Security Advice For Beginners - Don't Run A Firewall

December 3rd, 2005 • Related • Filed Under

Filed Under: Internet News

Tags: Security

One of my partners has put together a fairly comprehensive Beginners Guide To Securing A PC.  However, Martin has one piece of advice which I don't personally think is a good tip for beginners.   He argues that a software firewall gives a false sense of security, as trojans and worms can still exploit other vulnerabilities.

Although, I agree that this is true and that a properly patched machine could get away without running a firewall I think this is very dangerous advice to give to a computer novice.  Yes, running a firewall isn't the only solution to going online safely but it's a big component in my view.

I've never risked running a computer without a firewall, although I was tempted in the past because of the resource drain, but now that I've got PC-cillin I'll never switch off my firewall.  When I think about what could happen and how quickly it could happen, I would never take the risk.

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About the Author

Everton is based in London and has worked in the internet and mobile space for over ten years now, and before that worked in corporate strategy and consulting. He has a degree in Economics from Cambridge University, and currently runs the Portal and online operations for one of the largest ISPs in the UK. He also writes for Windows 7 News.

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There Are 2 Responses So Far. »

1. #1

   Comment by Anonymous on 4 December 2005:

   I don't run a firewall, although I'm planning to get a hardware firewall soon. I don't see the purpose of a software firewall and can't think of a threat that it could reasonably defeat.
   External threats should be dealt with by shutting down all non-essential services. Internal threats can defeat any software firewall. Thus what I always advise non-expert users to buy a nice hardware firewall integrated with their DSL modem. The cost is not that much more than a paid software firewall and the security is hugely better.
2. #2

   Comment by Anonymous on 24 February 2006:

   i agree, a software firework is junk, as it is easily exploited and drains resources, but it is not useless.
   I have a linksys router, and thats my firewall, but whenever i do banking/credit card online, i run a software firewall (ZoneAlarm pro), to close off my internet completely from all programs (except give firefox passkey).
   This also closes my ~20 open ports (from port forwarding on router) for filesharing / games.
   Verdict: get a router!

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