Re: Unknown download activity in background - how to determine what it is?
"John John" <audetweld@nbnet.nb.ca> wrote in message
news:evGvOsY0HHA.4568@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
>>> Firewall have rules, it appears no one at Microsoft knows this, which
>>> isn't really surprising to tell you the truth. Microsoft's logic is
>>> that "you don't need seat belts if you have airbags". And you don't
>>> need to know what it is that things like Media Player doing. Baloney
>>> indeed!
>>>
It's a pc, apply your own logic (utilise sensible apps.); So take
ownership, do some research, do not consult advertisement-driven
publications and be responsible - *you* are in charge! If you don't like pc
go for available alternatives.
>>>
>> There is no way a software firewall can guarantee it will stop outbound
>> traffic on the computer it is running on regardless of the OS. Software
>> firewalls can be useful for stopping programs communicating outbound
>> through normal channels. That's it, period. The fact that some firewalls
>> notify you about malware communicating out is a function of how poorly
>> the malware is programmed not the firewall. Intel motherboards can
>> communicate though the onboard NICs at the BIOS level with no OS present.
>> Rootkits can easily modify all traffic going through any NIC in the
>> computer. Malware running in Windows can easily corrupt traffic from
>> legitimate programs. Malware can even create it's own TCP/IP stack and
>> bypass Windows (or other OS') networking stack altogether. Virtual server
>> software is capable of spoofing a MAC and getting multiple IP addresses
>> for one NIC from a DHCP server. What makes you think malware can't do the
>> same type of thing?
>
> All that you say is true and I never said or argued otherwise. But
> software firewalls that monitor outbound connections can be useful and can
> help to keep some applications in check,
>
Outbound filtering is useless, the PFW pop-ups just give a warm feeling for
being in control but it's too late already - it's an illusion to belive
otherwise.
> just because the Microsoft firewall can't do it doesn't mean that all
> others are not good.
>
M/S firewall *can't* do (but they could) because it's recognised to be waste
of resources and time. And yes, PFW's are IMO of no value whatsoever; I
know because I operate without these apps.
John John, don't get blinded by all the marketing hype 