Re: Zone Alarm & Wireless Access Point Security

On 11 Feb 2006 13:04:23 GMT, Ansgar -59cobalt- Wiechers
<usenet-2006@planetcobalt.net> wrote:

>Ajax wrote:
>> From the articles that I have read, the consensus among the people who
>> spend their days with computer security issues is that Zone Alarm is a
>> better firewall than what comes with XP.
>
>I'd like to see one (in words "one") technical reason why that would be.
>C'mon, just one single reason. Can't be that hard if all those "people
>who spend their days with computer security issues" are right.
>
>cu
>59-spending his days with FIXING computer security issues-cobalt

 Within my experience with Zone Alarm, I have watched it block
outgoing connection from various programs that I don't want calling
home whenever they desire. It has stopped programs from trying to act
as a server on the Internet too.

 Most of this software is benign in nature, but it can take up
bandwidth. Some of it is spyware and a lot of that is included with
computer games.

 On my nephew's computer, his computer games were installing all sorts
of minor malware that was constantly trying to call home. Zone Alarm
not only blocked these programs but it also alerted me to the fact
that I needed to get them off the computer.

 But since some computer games will not install or run without
installing these programs, all I have to do with Zone Alarm is to
block the outgoing connections and the programs become harmless.

 Another factor is that around the world, Microsoft products are the
targets of producers of malware. Though there have been attacks on
other systems, the vast majority of exploited security flaws are on MS
products.

 That is why I don't use MS Internet Explorer and why I think that
third party applications are less vulnerable to attack.

 Secondly, Microsoft has not exactly been a world leader in computer
security. In fact, most MS software has a third party competitor out
there that is better.

 The reason that I selected Zone Alarm is because it consistently is
rated #1 for personal firewalls and because those folks who deal with
security issues daily suggest that we all use a personal firewall.

 Use the XP firewall if that is what you want, don't use any firewall
at all if that is your choice. Go form a new sect of Islam where the
MS firewall is your prophet. It really does not matter to me.

 Can you answer my original question?
Received on Mon May 1 00:50:08 2006