Re: Microsoft Firewall Necessary Behind Broadband Router?

On Fri, Aug 13, 2004 at 05:36:31PM -0700, Jon Forrest wrote:
> I'm starting to get questions from users asking
> whether they should use Microsoft's firewall
> when they're at home behind one of those common
> Netgear/Linksys/Dlink routers. These routers
> usually have a basic firewall built in.

...and it's usually set to the factory default password.

> Do you think the potential problems caused
> by the MS firewall are worth the trouble
> when a user is already behind a home router?

Well, it depends on your level of sensitivity, and the topology of the
network, but I'd say if you have any concern about security, you
should have a client firewall installed. What if one of the other
computers behind the firewall gets broken into? What if there's a
hole in the cheap Linksys firewall that lets attackers get behind it?

-- 
Tom Holub (tom_holub@LS.Berkeley.EDU, 510-642-9069)
College of Letters & Science
249 Campbell Hall
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The following was automatically added to this message by the list server:
For information about Micronet, including subscribing to
or unsubscribing from its mailing list and finding out
about upcoming meetings, please visit the Micronet Web site:
<http://micronet.berkeley.edu/>.