Are firewalls really needed?

[hello people]

It depends on, how far are you willing to go.
So, how much security do you desire?
Are you ok with inbound only control?
Do you want to block all inbound connections or do you need some exceptions?
Or do you need full-blown outbound control?

So, you have to choose your own balance of convenience and security. And we will support you on achieving it

Well I think I would like some pretty stringent control over it...inbound and outbound. I just noticed that there are at least 10 Hewlett Packard entries to be found in my firewall. I don't like the idea of my $80 beater printer communicating with the internet for any reason at all. That's just for starters. When I'm back at my home PC I'll be able to make more in depth comments.

Anyway...thanks I'll be back

 

[Layback Bear]

Please come back. You have a concern that many of us have. We do not want to have are computers talking back and fourth with out our permission. I have very good luck using built in Windows 7 firewall set a default and monitoring msconfig. Nothing in my computer checks for updates on auto and installs them. If you do it this way you will have to watch things yourself to make sure your programs security updates are done. It is extra work but it is safer in my opinion. Why would any body let there printer gab on the internet with out permission. You have concerns that many of us do. Take care and please come back.

 

[hello people]

Ok well...here's a start...in this pic I can see that there are many 'hp' entries in the inbound firewall settings...

So...is that a problem...they are inbound...does that mean Hewlett Packard are talking to my computer?

One more thing...I just set my firewall to 'block' all outgoing things...in doing this have shot myself in the foot in any way?

thanks

 

[Keiichi25]

I think most of those are from the HP software installed on your computer, not particularly your printer. Remember, HP tends to throw on a bunch of stuff, one of which is for your printer for management, but it also throws other miscellaneous stuff on there it thinks you want or need, but in all honesty, it is just fluff.

Now all that software... It is going to go to HP asking if there is an update to the software. I think even one of the management software is also looking to see if there are new drivers for the printer as well, which is why you are seeing so many things going out to HP.

 

[WindowsStar]

Ok well...here's a start...in this pic I can see that there are many 'hp' entries in the inbound firewall settings...

So...is that a problem...they are inbound...does that mean Hewlett Packard are talking to my computer?

One more thing...I just set my firewall to 'block' all outgoing things...in doing this have shot myself in the foot in any way?

thanks

Ahhhhh, Yeah I would remove all the HP exceptions in the firewall! I hate that HP does that.

 

[Maxxwire]

I was wondering if Windows Firewall detects and reports these daily system32\rundll32.exe outbound connection attempts in Win 7 which I have been able to block with the Comodo Firewall...

Also, does the Windows Firewall have a 'Stealth Ports Mode'?

~Maxx~
.

 

[hello people]

What's the best way to remove them? (without at this stage using a 3rd party firewall)

thanks

 

[CarlTR6]

There is an addon to Windows Firewall that makes it easy to block outgoing. I have forgotten the name of it. I will try to find it.

 

[Maxxwire]

What's the best way to remove them? (without at this stage using a 3rd party firewall)

thanks

I didn't even know that these information gathering activities were going on in Win 7 until the Comodo Firewall informed me that they were. The question remains if MS wants you to be able to use their Windows Firewall to block their own information gathering efforts or not?

~Maxx~

 

[Maxxwire]

There is an addon to Windows Firewall that makes it easy to block outgoing. I have forgotten the name of it. I will try to find it.

I hope that you locate it. A program with those capabilities would make it a lot easier for people to protect their privacy while using Windows Firewall!

~Maxx~
.

 

[CarlTR6]

The security Gurus know what it is; they have posted it before. I couldn't remember which treads it is in.

Found it - Windows Firewall Control Center Windows 7 Firewall Control : Sphinx Software

 

[tw33k]

Windows 7 Firewall Control 3.0 Review and Download

 

[CarlTR6]

Thanks, tw22k; I finally found it.

 

[Maxxwire]

Does the Windows 7 Firewall Control software detect the system32\rundll32.exe information gathering patrols scheduled into Win 7 as the Comodo Firewall does?

~Maxx~
.

 

[CarlTR6]

I don't know the answer to that, Maxx. Sometime this week, I plan to uninstall Comodo and give Windows Firewall + Firewall Control a try. I really am not happy with the latest version of Comodo. It is not as user friendly as the previous version.

 

[Maxxwire]

I plan to uninstall Comodo and give Windows Firewall + Firewall Control a try. I really am not happy with the latest version of Comodo. It is not as user friendly as the previous version.

I am looking forward to hearing how Windows Firewall + Firewall Control works out for you. I had just the opposite reaction to Comodo v5 though in that after running several iterations of v3 and v4 I find that v5 to be eerily quiet, but I also know that the developers have designed it to be as unobtrusive as possible and still deliver the top rated protection that Comodo has become known for.

~Maxx~
.

 

[hello people]

Thanks everyone for the earlier replies. I'm going to give that Windows Firewall option a go before looking into Comodo. There was some....unpleasantness I seem to recall with Comodo burrowing into your system like a termite some years ago....some big backlashes...I mean...that's what I heard

 

[Fayla]

The last time I used a firewall other than the one that came with Windows was in 2003/2004. it was Zone Alarm. back then i didn't have a router (had an ADSL modem instead.)

Personally, I don't see a real need for third-party firewalls considering that most Internet providers give you a router nowadays. That and the firewall built into Windows is awesome.

MSE + Windows Firewall + IPSEC Block Settings + Router

Besides even if your are on a firewall anyone could still knock you offline with enough bandwidth (like zombie machines running trojans) or if they were on a 100meg atm link or something."

Do you agree with that statement?

 

[CarlTR6]

Thanks everyone for the earlier replies. I'm going to give that Windows Firewall option a go before looking into Comodo. There was some....unpleasantness I seem to recall with Comodo burrowing into your system like a termite some years ago....some big backlashes...I mean...that's what I heard

To be fair, any and all security programs burrow deeply into your system. They have to in order to protect the system. Some are worse than others. This is why many of us recommend using the uninstall tools to get rid of one.

 

[hello people]

Yeah sure...I just seem to recall that Comodo had it's name dragged though the mud somewhat. But that was 3 or 4 years ago...