Firewall Wizards mailing list archives
RE: The home user problem returns
From: "Paul Melson" <pmelson () gmail com>
Date: Mon, 12 Sep 2005 10:13:34 -0400
-----Original Message----- Subject: Re: [fw-wiz] The home user problem returns
I see my job as trying to provide as consistent and unencumbered an
experience as
possible for our customers. Right now, spam, bots, and #!$%ing spyware
are getting in
my way of doing that. I don't like the fact that at the onset of each new
worm, that I
still have to contact people and shut them down. I don't like the fact
that customers
phone complaining that our service is slow and when they bring their
computer into our
shop we find a massive spyware infestation (the current record btw is
5300). As a
result, we are willing to try anything that is likely to gain us some
ground. Right
now one of the projects that we have that is working really well is having
customers
bring in their computer when they sign up. We give the PC a thorough
enema and send it
back out with free antivirus and antispyware, windows updates turned on
and the XP
firewall enabled. Twice a year we run a spring cleanup and a fall tune-up
which again
goes through the enema process for $29. We're fairly confident that this
program is
making a big dent in the number of really vulnerable systems out there. Our goal is to severely reduce the number of infections on our network so
that our
customers can have a consistent and hassle free experience on the net.
I'd like to see
all ISPs adopt that stance.
You know what I find highly ironic in all of this -- and I don't mean to pick on you or your ISP -- is that there is a single symptom, a common thread that ties together all of these problems you're attempting to combat. And that common thread is required or at least preferred by all of the major ISPs, and that is Windows desktops. In other words, ISPs everywhere are complicit in their own security and performance headaches. The bitter pill for the clueful is that those people that run a firewall appliance or build their own Linux/BSD firewall for their home network typically get no support from their ISP. (If you have Comcast cable like I do, you can't even register your cable modem without a Windows box. That was an unpleasant surprise when I moved recently.) It is not lost on me that this is all due to market forces beyond the control of even the largest ISPs. But I think we can all agree that this is and will continue to be the primary trade-off that those charged (saddled with?) network security must live with, at least in the short-term. Finding an effective way for ISPs to deal with this that doesn't drive customers away is certainly a noble goal, but I haven't seen a solution that has scaled well yet. At the same time, I don't want special treatment from my ISP (I mean, I *do*, but I don't want it institutionalized). I don't want the "secure people here, insecure people there" mentality from what is essentially a utility. Nothing personal, but the likelihood that an ISP will properly be able to correctly and continually analyze the security stance of anyone's home network is slim enough that I'd prefer not to pay more per month for them to try (and probably fail). I can barely do it myself, and I am one of 2 users (that I know of) and I built it.
Sorry. Just realised this looks a whole lot like a sales pitch...
That's what makes you a security "professional." :-) PaulM PS - Sorry for the Monday morning grouch. _______________________________________________ firewall-wizards mailing list firewall-wizards () honor icsalabs com http://honor.icsalabs.com/mailman/listinfo/firewall-wizards
Current thread:
- Re: The home user problem returns, (continued)
- Re: The home user problem returns R. DuFresne (Sep 13)
- Message not available
- Message not available
- Re: The home user problem returns mason (Sep 14)
- RE: The home user problem returns Paul Melson (Sep 22)
- Re: The home user problem returns Mason Schmitt (Sep 13)
- RE: The home user problem returns Paul Melson (Sep 13)
- Re: The home user problem returns Mason Schmitt (Sep 13)
- Re: The home user problem returns Jim Seymour (Sep 13)
- RE: The home user problem returns Tina Bird (Sep 14)
- RE: The home user problem returns Paul Melson (Sep 22)
- Message not available
- Re: The home user problem returns Mason Schmitt (Sep 12)
- RE: The home user problem returns Paul Melson (Sep 13)
- Re: The home user problem returns Mason Schmitt (Sep 13)
- Re: The home user problem returns Jim Seymour (Sep 13)
- RE: The home user problem returns Bill Royds (Sep 14)
- RE: The home user problem returns Jim Seymour (Sep 22)
- RE: The home user problem returns Brian Loe (Sep 22)
- Re: The home user problem returns R. DuFresne (Sep 13)
- Re: The home user problem returns Mason Schmitt (Sep 13)
- RE: The home user problem returns Tina Bird (Sep 13)
- Re: The home user problem returns Mason Schmitt (Sep 13)
- RE: The home user problem returns Tina Bird (Sep 13)