mto wrote:

>
> "the real TOMMY Tutalidge" <pinball@aei.net> wrote in message
> news:3F16C89A.2B213BC9@aei.net...
> > What's the point of running a firewall unless you have plans on your
> computer for new
> > revolutionary inventions without patents. Frankly i simply don't
> > believe
> some of these people.
> >
> <SNIP>
>
> I can think of a number of exceedingly good reasons to run a firewall
> EVEN if you don't have any revolutionary inventions on your machine.
> Here are just a few -
>
> 1.) Spyware downloaded to your machine - often by your own ISP or
> completely "respectable" websites - completely without your
> consent/knowledge that then reports "somewhere" on a regular basis
> about a huge variety and sundry of your actions. Perfectly capable
> of reporting things like your credit card number if you have ever
> typed it into the machine, your name, address, phone number, social
> security number - you name it.
>
> 2.) A particularly nasty form of #1 that will actually use your
> Internet connection to make hundreds of dollars of phone calls that
> you may very well never know about until the bill arrives.
>
> 3.) The latest "hack" whereby always-on machines with broadband
> connections are being used without their owners knowledge to store
> and distribute pornography.
>
> Only a complete idiot would both run Windows and log on without a good
> firewall in place. Don't complain when you get hit if you are a
> member of that group.

I agree, and MTO only mentioned a few of the things that could happen
to you, he didn't mention data theft, identity theft, the system being
turned into a spam relay (without the owner's knowledge), the system
being turned into a DDoS "Zombie", etc. etc.

IMO it is stupid to run ANY operating system on a system connected to
the internet, without a decent FW!

Regards
Dick