Vulnerability Development mailing list archives
Re: Linksys 4-port Router NAT/Firewall
From: "Larry D'Anna" <larry () pink dhs org>
Date: Thu, 24 Aug 2000 20:31:40 -0400
* Litscher, Steven (Steven.Litscher () OJA STATE WI US) [000824 20:08]:
Greetings All, I recently purchased a Linksys 4-port router (BEFSR41) for use with my soon-to-be-growing home network (it's only 2 pc's right now). I'm extremely new to networking, so please forgive me if these questions are too elementary... 1) Is the firewall that comes with the router safe enough that I don't have to continue using software firewalls (ZoneAlarm)?
As Bruce Schneier would say, security is a process, not a product. A firewall is one way to make life more difficult for an attacker, but it doesn't guarantee security by any means. What does the linksys do? What does ZoneAlarm do? If they are doing basicly the same things (and I suspect they are) and neither of them has known vulnerabilities then it probably doesn't matter which you use. If one of them is doing cool intrusion detection stuff and the other isn't then go with the one that is. Of course you could just use them both as well. All I'm trying to say is that you shouldn't think of a firewall as being "safe" or "unsafe" or "safe enough". You should think of it in terms the specific functionality it provides. See the recent thread in bugtraq about using brownorrifice to totally bypass almost any firewall that lets web traffic through. --larry
Current thread:
- Linksys 4-port Router NAT/Firewall Litscher, Steven (Aug 24)
- Re: Linksys 4-port Router NAT/Firewall Larry D'Anna (Aug 24)
- Re: Linksys 4-port Router NAT/Firewall David Knaack (Aug 24)
- Re: Linksys 4-port Router NAT/Firewall Bluefish (P.Magnusson) (Aug 25)
- Re: Linksys 4-port Router NAT/Firewall Dragos Ruiu (Aug 24)
- Re: Linksys 4-port Router NAT/Firewall Jonathan Rickman (Aug 24)
- <Possible follow-ups>
- Re: Linksys 4-port Router NAT/Firewall Michael Wojcik (Aug 25)
- Re: Linksys 4-port Router NAT/Firewall Ed Padin (Aug 25)
- Message not available
- Re: Linksys 4-port Router NAT/Firewall Dragos Ruiu (Aug 26)
- Message not available
- Re: Linksys 4-port Router NAT/Firewall Dragos Ruiu (Aug 26)