Internetworkers: http://www.ibiblio.org/internetworkers/

[Edward Wesolowski <edwes AT idisplay.com>]

Shea:
Good, useful information. My Mother-in-law is considering cable modem. This 
is helpful.
Thanks.
Ed W.

At 09:44 PM 8/27/03 -0400, you wrote:
> I don't think Linux is a good choice for a casual home user who needs help
> from their son to maintain thier computer.
>
> I second the suggestion about getting them a Mac, but I'm realitic in that I
> understand your parents probably don't want to buy another computer and
> probably don't want to have to deal with software incompatibilities and
> such.
>
> Steve is entirely right about the Microsoft OS being fundamentally insecure.
> My first suggestion would be to get them a firewall device. If they had a
> cable modem, a good cable modem router will include NAT and a firewalling in
> the form of port blocking and stateful packet inspection.  Can you get them
> to get a cable modem?  If so, then buy a $69 linksys cable modem router or
> similar.
>
> But since they have dial-up, the selection is fairly limited.  Steve
> mentioned the airport and the old ones can actually handle a dial-up
> connection.  So that would be an option.  A device like the Nexland 100e
> ISDN/Analog Dial-up router would work also.  I think it sells for $45 retail
> and you can find it for like less than $20 on the net.  It does NAT, so that
> would give you a layer of protection.  I think linksys and Netopia also
> offer analog routers.
>
> As for software, I would suggest zone alarm or enabling XP's firewall.  XP's
> firewall is built in and it does stateful inspection of packets.
>
> shea
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Steven Champeon" <schampeo AT hesketh.com>
> To: <internetworkers AT lists.ibiblio.org>
> Sent: Wednesday, August 27, 2003 11:29 AM
> Subject: Re: [internetworkers] Windows Firewall
>
>
> > on Wed, Aug 27, 2003 at 11:22:26AM -0400, Craig Duncan wrote:
> > > With the recent spate of virus attacks, my parents are afraid to turn on
> > > their PC, let alone connect to the internet, thus defeating the purpose
> > > for which they purchased it. They use via dial-up modem to connect to
> > > the internet.
> > > Does anyone have any recommendations for firewall products compatible
> > > with Windows XP(Home Edition or other) and is there something better
> > > than Norton anti-virus. I would also be curious to know if there are
> > > any hardware firewalls that use dial-up for home use that they could
> > > use.
> >
> > Sorry, but Windows is an insecure OS, especially so when in the hands of
> > novices. If I were you, I'd install Linux or buy them a Mac if you're
> > worried about them getting infected (or infecting others). If nothing
> > else, at least get them to stop using IE and Outlook, the two most
> > common avenues for infection. And turn /off/ any services they don't need
> > to be running, which Microsoft helpfully left on and wide open to cut
> > down on their tech support costs.
> >
> > Perhaps it isn't obvious, but running firewall software on an insecure
> > OS is kinda like taping a deadbolt to a screen door.
> >
> > We run Linux as a firewall/masquerading intermediary between our internal
> > network and the Internet; at home, I use my Airport base station as the
> > "firewall". Any separate box between the Internet and unsafe OSes should
> > do the trick, whether it is a base station or cheap Pentium running Linux
> > in a masquerading configuration. But trusting firewalling software on the
> > very insecure OS it is trying to protect? Folly, pure and simple.
> >
> > --
> > hesketh.com/inc. v: (919) 834-2552 f: (919) 834-2554 w: http://hesketh.com
> > Book publishing is second only to furniture delivery in slowness. -b.
> schneier
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