[davemendoza]

For the future I want to get suggestions on a good firewall. I bought the norton and ghostware priogras but found them to be horried. I had sucvh a bad experience not being able to access my email that I gave up on it and depended on XP's built in firewall. Now here I am 7 hours later and still scanning my computer to find the cuplrit.

I ran bitscan and it took forever to scan and when all was said and done found only 1 infection. I am now running ravantivirus and that is taking forever as well and yet doesn't appear to identify infections as they come in!

I have ewido, spybot, spydoctor, avg, and antivir and still I get infected after just cleraning it up so I want to be preemptive next time and get this firewall issue resolved.

What can you suggest for firewalls for my desktop and wireless laptop >? I use a wireless D-Link router. I also have a network with a laptop and my son's desktop connected ... I do not want to risk losing the connections or email acess like before.

I recall a year ago when I tried a fire wall I could get internet but not email via my outlook.

Any great free ones?

Thanks

Edited by davemendoza, 11 August 2005 - 05:26 PM.

[Advertisements]

Zone Alarm is probably the most used

http://www.filehippo...ware/firewalls/

Read up on them and choose whichever suits

[Retired Tech]

Zone Alarm is probably the most used

http://www.filehippo...ware/firewalls/

Read up on them and choose whichever suits

[davemendoza]

Thanks. Does it address the issue of firewalls' adversely blocking off outlook email flow?

[Retired Tech]

Should not be a problem, it should ask the first time any programme try to access the internet, you choose block or allow, if you wish to make the choice stand, you tick remember this decision

[davemendoza]

I just bought Zone Alarm Pro and within teh last few hours I have used it I am disappointed. I had malware or a virus that attacked my taskbar which forced me to reload my XP altogether ... despite having ewido, AVG, spy doctor, spybot, etc ......

so here we go with my concerns with Zone Alarm, maybe I jsut didn't set up the options as well as I could ....


I tested my systems at Gibson Research Corp site's Leak Test and it showed that my connection was stil being penetrated. I also noticed that despite the fact that Ewido, spydoctor, RAV Anti-virus and AVG showing nothing in the system, Spybot has over and over again caught teh following spyware ---- SINCE I got Zone Aram today:

Advertising.com
Avenue A, Inc.
Doubleclick
Fastclick
MediaPlex

I do it over and over to remove and tehy keep coming up, despute beiong loaded to teh teeth now with all the recommended Software and firewall.

So tell me, what should I be sure to click in the options on Zone Alarm to be sure I can get nothing else through but still maintain a healthy and enjoyable internet surfing and email via outlook experience?

ARE THERE MUST HAVE PRIVACY SETTINGS I SHOULD USE? WHAT SHOULD I CLJECK AND NOT CLICK IN SETTINGS?

ONE LAST THING .... What really irks me is that now since Zone Alarm was installed I cannot see teh icons to sites or to click on next to teh descriptions at my fave site, www.gorillamask..net ... I assume it is because Zone Alarm kills animation ... how do I get to use this site and still maintain protection?

[Johanna]

Firewalls will not prevent spyware. Firewalls only follow rules. Software doesn't prevent spyware. It can detect it by using a database, but once you "click to accept", any program, legit or not, the program is in. With an XP firewall and a router (in a sense, a hardware firewall), you should not "need" another firewall (in theory) but a good third party firewall can be configured for maximum security, and will keep event logs. A firewall will not allow unauthorized internet activity, but will not protect you from spyware.

If your firewall was blocking your email, that is more than likely a settings issue.

There are a few spyware prevention programs- spyware blaster comes to mind right away. It uses a database to warn you if "known problems" are present, so the protection is only as current as the updates.

Tips for the prevention of spyware:
Set active X & Java etc to "prompt" and only accept the scripts from sites you trust. Do not download or "accept" anything from sites you do not trust. Never click on links contained in email spam. Stay away from warez, cracks and P2P sites. Get more info on the G2G malware forum.

Tracking cookies are not necessarily spyware, but they are an invasion of privacy. The first three things on your list are relatively harmless, but a nuisance nonetheless.

I'm not familiar with ZA, but it probably has a "preferences" or "options" menu to make your privacy selections.

Johanna

[davemendoza]

Thanks Johanna,

Where do I go to configure Active X itself or Java? I just reloaded my XP and I did download Active X in order to run an on site antivirus scan by RAV ANtivirus .... but never configured Active X itself

[Excal]

Hi davemendoza,


If you chose to keep on using IE, this is a great site with info on how to better secure it (including ActiveX settings)

https://netfiles.uiu.../ie/ie-opts.htm


Good luck,



Excal

[davemendoza]

Do I allow access permanentlt for LSA Shell - it gives a High Zone Alam alert but I was merely trying to oen the help option in Zone Alarm when it came up

[Johanna]

A fast Google search indicates that LSA Shell is asociated with the Sasser Worm...but who knows? The important thing to keep in mind when setting your firewall permissions is "Did I call on this program to access the internet?" If the answer is "Yes", it is a legit rule to make. If the answer is "What is this thing and why does it want on the net?", do not allow it permission and Google its name for more information. A firewall is a software tool that allows you to establish the rules.

Johanna