Firewall, Is It Necessary For Stand-alone Users ? Do I Need It ?

Replies

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  Satya Swaroop Dash

  Well you might require a Firewall to prevent unauthorized access. While dedicated Firewalls like Comodo are too serious for an average user the Windows Firewall or the Firewall package that comes with your Internet Security suite like Kaspersky Pure is good enough for home users.
  For someone who stays online most of the time while on the computer, I have seen by system being attacked by hackers from spoofed IPs. But I would not have known about it if my Kaspersky Internet Security had not warned me about it. While these attacks are not that frequent once I had an attack from some 30 IPs at once. I did not know what that was about but I do not seem the kind of person who might have confidential data. But still Firewalls actually prevent unsecured installed programs from getting on the internet and sending info. I suggest if you do have a Windows PC, keep the OS Firewall on.
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  Ashraf HZ

  Its not only about protecting against external threats, but also from internal threats. If there is a rouge software trying to communicate out from your PC, your firewall will usually block it.
  
  #-Link-Snipped-#, try to run the netstat command, and you'll see how many active connections there running in Linux across various ports. By the way, is your iptables installed?
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  Abhishek Rawal

  ash

  By the way, is your iptables installed?

  Nope. Should i install ?
  BTW I am reading this article : #-Link-Snipped-# & trying to learn something related to it.
  I don't have much knowledge about it.
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  Jeffrey Arulraj

  Firewall is just a fence around your city You can give access for both outsiders and also some insiders to communicate to the Net through the Firewall
  
  But If you run confidential or some stuff which your friends ( Hackers are generally friends) to see Better install your Firewall with your OS
  
  Separate firewall is not necessary for a single user unless he is upto something uber cool
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  Anand Tamariya

  Firewalls were needed with flawed security model in previous versions of windows which didn't distinguish between admin and normal users. With Win7, this has been corrected. As long as you carefully pick and choose the applications that you install on your modern OS, you don't need a firewall.
• 

  Abhishek Rawal

  Anand Tamariya

  As long as you carefully pick and choose the applications that you install on your modern OS, you don't need a firewall.

  I am using lots of third-party PPAs for testing, just because I enjoy, but those PPAs are from reputed developers (not all), so still I need to setup UFW ?
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  Nayan Goenka

  Firewall is effective against a lot of things. Primary level of hackers, then some malicious scripts, backlinks that may poison your system. Also it filters alot of stuff that you dnt want. So its cool if you configure a firewall on your system at basic level. If you store any super important data on your system then i suggest you should get a firewall
• 

  Anand Tamariya

  Nayan Goenka

  Firewall is effective against a lot of things. Primary level of hackers, then some malicious scripts, backlinks that may poison your system. Also it filters alot of stuff that you dnt want. So its cool if you configure a firewall on your system at basic level. If you store any super important data on your system then i suggest you should get a firewall

  Now you are mixing firewall with system monitoring programs like anti-virus.
• 

  Kaustubh Katdare

  I got introduced to Firewalls a long time ago, during the days when personal firewalls were synonymous with a tiny software called "ZoneAlarm". I hope we've people here on CE who've used it 😀 . The software however slowed down the PC like there was no tomorrow.
  
  I think Firewalls are mostly effective in business environments where the machines must be protected from external attacks. Most of the 'home users' should be fine with the basic firewall that comes default with Windows.
• 

  Anil Jain

  Abhishek Rawal

  Is it necessary to setup Firewall for standalone user ?

  It is not necessary (mandatory), however I would say it is recommended if you have software's installed on your system that constantly communicate out of your PC.
  
  Also as every one is saying, it helps (Although now technology is at its peak, that saying it helps is not very justifiable) your system from external threats as well.
  
  -CB
• 

  Nayan Goenka

  Anand Tamariya

  Now you are mixing firewall with system monitoring programs like anti-virus.

  
  Firewall helps in blocking viruses and malicious scripts. you should know how to configure it. FYI antivirus programs are coded using the config files of inbuilt firewall using their modules. Also antiviruses are a derivative of firewalls concept.
• 

  Anand Tamariya

  Nayan Goenka

  Firewall helps in blocking viruses and malicious scripts. you should know how to configure it. FYI antivirus programs are coded using the config files of inbuilt firewall using their modules. Also antiviruses are a derivative of firewalls concept.

  If firewall did what AV did, there won't be separate terms for the same, would there be? In fact most companies even sell these products separately in addition to offering them as bundle.
• 

  Nayan Goenka

  Firewall means a filter. Whenever firewall is mentioned, we take it assumed that it is a network firewall. And it does what it does. Network Firewall can be configured to work like an antivirus to protect you from threats coming from network. Also firewalls can be configured to internally stop creating malicious content (outcome of scripts) and to protect itself from being a part of the malware chain.
  
  Now for the names and selling part, We are not discussing in regards to Solaris (network) Firewall and QuickHeal (internal) Antivirus. They are configured/developed to perform particular tasks. we are talking about firewalls i.e security or filters. They can be anything. And if you want, you can surf on CISCO training material, you can find scripts where a NETWORK firewall can be configured to work like your Antivirus. And that is pure type of anti-virus security. Not the Forged ones you get in market. They actually work in root environment or you can say kernel level. But it is not useful in daily use since it will also block a lot of your daily content and working.
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  Abhishek Rawal

  #-Link-Snipped-# So, inshort you mean UFW is not only firewall but also Anti-virus ?
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  Nayan Goenka

  Anand Tamariya

  If firewall did what AV did, there won't be separate terms for the same, would there be? In fact most companies even sell these products separately in addition to offering them as bundle.

