Question about hackers and Blackice

[WNxCaptCrunch]

I was wondering if someone can tell me how to secure my computer from hackers. I like blackice, but, it just tells me when i am being attacked. Is there something to STOP attacks?

 

[Dan]

In my experience with BlackIce it stopped attacks. To verify this go to Shields UP! and test your security. As an alternative firewall try ZoneAlarm, It's also very effective and the price is right. (Free!)

 

[NicColt]

I don't want to start that WAR again but ZoneAlarms website once had job offerings for specialist in DataMining, Database Marketing Consultants, and Internet Marketing Sales People. Even if you un-install ZoneAlarms there are still registry settings that remain. It was NEVER proven that they collected any personal information but it has to make you wonder.

 

[Dan]

uh oh... I wasn't aware of any "spyware" issues concerning ZoneAlarm. I went to Steve Gibson's site and took away this info:



<< Most of the reports we receive from surprised users, who have caught spyware phoning home, are sent to us by people who have recently downloaded and installed the FREE ZoneAlarm 2.1 personal firewall from ZoneLabs. Although other firewalls can be configured to monitor and control access at the &quot;application level&quot;, ZoneAlarm was specifically designed with outbound detection and blocking in mind, making it the preferred tool for the purpose.

Internet Firewalls have traditionally concerned themselves with preventing &quot;ingress from external threats&quot;, but thanks to the new breed of super-sneaky spyware, several recent firewalls have added the ability to prevent &quot;egress from internal threats.&quot; That is what's required for blocking outbound use of your system's Internet connection.

For catching sneaky spyware trying to phone home, I recommend ZoneAlarm 2.1, which has earned my whole-hearted support and enthusiastic endorsement for three reasons: ZoneAlarm provides excellent, state of the art, protection from external &quot;bad guys&quot; trying to break into your system from the outside ? External Ingress. And starting with version 2.1, logging of past scans and probes of the protected system.
It is the only firewall to provide easily configurable OUTBOUND detection and blocking of unauthorized applications ? Internal Egress. ZoneAlarm is instantly catching ? and blocking ? sneaky spyware applications when they try to phone home!

For example, It was my first use of ZoneAlarm that detected and caught the Conducent/Timesink TSADBOT running in my own workstation! And this was despite the fact that I'd been reviewing and testing other firewalls for months prior to ZoneAlarm. I was immeditately convinced! I think you will be too.
And . . . you just can't beat the price! IT'S FREE!! (Commercial and corporate users need to purchase it, but it's completely free for individual users.) >>



As I said, I wasn't aware of spyware problems, or any &quot;war&quot; concerning ZoneAlarm. Please don't view this as an attempt to revive anything like that.

 

[NicColt]

no firewall is a true firewall unless it goes through 2 nic's. but the best you can do is to get a the minimum requirements like ZA or NIS anyway you ultimetly get what you pay for. I like NIS yo install and forget and you have free updates for a year.