Got ZoneAlarm on my HomeBox and running a WhoIs on the trollers is becoming a favorite past time.

Interestingly, in addition to the "Frodo", "Gandalf" script jocks, there is a growing number of sophisto-trollers out there - anyones guess what their agenda is...

>>I agree that a hardware firewall is probably better protection than software like ZoneAlarm, but the main point is that ZoneAlarm is better than having nothing at all.
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>And, IMO, unless you're running a high-profile site, just about all you need. I mean, really, who's going to brag about hacking into Mike Stewart's personal home box? Shut down the ports to keep the script kiddie scanner's away, and that's about all you probably need to do in the real world.
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>>You're certainly entitled to your opinion of ZoneAlarm being a "laughing stock", but it would be more helpful if you could post URLs listing the problems, and even better, solutions if available.
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>I was kind of thinking the same thing myself.
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>>"My feelings are that if you're online, you're at risk." True in a mathematical sense, in that risk can never be reduced to zero. But saying "it's pretty much possible to hack your way into almost anywhere" is FUD. Yes, if you're opening ports, running Web, FTP servers etc. you have to be very careful.
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>Umm, IIRC (and it's been years since it was important to me, so I could be wrong), the instant you connect a network cable to the box, it no longer qualifies for C2 security. IOW, if bits can be sent and received down the wire, it's theoretically possible that someone will find a hole.
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>>However, the typical home broadband user isn't doing this,
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>Your typical home broadband user has vacation photos and smarmy emails from their significant others on the drive, and little else of importance. Using my example above, it's the bored hacker that wants to see what's on my home network. I don't even keep interesting Microsoft stuff (besides a late build of VFP7) on the home box (partly because that raises my responsibility for keeping people out). The only source code I keep on the home box are some VFP tests, examples, and frameworks; even those aren't exactly "inside information". If anyone wants them, they just need to ask, they don't need to hack the box. :-)
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>> You seem to imply that if a determined hacker wants control of your machine/network, and your security is less than that of the NSA, you're going to get hacked - and that simply isn't true.
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>I'd disagree. If a determined hacker wants into your box, odds are they know more about getting in than you know about keeping them out. But, the odds of them wanting in very badly in the first place are pretty low.
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>Though I would advise anyone with a static IP (or something resembling it, as is with some cable modem providers) to run some sort of firewall, I'll bet you could run nothing and only get scanned at worst. I think it's kind of like the virus hype. If you take a few well-documented precautions, odds are that you'll never experience a problem.