Firewall Software Trust

I have recently been hit by a wave of scans that trace back to an address range in the district surrounding Beijing. A week before that it was Malaysia.

In reviewing a number of Firewall products like Comodo, PC Tools, etc I find that their licensing seems to originate from Australia, Oceania, Ireland, etc and it leaves me feeling about as trusting in them as I would feel about being able to successfully track down a bank wire of my savings through a TraceRoute of the 18 hops that the Chinese scans bounced through to get to my home office. No problems yet because my base ZA product kept it out...but Zone Alarm has become a system hog and I want to try something better.

Does anyone make a product written by someone in the USA that would most likely be in line with the same loyalties as someone who feels strongly about the Constitution and American Values?

I am willing to pay for a good trustworthy product that has my security in mind ... rather than making a buck selling access to my info, data, etc.

Tnx!
B

 

http://majorgeeks.com/Comodo_Personal_Firewall_d5033.html

Keeping bad stuff from your PC is not a patriotic stance. Microsoft is based in the US and I wouldn't trust their firewall to protect me. All these companies exist to make money and if their products don't work, they don't make money, no matter it's headquarters.

 

I can understand where you are coming from on the free market aspect of a product's value...and agree with you there.

But from the perspective of the local business owner that just had his payroll system hacked and his employee count doubled late Friday afternoon so that first thing on last Monday morning $5000 was sent to each of the 25 new accounts which were immediately further electronically transferred to 25 bank accounts in Eastern Europe, South America and Oceana.

The payroll company is in the clear because of their legal indemnification agreement with the company. The banks are in the clear because the company's agent did the electronic transfers. The FBI said there was nothing they could do.

What do you think the small business owners that lost $125,000 and employees that are potentially about to lose their jobs are thinking?

I don't want this happening to my small business. I meet a payroll. People depend on me to meet their food, shelter and healthcare bills.

This is no longer about stealing someone email... we are talking about destroying people's lives here.

I don't care much for Microsoft either, but I sure would rather have security software written by someone in Boise than Guangzhou.

Is patriotism really such a so-yesterday concept?

B

 

Top Ten Reviews is generally decent in their work. They vote Zone Alarm as the best.
http://personal-firewall-software-review.toptenreviews.com/

Matousec.com "documents" ZA as only being 11% effective in their "Proactive Security Challenge of 84 Tests"...
http://www.matousec.com/projects/proactive-security-challenge/results.php

While I like the idea of hard benchmarking, I am not so naive as to believe that people do not have unspoken loyalties, agendas and interests. Matousec's highest rated products are "offshore".

ZA has worked well for us for a lot of years, but it has become a resource hog. I have read some things about Zone Lab's deals with 3rd parties.

Frankly, I am uncomfortable with both.

Cyber Crime has now exceeded the value of the drug trade.

Much greater rewards with far lower risk. How hard is that for the dishonest to gravitate to and put us all at risk?

B

 

I agree with Just Playin's comments. No matter where a software product is licensed or based, if it doesn't work, it will not get used after the information gets out.

Just out of out of interest, I went back and read all your previous threads! Looks like you started two in Malware Removal that you never replied or responded to. Not good for someone concerned about malware and hacks.

As to your firewall recommendation request and the fact that you have a small business yourself, the best protection is a router and a software firewall. Depending on the size of the business, it might be best to have the payroll checks written by one of your employees, as in some cases it is cheaper and keeps control inhouse.

As for the tests and recommendations that were in your last post, I agree with part of your post, about not believing everything that you read ( in so may words ).

The best protection from hacks/malware is the person between the keyboard and the chair! My firewall, Sygate , although outdated and no longer supported, still passes every test that I can find as to stealth and security, and that is why I still use it.

Would be interested in links to the small businessman that experienced the problems that you described, surely it made the local newspaper.

 

Local newspapers? Something like that would or should be getting shouted all over the Web.

 

@hrlow2,

Totally agree, just wanting to see if it was real, or a scenario being described by the OP. Was also curious as to why the FBI wouldn't/couldn't get involved.

 

wow jeez Louise before you go pointing the finger of blame and distrust,i would be wondering how the hacker got access to your files in the first place as you say you use zone alarm as your firewall and the infection would have been allowed to infect your system by a user.so my first concerns would be the browsing and emailing habits of your employees and not the origins of the software at fault.
i myself inadvertently allowed a hack program into my system a couple of weeks ago via an email.one of those chain mail variety.the content of this email was in regard to the loss of lives from the assault on America on 911.and the on going loss of American lives in Iraq and Afghanistan.it was a very touching email in every way.but it also possessed a hidden agenda.tracing its origins back was not that difficult and you can only guess where it all started the good old trustworthy U.S.A.

 

Yes, it was an actual situation. Got it at an Infragard Conference targeting IT security in Nashville ... directly from the Special Agent that worked the case. That was only one of five examples ACH and Wire fraud cases. (Check infragard.com for more detail)

As a member of this public/private group, we get quite a few details that are not available to the general public ... IE like why the 60 grams of explosive in the Christmas crotch bomber fizzled rather than taking out half the fuselage. It is also a rather interesting experience to sit in a room of LEOs where you are in the 5% not carrying a side arm. Maybe I was a little paranoid before I joined, but after seeing just the tiny amount of what these guys are willing to part with... I am fully with Andy Grove now.

How did I get infected? I have to browse incessantly for my work material...add to that three college students spending all night on Facebook/Twit/MMRPGs and the wife playing Farmville on the house LAN... I finished dropping in a ZyWall 2Plus to isolate my office from those pursuits. Nice box. A breeze to setup. Now I am down to scrubbing my machines.

"Social" networking software is the top fishing hole now according to the other stories from the FBI Conf...about the banks that were rushing to dump their Facebook/etc "friends" because they were rife with risk...and massive $$$ liability for their shareholders.

If you look more closely to my posts, there was no "finger of blame" judging anybody here ... but I will completely admit to having a non-idealistic level of trust. I am not out to push anybody's victimization/self esteem button...just looking for answers to keep my life savings from disappearing to Bulgaria, Rangoon, Latvia and Namibia... or South Chicago.

Best of luck to you,
B

 

Appreciate your reply! I did go to the site that you referenced but couldn't find any information about the Nashville incident. Could you provide a specific link that I could access as I would really like to read about it?