XPSP2 security limitation

Hi:

I read Reverend's sticky of 9/8/04 on this and from there clicked the Release Notes link. But I did not find there the specific limitation that XP's firewall leaves me vulnerable to. (I have been using my XP firewall btw.) A friend warned me of this XPSP2 limitation but could not specifically name or describe it.

If someone could clue me in and give me his take on whether I can reasonably continue to use XP's XP2 firewall or whether I'd be safer with the free version of Sygate or ZoneAlarm, I'd be most appreciative.

xp firewall blocks incoming data but will not block or alert u to any dll's or programs sending data out of your computer like password sniffers or keyloggers etc

So that makes XP's firewall similar to the free ZoneAlarm and the free Sygate-they don't check outgoing stuff either. But Microsoft would not list that "deficiency" on their Release Notes I was also told a hotfix would be needed. AFAIK there's been no such fix. It's possible my informant was misinformed. I checked Microsoft's Release Notes but did not find any clues as to what the danger Microsoft saw was. Any further ideas as to what my informant was referring to or lwhere I can look? He was one of a number of technicians at my ISP's technical Help Desk, but I don't remember his name, so don't know how to get in touch with him again--and it's not a question that its his responsibility to answer.

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Originally Posted by wumply

So that makes XP's firewall similar to the free ZoneAlarm and the free Sygate-they don't check outgoing stuff either.

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Yes they do, in fact they won't let anything have access unless you approve it.

I'm sure that the XP firewall is tons better than no firewall at all but for best protection use one of the free ones that give you better control over what leaves your PC. JMO

I use both the XP firewall and a software firewall also.

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Originally Posted by rik

I use both the XP firewall and a software firewall also.

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Rik: Could you clarify for me two things: (1) what you see as the advantage of 2 firewalls and (2) by a software firewall, do you mean a a 3rd party firewall like ZoneAlarm or Sygate?

Yes I use Sygate as well as the XP firewall. The reasoning? Paranoia I suppose. It isn't like I have anything in my system that is of value to anyone but me but, it's the privacy thing to me. And I guess that it's an archaic notion but if 1 is good then 2 should be better...right?

It's always better to have a few layers of security. Our corporate network has a firewall, our labs within the network have firewalls, within the labs there are a few firewalls. All the way down to the individual system.

Good castles have moats and walls.

The only concern with many firewalls are the access rules can conflict in different layers, also there are some compatibility issues with certain software firewalls and XP SP2 firewall.

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Originally Posted by petard

Good castles have moats and walls.

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But a sneaky theif enters thru the backdoor ;)