  
  
  Firewall is a MUCH MUCH MUCH wider concept and stuff. it cannot be given to you as a one deal package so that you download it for free and enjoy. it is segregated for particular environment, like network or environment, then developed/configured then packaged and then sold accordingly. FYI Windows Firewall is not the only firewall. It is 1% of its application. firewalls could be huge hardware devices costing MILLIONS of $$. And I guess no such company who hosts its server behind such firewall is gonna trust a 20$ antivirus for its server security. They obviously configure their firewalls for the same purpose
• 

  Nayan Goenka

  Abhishek Rawal

  #-Link-Snipped-# So, inshort you mean UFW is not only firewall but also Anti-virus ?

  
  If UFW is supportive of modules that could be configured for blocking viruses, then yes. Depends on the products/modules/configuration. But I don't think that any cheap or free software would be able to serve both purpose. You need corporate firewalls for that.
  
  I worked/configured/(got trained) on Corporate FWs. So i know they can be configured as one package
• 

  Nayan Goenka

  Nowadays Servers are hosted not on real machines but we prefer virtual environment. HYPER-V is the thing you should lookup if interested in this technology. This has a number of advantages. And there is a wrong notion about Windows that it is unsecure or shitty or it gets easily hacked. Well it is not so. A simple server can be easily made unbreakable using only default content. Administrator must know how to use/configure the windows FW. 99% of hacks are result of misconfiguration.
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  Abhishek Rawal

  Nayan Goenka

  I worked/configured/(got trained) on Corporate FWs. So i know they can be configured as one package

  Did you worked/configured/got trained on Corporate FWs on Windows ?
• 

  Nayan Goenka

  Abhishek Rawal

  Did you worked/configured/got trained on Corporate FWs on Windows ?

  
  
  Yes on Windows as well as CISCO and Solaris products. They actually are good all three of them.
• 

  Abhishek Rawal

  I am not good in networking stuff at all, so I read few articles which defines difference between FWs & AVs.
  This is nice read : #-Link-Snipped-#
  
  BTW, I have read in blog that few FWs are hybrid, like they contain AV modules + FW modules too like what #-Link-Snipped-# said.
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  Nayan Goenka

  I write my personal blogs on networking and stuff (security as well as hacking). If you are interested you can read them. But they are just basic stuff for now. I havent updated the content since there are many readers not yet ready for it. BTW copies are already made on CE posts. You can look it up from May i guess.
  
  For link :
  #-Link-Snipped-#
• 

  Anand Tamariya

  Nayan Goenka

  And if you want, you can surf on CISCO training material, you can find scripts where a NETWORK firewall can be configured to work like your Antivirus. And that is pure type of anti-virus security. Not the Forged ones you get in market. They actually work in root environment or you can say kernel level. But it is not useful in daily use since it will also block a lot of your daily content and working.

  A knife can kill people. But is it considered a weapon - no. A Firewall CAN be configured (do CISCO lords do that?) to be an AV; but is it an AV - NO!!!
  
  And do we need vendors marketing euphemism convincing the end-user to buy firewalls, my answer would be an emphatic no!!
• 

  Nayan Goenka

  Anand Tamariya

  A knife can kill people. But is it considered a weapon - no. A Firewall CAN be configured (do CISCO lords do that?) to be an AV; but is it an AV - NO!!!
  
  And do we need vendors marketing euphemism convincing the end-user to buy firewalls, my answer would be an emphatic no!!

  
  #-Link-Snipped-# . Well dude its a fact that a FW can be configured as an AV. And btw any antivirus you get in market today for personal use it nothing but a package which filters malwares produced by other AV company and create its own BotNet network. So vendors/markets/distributions can do shit but a good admin only trusts his configuration. These companies dont focus on retail hacks/ viruses, tailor made malicious stuff. So they wont detect it. So in corporate servers, we dnt even think of buying an antivirus. We configure network components and HYPER-V and Windows FW if the client is not ready to buy an external FW. Dont assume that FWs are only softwares. They are individual dedicated machines/ like real hardware. You can also Google it. in addition you can search for IPS/IDS systems. They will clear your doubts.
  
  And yes CISCO FWs have the feature to be configured as AVs. Its an understood feature while selling it. You dont really think that companies trust your Quickheal or AvG for their security. inbuilt AV modules are an understood feature of buying a FW. Its like buying a TV and thinking if we get a remote control with it. Of course you do. They are an integral part. So you dont go on selling a TV and a remote separately. And QuickHeal/McAfee is not the ultimate virus protection. I think some Googling is in order for you
  
  FYI, you cannot carry a knife in an airplane. So YES its a DEADLY WEAPON under first degree. Even a NailCutter/Filer
• 

  Anand Tamariya

  Nayan Goenka

  #-Link-Snipped-# . but a good admin only trusts his configuration.

  That's precisely my point - guess you love to be verbose!!!
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  Nayan Goenka

  I said that in my previous reply that 99% hacks are result of misconfiguration. it is true for viruses/ and AV stuff too. I guess i already told that earlier.