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Topic: Internet atacks |
Larry Robbins
From:
Fort Edward, New York
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Posted 18 Dec 2005 12:21 pm |
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Recently I started getting a lot of notices from my Norton Firewall that I had intrusion
attempts and did not need to do anything about them, and it was just a pop up window to let me know.I am not very computer literate(cant spell either)  but since the other day I have been checking my Norton and clicking on "statistics" after each time I click off the web. Sometimes I find I have been atacked as many as 60 or 80 times! Is this normal? I admit that I never probably checked until recently...did not have a reason to. Any info would help put my mind at ease or at least help put me wise..?
Thanks |
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Steinar Gregertsen
From:
Arendal, Norway, R.I.P.
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Posted 18 Dec 2005 12:33 pm
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Sounds pretty normal to me, and no need to worry,- most of what Norton defines as attacks are not necessarily malicious ones, and it takes care of those who are (or so I've been told.....).
Steinar
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www.gregertsen.com
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Wiz Feinberg
From:
Mid-Michigan, USA
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Posted 18 Dec 2005 12:38 pm
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Larry Robbins asked: quote:
Sometimes I find I have been atacked as many as 60 or 80 times! Is this normal?
Yes Larry, that is what firewalls have to fend off, everyday, all day long. That is why I preach about the importance of firewalls and tight security settings. Anybody who connects a Windows computer to the Internet, without a NAT router, or software firewall is going to have it taken over by a hijacker, or backdoor, via TCP/IP attackers, within one or two minutes, or less. I have seen attacks logged by my router's firewall within 15 seconds of turning on the DSL modem and getting an IP address assigned.
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Bob "Wiz" Feinberg
Moderator of the SGF Computers Forum
Visit my Wiztunes Steel Guitar website at: http://www.wiztunes.com/
or my computer troubleshooting website: Wizcrafts Computer Services
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Jim Peters
From:
St. Louis, Missouri, USA, R.I.P.
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Posted 18 Dec 2005 12:45 pm
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| Wiz, do you need a software firewall when using a router with a hardware firewall? JP |
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Wiz Feinberg
From:
Mid-Michigan, USA
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Posted 18 Dec 2005 1:09 pm
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quote:
Wiz, do you need a software firewall when using a router with a hardware firewall? JP
Not against incoming attacks, but definitely to protect against anything that slips in (as an embedded trojan) from calling out, or phoning home. Sometimes the only way you'll know that you have acquired a backdoor program is when your software firewall pops up an alert asking if you want to allow it to connect to wherever it is trying to go. It doesn't matter if the program has installed as a rootkit, or not, if it phones home your firewall should warn you about it, at least the first time.
Furthermore, if you are running Windows XP it has a built-in firewall against incoming traffic. In XP Gold and SP1 it is turned off by default, but in SP2 it is on by default. So in effect, even if you don't have a router, or if you use a dialup connection, with XP and the Windows Firewall turned on you have some protection.
If you have a broadband router, with a built-in firewall, and connect via Windows XP SP2, you now have two firewalls. Add a good software firewall from ZoneAlarm, Sunbelt/Kerio, or other major vendors and you are as well protected as you can get. If something should come in via an exploit your software firewall should alert you so you can scan for the threat with your up-to-date anti-virus and anti-spyware tools.
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Bob "Wiz" Feinberg
Moderator of the SGF Computers Forum
Visit my Wiztunes Steel Guitar website at: http://www.wiztunes.com/
or my computer troubleshooting website: Wizcrafts Computer Services
[This message was edited by Wiz Feinberg on 18 December 2005 at 01:10 PM.] |
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Steinar Gregertsen
From:
Arendal, Norway, R.I.P.
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Posted 18 Dec 2005 1:21 pm
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Wiz, for short period I had both the embedded firewall in Norton and the XP firewall on,- that made my computer slow down dramatically and finally almost stopping completely. Norton reommends turning off the XP firewall if you use their AV,- can you elaborate some more on this?
