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Originally Posted by Steve Vogt
As far as firewalls go, software based ones "don't really" protect you from intruders, more so alerts you when new programs are accessing the internet. If you want a good firewall, use a router.
Hardware Protection > Software Protection - In regards to firewalls.
FYI: I heard CCleaner had spyware in it. I am going to try and find where I read that, but does anyone else know if this is true?
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Ummm, pretty much all of the above is
NOT true.
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As far as firewalls go, software based ones "don't really" protect you from intruders
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That is totally false as software based firewalls certainly can and do protect you from intruders as they block unauthorized access to all your ports, all 65,535 of them! You might want to check Steve Gibson's
Shields UP!! to see if yours are open, closed, or in stealth status.
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more so alerts you when new programs are accessing the internet.
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That is only a small part of their function, and only with some firewalls. Windows Firewall in XP, for example, only protects you from unauthorized
incoming access attempts. With all other firewalls (ZoneAlarm, Comodo, Sunbelt Personal FW, etc) their
PRIMARY function is to block unauthorized
incoming access attempts, however, they also attempt to control unauthorized outgoing access attempts too. This is necessary if spyware some how gets past your defenses and attempts to "phone home" without your permission.
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If you want a good firewall, use a router.
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A router is NOT a firewall! A firewall, whether hardware or software based, is a system that protects resources in a network.
A router simply connects two networks by routing data packets between the two networks. NAT (network address translation) found in many SOHO type Cable/DSL broadband routers is simply a byproduct security feature that, along with DHCP (dynamic host configuration protocol), assigns private, non-routable IP addresses to network nodes (networked devices on your network - computers, print servers, NAS, etc.). A router
with NAT and DHCP provide effective
firewall-like features - but a router is not a true firewall.
It is essential that
every computer that attaches to the Internet have a good software based firewall. I strongly recommend that all broadband users ALSO use a router with NAT, even if you only have one computer on your network (your network being everything on your side of the router). A software based firewall on your PC and the use of a router with NAT provide a formidable defense against hacker attempting to access your system.
It is important to note that a router does not care what is going on in the "Trusted Zone" - your network. Malware actively seeks out other computers on your network, therefore, each computer on your network must have a software based firewall to monitor and protect from unauthorized access from your other networked computers too.
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FYI: I heard CCleaner had spyware in it. I am going to try and find where I read that, but does anyone else know if this is true?
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This is how silly rumors are propagated - it is best to do your research
before posting. Because CCleaner is packaged with the Yahoo Toolbar, some anti-malware programs see that as spyware because the toolbar wants to install itself in your browser, and so
falsely reports CCleaner as having spyware. If folks pay attention when installing CCleaner, the option to NOT install the toolbar is clearly displayed as jephree noted. I too have used and recommended CCleaner for years. It is spyware free and one of the best cleaners around. It also has a very capable, but conservative, registry cleaner as well that correctly prompts the user to backup the registry before making changes.
