security loophole?

S

sc_1004

New Member
I've never heard anyone talk about this, but I think I'm right...

If you leave your modem on all the time and you don't use a hardware firewall, then there will be a few moments at system startup and shutdown when your software firewall will not be active, and you will be exposed to drive-by downlowad attacks. The way to close this loophole is to turn off your modem before you shut down your computer and after you start it up.

Opinions...
 
Technically true, but no software will be accessing the internet conenction either so it's a non issue. If the computer isn't booted up far enough for the windows firewall to be active then none of the start up programs are gonna be able to conenct yet either let alone ie or any other browser.
 
Your browser isn't he only program that communicates thru the web. Your OS communicates thru the web and it is running even as your computer is starting up or shutting down. Also, your ports are constantly being probed by other computers. This probing won't stop just because you closed your browser or your comp is starting up or shutting down. That's what I'm worried about: the time between computer shutdown and firewall startup/shutdown. If there's no firewall there while your comp is still running, then it seems to me there's a chance you could get hit by a drive-by download.
 
sc_1004 said:
I've never heard anyone talk about this, but I think I'm right...

If you leave your modem on all the time and you don't use a hardware firewall, then there will be a few moments at system startup and shutdown when your software firewall will not be active, and you will be exposed to drive-by downlowad attacks. The way to close this loophole is to turn off your modem before you shut down your computer and after you start it up.

Opinions...
Click to expand...

Yeah, but almost all routers run NAT, which by default does not allow remote hosts to connect to your network, and on top of that, you would have to forward ports from the router to the machine specifically. If someone is remotely attacking your router the packets don't magically know where to go once they are inside.

Also, during the boot strap process the launch daemon or kernel (depending on how the OS works) starts to bring up processes and services one at a time. If file sharing isn't running then you can't exploit it. Catch my drift?

Which is why everyone and their mother should go buy a router. They are cheap and they add security that the common user can benefit from just literally plugging it in.
 
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