Re: Firewall/Router necessary?

[This followup was posted to comp.security.firewalls and a copy was sent
to the cited author.]

In article <1133159764.674585.140940@g49g2000cwa.googlegroups.com>,
rsjones20@yahoo.com says...
> XP SP1 with ICF turned off.
>
> I ran the GRC scan and no ports open except 1025 - Task Mgr.
>
> http://www.rsjones.net/img/grc_XP.gif
>
> Any need for a firewall or router?

  YES! Is there any reason you have not updated to XP SP2? Your computer
could already be infected.

  For broadband connections, you should have at leaset a basic broadband
router, even for just one computer. It will give some decent protection
due to the NAT routing it uses to let multiple computers look like one
address to your modem. Even then, I would still use a software firewall
on the computer, since most 3rd party ones can control what is sent,
too. Also, if you hook up multiple computers, this gives you some
protection if one of them becomes infected.

  At the bare minimum, either update to SP2 and use it's firewall, or
install some other software firewall. NEVER connect to the internet
without one, or your computer will be infected VERY fast. Even if you
currently have dial-up, you still need a firewall.

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