to the Alton Towers Hotel, with overnight accommodation and a chance for guests and competition winners to mingle with the artists.
The finale performance will also form the basis for a 90-minute televised trip around the PlayStation-tinted Alton Towers, something that Alton Towers' marketing manager Mike Lorimer believes will prove very popular.
"We are very excited to be hosting this event. Not only will it showcase our fantastic rides and attractions to a key audience on TV, but it will also allow every one of our guests access to some fabulous added experiences in the Sony PlayStation areas," he said.
SCE UK's marketing director Alan Duncan, meanwhile, said the new look of the event is important to the development of the PlayStation brand.
"The PlayStation Experience at Alton Towers reflects both our commitment to the evolution of sampling events and to creating original broadcast content which communicates the values of PlayStation to new and existing audiences," he said on Friday.
Siriously, use Zone Alarm, it's much much better, and it's free!
STV
it doesnt block the program until i click on block though - also it keeps going off when i reboot.
finally i already had spf and sp2 mucked it up, but i reinstalled it and now it works again - pain in the ass because windows won't detect it though, also when a new program accesses both of them pop up.
(and in some cases, UDP) work is that programs are allowed to receive "answers" to requests, but not requests themselves.
So while WF won't block programs like Web Browsers, most games, etc, it WILL block FTP and web SERVERS, most game servers, backdoor/trojans/viruses, and so on unless you tell it not to.
Why would you run another firewall when you already have WF?
WF does the same thing and uses fewer resources (and has a smarter interface, I might add). All you get with a firewall that filters outbound traffic is one very frustrated user.
Totally true. But to be clear: It blocks "certain features" of the product.
It's easily verified, I'm really surprised you'd make a statement like this without verification. Windows/MSN messenger, WMP, all still function -- the aspects tat are locked down of a product are the unsolicited elements (basically either connectionless streaming or server services), in this case itd be file sending in MSN/Windows messenger, or UDP streams in WMP.
If they would have made it comparible to other commercial firewalls they would have been flamed for driving the competition out of buisness.
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One thing, I've noticed that the new firewall does alert me to programs needing to use the internet. Is this article incorrect, or am I assuming too much? Like when I jumped into mIRC earlier, after installing SP2, the Windows Firewall popped up asking if it was ok for the program to use the internet.
What is the correct saying... " You can't satisify 100% of the people 100% of the time." I think that fits this topic!
For example, UDP streams and server services like FTP servers or web servers. You'd get the prompt the first time when viewing a WMP9 video file or something similar because the speed is gained by UDP. But since UDP is connectionless, the stateful firewall won't arbitrarily allow packets inbound. Hence the prompt by XP.
This editorial IS garbage. A firewall that prevents inbound traffic is the most effective way of preventing intrusion with the minimal amount of user fuss. Most hardware firewalls have this, as the most basic of interception. Look around. Anything that blocks outbound traffic is largely an annoyance to end users.
It's a really bad effort if it is a troll.
If it isn't I feel sorry for you, try going here.
I'm not sure why you would feel sorry for me that I didn't realise it was asking about incoming traffic and not outgoing. Now that I think about it, the programs it asked about have both incoming and outgoing, so I didn't make the connection it was asking about only one side of it. But thanks for being an ass and not helping out anyways.
The last time I was bothered by a virus/trojan was when trying to play a DOS game on a 3 1/2 disk from my local library, and even then my 33mhz's hardware virus-detection chip caught it.
Better safe than sorry right?
(My main reason for a firewall is because I play UO, and my account is irreplacable. Having a few programs or an OS trashed isn't a problem.)
Yeah, then it just pops up a big red popup balloon telling you your firewall is off. Kinda hard to miss that. -_-
It would be bad however to blame the product on not providing protection when it had the opportunity to do so. Since the original poster of this thread stated he simply turned it off, without stating that he had another kind of firewall or other protecting mechanisms (disabling server services, etc), it would seem prudent to state that this kind of action would still be required for any novice users reading this. A 3rd party firewall such as linksys from #11.3 is a perfect example.
