Attached Link: http://msnbc.com/news/550567.asp

Many websites are still Wide Open for most theives and hackers. Very little is being done about. Most people and websites remain extremely vulnerable...

You have no idea of the number of warez sites piggybacked onto honest FTP sites where the people (many of them software developers) have not implemented even basic security measures. This kills me. People lock their homes and cars and stash valuables, yet leave their online homes, shops, etc. wide open. I talked to a guy where hackers had set up a warez FTP site on his home computer! He had a cable connection and no protection. "I was wondering why my computer was so slow" he said. Man, if I could have reached through the ether and slapped him!

So what does one do about it? What sort of software packages are available to ordinary desktop users to prevent this? Including those on dial up? I tried BLACK ICE but is NEARLY DESTROYED MY DATA. Fortunately I was able to uninstall it before too much damage was done.

Attached Link: http://www.zonelabs.com

Zone Alarm is free for home users. It's a software firewall and probably minimum protection for Cable/dsl/high-speed users. Those on dial up have the best protection...a slow connection. Takes too long to transfer files. A firewall doesn't hurt though.

Aside from often badly unguarded websites- which many people provide as excellent free storage spaces for hackers, the "always on" broadband connections are also great for hackers too. Most people who sign up for broadband cable, and who often can afford to have a nice powerful desktop computer as a web-surfing toy and game platform, are really clue-less about the dangers- and opportunities for hackers... A good HARDWARE firewall, as well as a good software firewall are a good start. And aside from good anti-virus software that can alert you, and LOG, strange occurances, can help. On Windows (and many broadband suppliers do NOT tell their customers about it) you can easily configure your machine to "log off" the network when you are not using it. And better yet, TURN OFF, your machine when not using it... But unfortunately, like Nosfiratu said, very non-computer oriented people can be clue-less even while hackers are using it, because they aren't noticing the slowing down or drive-lite activity that doesn't correspond to what they are doing... Websites are the same problem, really. Many people who run e-commerce sites barely know how to administer them, or bother to check their activity logs to spot suspicious log-ins, FTP's, mail-bouncing and a variety of other things. In this new internet age, most people barely know what is REALLY happening on their websites, and why they suddenly are ripped-off, or why their service providers suddenly shuts them down...

Attached Link: http://www.curiouslabs.com

I have several computers on a LAN behind a 5Mbit cable connection. Software firewalls like Zone Alarm are absolutely worthless, in my opinion. The hacker is already *in* your computer by the time ZA goes to work. And it, and others like Black Ice are available on lots of warez sites. Who knoes what workarounds have been discovered? Personally, I would NEVER trust a software firewall. My solution is a Linksys router/switch. It functions as a DHCP server, performs full NAT (address translation from public IP to invisible, private IPs such as 192.168.x.x), and blocks all WAN requests. I have run numerous checks including having hacking-savvy friends and "benevolent" hacking services (that access your system to tell you about vulnerabilities without doing damage), and they tell me my machines may as well not exist. Of course, I keep running routine checks. You can check your own security by visiting one of these sites. I highly encourage it! Anthony Curious Labs

Anothony, I agree 100%. I use a Linksys as well. What an improvement over my ZoneAlarm/WinGate software solution I was running for a few years. Clint

Is Linksys appropraite for a homeuser on a dialup? And just how vulnerable is a homeuser on a dialup? You all have painted a pretty grim picture for DSL.

A lot of this hardware is "relatively" inexpensive- meaning in the $200 range. For some people maybe that's a lot, but its YOUR computer, software, models and personal data you are protecting, so...

For Dial-Up users, 3Com makes a 56k "LAN Modem." It sits on an ethernet connection (in fact, it also contains a 4-port ethernet hub). It does the same thing as the Lynksys router, and it contains the modem right in it. The advantage is that if you have multiple computers, they can all access the internet through the single ISP connection. Of course, you still only have the throughput of a 56k modem, but you have the protection of the DHCP and NAT functions. - JimX

I agree with JimX. Modem users are not at as high a risk as the "Always On" connections like Cable and DSL. Some Cable and DSL users have a static IP address and this makes them even more vulurable since their IP never changes and a hacker can really pick on you. :( Most Cable and DSL users have a Dynamic IP meaning it changes of often. So to answer your question..No, The Linksys is not a good solution for a Dial up user. I would run ZoneAlarm for dial-up. Clint

What model LinkSys router is the one to use with cable ISP? It looks like LinkSys makes a wide variety of products.

Oh Sorry..Doh. I use the BEFSR41. I got mine at www.buycomp.com for $100.00 after rebate. :) Clint

Thanks, Clint. I will go have a look. I worked with a guy that used a router at home. At the time, I just thought him paranoid. Well, he is paranoid, but, it looks like he was right about using a router. I'm running ZoneAlarm, and have a static IP. I get some wierd hits. I don't think I've gotten many while here, though. I'm sure I'd be better off setting up for a dynamic IP. I don't intend to ever run a server.

Attached Link: http://www.smc.com/smc/pages_html/products.html

Also check out the SMC line and their Firewalls and Router boxes. Sonic Wall, Cisco and others are also worth checking into. Ask your Cable people, (if they will tell you,) what they might recommend... Also- if you have broadband, it is a little known feature of Windows (to end-user broadband customers anyway)that you can have a desktop short-cut that will disconnect you from the network, giving hackers a smaller "window of opportunity" to access your computer. This disconnect causes your IP to be unaccessable. Unfortunately I have heard that some services, like @HOME, don't allow this for some reason... It doesn't hurt to also use Norton's Personal Firewall. I have heard that it isn't that good of protection, but it is an EXCELLENT Firewall learning tool. You will discover the MANY WAYS hackers can get into your computer that you never knew existed. Chat Rooms are some of the WORST places (or BEST) for getting Hacked and Trojanized...

Because it's my job to deal with network security, and I like to play with HW/SW, I use an old Pentium box running Linux and various firewall software/proxy tools. For the less geek-inclined, I have been recommending the Linksys router to anyone who can use it, though many xDSL services only offer routers that have to be directly attached to a PC. If you can't use a router/firewall, Norton's Personal Firewall isn't impenetrable, but beats leaving the door unlocked and open. I too believe that you have to use a firewall if you have a broadband connection, or even if you leave a 56k dial-up on for long periods of time. Simply assuming that DHCP's changing IP addresses will make you safe is a big mistake. Sadly, we're reaching the point where Anti-virus and Firewall software is as important as the browser or email package.