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Originally posted by shoestring+--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (shoestring)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> Maybe this is true to some Photon but his site explains everything even for an idiot like me and when I shut down the ports I was talking about (137,8 and 9). I was able to regain control of my comp. I have done this on many peoples computers and voila ,no viruses. [/b]
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Don't get me wrong, I didn't say everything he says is un-true. But his information isn't complete and it's possible for people to draw a false sense of security based on some of the things he says. Even in your example, closing those three ports protects you from maybe 0.001% of all viruses...
Everyone should have a firewall to block ALL ports they don't specifically want opened.
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Originally posted by shoestring@
I think that many $99.95 virus removal experts are sensationalist and full of half truths and hyperbole and won't help you fix your comp or send you to the proper sites to do the same for free. Or they have proven themselves to themselves to be pretty much a self proclaimed security "experts" with no real knowledge.
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I agree, and if we were talking about them I'd say as much.. but they weren't mentioned, Gibson was.
<!--QuoteBegin-shoestring
I know why Microsoft has these ports but most homeusers don't need them.
Take the test yourself.
Study the pings and connections some hacker is making to your computer before and after with your free "one month Pro Zone Alarm"
Read the writers at this link on his site.
http://www.grc.com/x/ne.dll?bh1akydu
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I don't understand quite what you are trying to say here. I did recommend either a hardware or software firewall, so I'm not sure if "my free one month ZA" is a dig at me or not (there is a free version as well I believe). As to the press links, just because someone becomes popular with the press doesn't mean he's an expert; it just means he knows how to be popular with the press. In fact that's probably Gibson's m.o.
My point wasn't to say that computer security isn't important. In fact spyware/adware/malware are the biggest threat to computer usability today, bigger than viruses to most home users.
My point was only to warn anyone browsing Gibson's site to be aware that while he comes across as an Authority on the subject, he isn't and that some of the information on his site is incomplete (making you think you're secure when you aren't) or incorrect. I apologize that I wasn't more clear.