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Archiver > APG > 2001-09 > 1001806170


From: "Carson and Betty Turner" <>
Subject: RE: [APG] Security concern
Date: Sat, 29 Sep 2001 19:29:30 -0400
In-Reply-To: <003501c14931$d17c6460$0300a8c0@home>


As a Computer Literacy Instructor and Systems Security Specialist as well as
a stockholder (NYSE - AOL) I find myself needing to reply to this post at
least in part.

First let me say that a hardware firewall (router and hub) will in fact be
much more effective than a software solution such as BlackIce, NetworkIce,
ZoneAlarm, etc... with the understanding that those using a telephone line
based MODEM and dial-up will find that most cable/network routers do not
have provision for installation of the phone line and therefor the user
would be required to establish a home network before installing a router.
In my experience, most home computer users do not have the expertise nor do
they wish to invest the time to manage a home network. Add that the
connection is, comparatively, so slow that most hackers have little interest
in a dial-up machine. For those using telephone dial-up, a hub/router
firewall solution is probably major overkill.

That said, when connecting with ISDN, Cable, or Sat. Internet your
connection is "always on" and safeguards are needed to keep prying eyes and
malicious miscreants out of your computer. Installing a cable/network
router and hub is not that difficult a solution to your firewall needs but,
since there are many (millions of) computer users who still must call on
family and friends to install software, maybe recommending hardware
solutions is not the best advise. Those using network based modems
(RoadRunner for example) may wish to check whether their provider is using
the newer firewalled modems as a solution.

The software solution is probably the quickest and most cost effective fix
for the widest part of the computer user population. A simple purchase or
download followed by installation of software like Zone Alarm
<http://www.zonealarm.com>; can stop many port probes and external attack
attempts by making your network invisible to the outside world. An
advantage in ZoneAlarm is the ability to stop all internet trafic to your
machine with a single click. This software based firewall, working in
conjunction with an up-to-date antivirus engine, will mitigate most threats
to computer security that the typical user receives.

An upgrade of the software and hardware environment will make for a much
more enjoyable user experience and for those using their machine for work it
will make your work very much more efficient. Now that RAM is almost as
cheap as dirt and processor prices are down considerably -- there is no
better time to upgrade your computer. It is hard to explain the difference
that a doubling of RAM makes when your most common application is a database
such as a genealogy program; Managing your files could go from tedious to
instantaneous with the right amount of RAM. Upgrading without considering
systems security is a failure that could make you pull your hair out one day
as you lose all of your hard work to a virus/trojan based system failure.

My experience though when it comes to helping people remove virii from their
computer (which is really not as hard as it sounds) is not that their
firewall or AV software failed to prevent an attack but that they, through a
decided action, infected their computer by opening a file attached in email
and running it on their computer. So, after you get a good firewall and
antivirus solution running -- never open a file attachment from someone you
don't know, never open a file attachment with an extension of .exe, .bat, or
.com unless you are absolutely sure what it is, and never consider those
"OMG a new virus is out..." emails a fact without learning more first.
Never forward those warnings on to everyone you know.

Most important -- enjoy your computer!

Now about AOL -- AOL is the single largest provider of online/internet
services in the world. That's the whole world, not just the USA. Their
market share exceeds the cummulative total market share of many of the
competitors. No other e-business has had the impact over the past 6 years
on an increase in "connected families" than AOL and a valid argument can be
made that had AOL not presented its extremely pro-active marketing campaigns
of 94-97 (remember all those disks in the mail) that the internet as we know
it today would not exist at all.

As with any company, there are people who like a product and there are those
who don't. I personally like a Pontiac over Chevy and Ford. The fact that
some people like products that others don't doesn't make a product not
needed by anyone <"nobody needs AOL">

Many computer users do not want a software product that requires any sort of
maintenance or set-up. They want to "click and go" and AOL provides just
that interface -- "click and go". There are no POP or SMTP settings to
learn, no configuration of multiple products for multiple needs, nothing
hard to learn at all. For those that use their internet time to do nothing
more than check email each day for about 5 minutes and log-off -- AOL is a
great solution. While AOL provides an easy to use interface for
neophites -- there is absolutely nothing anyone online can do that I can not
accomplish with AOL. With a RoadRunner connection into AOL there is no
longer an argument that AOL is slower than xyz internet provider. As for
paying AOL "an extra $10 or $20 per month" -- my AOL account costs almost
$40 a month less than my RoadRunner account.

My point here is really, some people like AOL, some people don't! That
doesn't make AOL a bad product. There are many good reasons to use AOL --
there are many good reasons not to use AOL. Hey, there are many good
reasons not to use the internet at all.... Personally, I think everyone
should use AOL (and an AMD processor, stay at Choice Hotels, and buy a
Barbie Doll) -- I need for my stock values to go back up ;-)

Just my opinions, for what they are worth.

Carson Turner
Concord, NC


-----Original Message-----
From: Robert Montague [mailto:]
Sent: Saturday, September 29, 2001 5:58 PM
To:
Subject: RE: [APG] Security concern


I have two excellent suggestions:

1) Instead of using a software firewall such as ZoneAlarm, get a router
(hardware firewall).
2) Lose AOL. Nobody needs AOL. It is training wheels for newbies.

This observation isn't meant to apply to the originator of this email,
because I want to help. But, generally speaking, over the many months I've
been monitoring, I'm constantly amazed by people who complain
about computer problems which are invariably related to ancient software and
primitive computer comnponents. Their rebuttal is almost always the same
"can't afford to do the upgrade". But they can always afford to repair the
damage caused by lack of antivirus software and a firewall and pay AOL an
extra
$10 or $20 a month.

Robert Montague


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