I just wish I could get the Security Center to stop moaning at my every time I boot up my PC. I thought I found the option to fix it but sadly it doesn't seem to work.
However, it does what it advertises. It was beaten to death in beta. If you turn it on, you can't see the machine on a network, it doesn't answer on any ports. Its so simple it really is difficult to goof up. Really.
If you simply don't trust the way it works, you should consider that most hardware firewalls act in precisely the same manner, and most software firewalls - while more rich in features - are also more bloaty in memory and cpu footprint, with higher costs for user annoyance.
BTW i use a hardware firewall so i turn off the software ones, the Security Center detected my Panda Platinum firewall but it's turned off
I suppose the issue is, most people are not willing to cover the extra expense so make do with what they get with the OS. Hardly MS's fault though.
Why? Read the prompt carefully (and during the beta, this text changed quite a bit): "Windows has blocked certain features of this program..."
Previous in the beta it used to say "Windows has prevented this program from receiving unsolicited communication..." which was more confusing but more direct as to what was going on.
The reason the prompt even comes up is because Windows knows the program can accept UDP streams, or provides a server service of some kind. In the case of messenger, the only feature that is broken by not allowing it (using the example above, you can actually DENY messenger access and it will still work!) will be file transfers.
Another good example is WMP, when attempting to listen/view streams from the internet. Most are connectionless/UDP streams, and will cause a warning in windows firewall. Firewall will prompt a blockage warning, since most fast streams are UDP. It will usually still work since a fallback for UDP streaming (WMP9 level I think) is connection-based HTTP polling, which won't be blocked by the firewall, since you solicited the information.
So Windows Firewall is not by any stretch an outbound firewall, it is merely allowing you the option to be less restrictive on the inbound data.
Hope that clears it up...
I have a router with NAT and I've never gotten any sort of virus or been hacked. Yet, according to the article, the protection I'm using isn't "serious" or good enough for full protection.
Personally I use NAT in conjunction with a software firewall on each PC (the routers firewall is a pain to configure, it isn't app aware, so I leave it turned off.)
They do, if you want them to. iptables (linu
Of course, it can't be so crappy that its a neagitive, however even it is +1 or higher, it is still worth to have it installed and operating.
There are several browsers, for example, which are much richer in features and probably a whole lot more stable and secure than IE. What's the most popular browser though?
It isn't a commercial firewall. It's for people who have no idea what a firewall is, or for people who need only basic security.
But I'm not going to split hairs here, of course there are firewalls that have more features -- I just think that it's a bit more than "Basic" security.
Come on, download the program called 'Windows Sniper' and set it to press "Accept" when a program tries to use the TCP stack. When it does. It should pop up for .01ms then WS will see the window, click it, and the user won't know what happened. That's all that a virus needs.
However, for the same virus to get to that computer. It'd need to have the system UNFIREWALLED. (Which the WF will protect from.)
Come on, you can lock somebody OUT of your house. Make it 'impossible' to get in... but people on the inside still need an easy way out. (EG... An unlock button/keys next to the door)
Meh.
But, what the point is... Is... Once you HAVE the malware... The malware is 'god'.
Heck, the malware has more permission than you do!
i checked my system with Symantec's Security Check & GRC's Shields UP services, and it passed the test. all ports were stealth, ignoring incoming packets..
so please..
Microsoft makes good software, they get a lawsuit.
Microsoft makes bad software, people complain because their computers are full with security holes.
STOP COMPLAINING PEOPLE GO DO IT YOURSELF YEAH?
STV
The above combination, along with an ounce or two of common sense, provides enough protection for my use.
Each to their own but sometimes I feel there is more than a little paronoia being generated, often by those with an interest or product to sell.
btw, I disabled this FW, each time you run some server app you have to create a rule... I hope the business firewall is good enough to stop intrusions from the public internet...
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