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Re: Firewall answer to avoid RPC Termination? |
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| message from Bruce Chambers on 5 Jun 2004 |
Greetings --
Given today's widely-publicized and well-known hostile Internet
environment, only a fool or a masochist would go on-line without both
a firewall and antivirus protection. People really shouldn't need to
be told to use a firewall, no more than they should need to be told
not to stick their hands into an open flame.
A properly configured firewall will go a long ways to safeguarding
your computer and data, and it will prevent your PC from being
infected by W32.Blaster.Worm, which attacks the RPC vulnerability of
unpatched machines. However, a firewall is not a cure-all or panacea;
it's only one component of a computer security model.
There are several essential components to computer security: a
knowledgeable and pro-active user, a properly configured firewall,
reliable and up-to-date antivirus software, and the prompt repair (via
patches, hotfixes, or service packs) of any known vulnerabilities.
The weak link in this "equation" is, of course, the computer user.
No software manufacturer can -- nor should they be expected to --
protect the computer user from him/herself.
To learn more about practicing "safe hex," start with these links:
Protect Your PC
http://www.microsoft.com/security/protect/default.asp
Home Computer Security
http://www.cert.org/homeusers/HomeComputerSecurity/
List of Antivirus Software Vendors
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;49500
Home PC Firewall Guide
http://www.firewallguide.com/
Scumware.com
http://www.scumware.com/
Bruce Chambers
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| Bruce Chambers replied to Bruce Chambers on 5 Jun 2004 |
Greetings --
If you truly believe that, you need to learn a little bit about
installing, configuring, and using computer software in general.
Based on my years of experience, I can honestly say that it takes a
lot of effort and no little bit of creativity to make most antivirus
applications cause problems.
Bruce Chambers
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| Tom replied to Bruce Chambers on 5 Jun 2004 |
I would agree with you for anyone that is not very PC savvy. But I can tell
you I don't use an AV of any kind because I don't screw around with files I
don't know, nor do I download files and executables that are valid from good
sources. I stopped using an AV over year ago, and have had no problems. I
keep my Windows up to date, and maintain a good firewall, as well as have my
email/internet security settings set high.
I used Norton's up until a year ago (used McAfee for two days until it
trashed my system years ago) and got tired of subscribing over and over
again without getting infected, or it wouldn't do the right job. But mostly,
it is hog-ware, and very intrusive, and caused problems from time to time. I
did use the free versions from Grisoft, and they are not as intrusive, but I
feel good enough about my PC habits, that I can do without any of them.
But for 99.9999% of everyone else, it is definitely a necessity to have a
decent AV running on their PCs.
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