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Pastimes : Computer Learning -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Guy Gadois who wrote (33750)	4/14/2003 4:06:46 PM
From: thecow	Respond to of 110653

Would it be worthwhile to get Zone Alarm 3.1 to protect my computer? Absolutely. I would not be connected to the internet without a firewall.

To: Guy Gadois who wrote (33750)	4/14/2003 4:07:55 PM
From: mr.mark	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 110653

"Would it be worthwhile to get Zone Alarm 3.1 to protect my computer?" yes. and the most current version of zonealarm is 3.7.143. the programs you named, while quite valid and necessary, do not perform any of the functions of a firewall. essentially, without a firewall, your door is unlocked. zonealarm alerts you to all inbound connection attempts, allowing only those that you give permission to. zonealarm will also alert you to all outbound connection attempts, blocking those that have not been authorized. forex, a trojan program slips through undetected by nav (not an uncommon thing). the firewall didn't stop it because the program is a trojan, meaning it has cloaked itself inside another program that you do not find objectionable. but then the newly arrived trojan server now residing on your computer does what they all eventually try to do.... call mommy, i.e, attempt an outbound connection. zonealarm alerts you, asking if you want the unknown program to connect. you have just found malware on your computer. without a firewall, all sorts of inbound attempts will have free and unimpeded access to your machine, whether you run broadband or dialup modem. with dialup, you just are not exposed to as many hits. without a firewall you are, in the parlance of the hackers and blackhats, owned.