ZoneAlarm - outdated?

[Fragbait]

Hi Moldran,

Bit of minor grumbling:

That vulnerability was fixed several weeks before Sasser broke out.

Had that 18 year old lad programmed it quicker, it could have been a danger before that vulnerability was fixed. And it didn't 'break out'.

they make uninformed users feel secure while they are in fact not. They reduce awareness for the true problems.

Uninformed users aren't aware of any problems. My grandparents have internet, and they aren't aware of any risks, no way.

But noone can tell you if your PFW will protect you from the next "big" worm.

You forget that there will also be newer versions of firewalls. It's a question of whom to trust: the capability of microsoft's programmers to close every security hole fast enough? (come on!) Or rather the smaller firewall producing companies, which are out of simple prestige reasons more unlikely to get hacked (how many people that you know use the same firewall compared to how many you know use the same OS?)

Do not run potentially dangerous programs

*any* user can easily follow these 5 tips.

Yeah, sure. Any user can of course easily estimate the danger potential that lies in some programs. I think you are concluding from yourself to others here. (example:my grandparents)

Do not surf with IE

That's in fact a bit complicated, since every Windows copy still includes IE, and many people don't even know the alternatives. That's partly Microsofts fault, I think, though I agree with you on this point.

get a real firewall.

According to PC Professional, these have holes, too. In any case they don't protect you from trojans.

Any plain NAT router offers more security than a PFW.

What the heck is a NAT router? And how should I or even lesser informed people know?
You know, there's an inadequate information flow that is founded in the desiderative interest that most people show when it comes to how a pc or a network works. For most of them all that counts is that it works. I think it has also something to do with the not-recognition of digital data as real commodity. If your pc got a worm - well, not too bad. Worst case is you format it and re-install everything. Same for a virus. Heck, some people even do that regularly, to 'keep it clean', their not-so beloved object of utility, and 'make everything go again'.
And as long as there are more people like that than computer foxes (like you? no offense!), these firewalls have their right to exist.
Well - perhaps when computer criminality gets able to actually hardware-wise destroy parts of the pcs, the safety awareness will grow.


Greetings, Fragbait


Edit: typo-god, what did I do wrong???