Also, a bit off topic perhaps, but someone posted this on another forum after visiting this forum:
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| Just a warning - every time I go to that page my computer goes haywire! PLUS I found 6 spyware objects on my computer that weren't there last night (maybe a coincidence but be warned). |
Steinar
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www.gregertsen.com
[This message was edited by Steinar Gregertsen on 18 December 2005 at 01:22 PM.] |
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Larry Robbins
From:
Fort Edward, New York
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Posted 18 Dec 2005 2:15 pm
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Thanks for the replies guys. Man...dont these people have anything better to do than to try and exploit other folks?
Do they ever get caught? If so is it just a slap on the wrist? Again, thanks for putting me at ease...a little.. |
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Wiz Feinberg
From:
Mid-Michigan, USA
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Posted 18 Dec 2005 9:46 pm
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Steiner;
Almost every firewall maker recommends turning off the XP firewall when you install theirs. If you find that your Internet rendering slows down disable the Windows firewall and see if things speed up. My thinking is that the Norton Personal Firewall was slowing you down, not the Windows XP firewall. I prefer the Kerio Firewall myself, which has been bought out by Sunbelt.
The SGF does not have spyware or other infections on the server, nor does it try to exploit anybody's computer or browser. If you know of anybody with a specific claim that they were infected while browsing the SGF have them contact b0b or me with their complaint. I don't think we would continue to have as many members as we do if the forums contained driveby downloads of spyware or adware.
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Bob "Wiz" Feinberg
Moderator of the SGF Computers Forum
Visit my Wiztunes Steel Guitar website at: http://www.wiztunes.com/
or my computer troubleshooting website: Wizcrafts Computer Services
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Steinar Gregertsen
From:
Arendal, Norway, R.I.P.
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Posted 19 Dec 2005 5:21 am
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Thanks Wiz, that's what I thought (regarding the spyware stuff). Hope you don't mind that I quoted you in a reply to this guy.
As for the Norton stuff,- my subscription runs out in a week, and I'll most probably ditch the whole Norton thing - it IS a terrible resource hog and slow, scanning my PC takes almost one and a half hour - and start using the AVG anti-virus instead. I'll check that firewall you mentioned.
Steinar
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www.gregertsen.com
[This message was edited by Steinar Gregertsen on 19 December 2005 at 05:22 AM.] |
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John Fabian
From:
Mesquite, Texas USA * R.I.P.
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Posted 21 Dec 2005 1:28 pm
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I ditched Norton AV 6 months ago for AVG and it made a big improvement in the perfomance of my 4 year old P3 laptop.
In January I could go back to
Norton because I'm getting a new computer and I doubt anything could slow it down but why bother.
[This message was edited by John Fabian on 21 December 2005 at 01:44 PM.] |
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Wiz Feinberg
From:
Mid-Michigan, USA
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Posted 21 Dec 2005 4:54 pm
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That's a good one John! Are you saying that your new computer is going to clock so fast that even Norton Internet Security Suite won't slow it down? It must have a Kryptonite Processor!
Regards, Mild Mannered Wiz |
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John Fabian
From:
Mesquite, Texas USA * R.I.P.
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Jeff Agnew
From:
Dallas, TX
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Posted 22 Dec 2005 7:39 am
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quote:
In January I could go back to
Norton
Only if you want to slow that AMD to a crawl, John |
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John Fabian
From:
Mesquite, Texas USA * R.I.P.
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Posted 22 Dec 2005 9:56 am
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| It's really kind of sad. I've been using Norton products for almost 20 years and while they typically perform their required tasks well they do not do it with any speed or a minimum of resources. Too bad because they could sell a lot more product if they did. |
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Bobby Lee
From:
Cloverdale, California, USA
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Posted 22 Dec 2005 10:03 am
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I use ZoneAlarm firewall. It's really good, IMHO.
It's sort of annoying that you can't buy the free home version of ZoneAlarm for business, though. You have to buy one of their more complex products which, coincidentally, nag you every day when your one-year subscription runs out.
I just got a new Dell computer for the inventory, billing and web site design, and I'll probably install the free ZoneAlarm anyway. I'd be happy to pay for it, but they won't sell me that version.
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 Bobby Lee (a.k.a. b0b) - email: quasar@b0b.com - gigs - CDs, Open Hearts
Williams D-12 E9, C6add9, Sierra Olympic S-12 (F Diatonic)
Sierra Laptop S-8 (E6add9), Fender Stringmaster D-8 (E13, C6 or A6) My Blog |
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