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The LangaList
Standard Edition

2002-04-15

A Free Email Newsletter from Fred Langa
That Helps You Get More From Your Hardware, 
Software, and Time Online

Please visit our sponsors and help keep the LangaList S.E. free!

1) Firewall Feedback

It’s hard to believe, but it’s only been two years since ZoneLabs first blew the doors off the desktop firewall market by offering the free and excellent ZoneAlarm 2.0. I first wrote about it in February of 2000, and many of you stampeded to the ZoneLabs site--- so many, in fact, that Gregor Freund (then President, now CEO of ZoneLabs) wrote:

Fred: I very much appreciate your article on ZoneAlarm (except that it nearly brought down our servers <g>). We've had 100K plus downloads in less then a week and it is accelerating.

ZoneAlarm is currently offered in two versions: The free-for-personal-use "basic" edition is now at version 2.6.362, and a new $50 version 3.0.118 "Pro" edition. The 3.x Pro version is, in fact, so new it's been undergoing rapid modification with almost weekly updates in the short time since it appeared.

ZoneLabs' competitors also haven’t been standing still; many have released new versions, and almost all similarly offer free-for-personal-use basic versions of their desktop firewalls, and enhanced versions for commercial and heavier-duty use. Most of these latter packages cost around $40-50 per seat, with discounts available for quantity purchases. (Norton and McAfee don’t differentiate between personal use and commercial use; neither offers a free-for-personal-use version of their firewall software.)

With all this activity, I thought it was time to take a fresh look at six desktop firewalls:

• ZoneLabs’ ZoneAlarm
• ZoneLabs’ ZoneAlarm Pro
• Agnitum’s Outpost
• Agnitum’s Outpost Pro
• Sygate Personal Firewall
• Tiny Personal Firewall

I have a variety of machines here in my office: Intel and AMD systems in 10 different hardware configurations; running Win98, ME, 2000, XP Home and XP Pro. But I am not a testing lab, and my report is not a formal review--- please don’t take it as such. Rather, it’s my personal experiences, likes and dislikes with these six popular firewalls.

To test them, I used many of the security sites listed at  http://www.informationweek.com/841/langa.htm  and also used LeakTest ( http://grc.com/lt/leaktest.htm ) as a simple check for the ability to detect and stop "phone home" behavior.

Because the resulting article covers six firewalls, it's a full feature-length item of around 2500 words--- too long for an email. As usual with most longer topics, I've made this the subject of an InformationWeek.Com column, available now on the web (for free) at http://www.informationweek.com/story/IWK20020412S0009

But there are many, many other firewalls and configurations I couldn’t test. That’s where you come in: Collectively, we’ve probably used just about every firewall ever made, and in just about every possible configuration. Please read the article above and then click to the discussion area and post *your* firewall experiences, pro, con, or otherwise.

Which ones have you used? Which ones are worth the price of an upgrade to the paid or "Pro" versions? Has a firewall ever let you down, or caused instability in your system such that you couldn’t use it? Have you had any experiences with tech support from any firewall vendor?

There’s strength in numbers, so let’s pool our knowledge: Please check out my look at six firewalls ( http://www.informationweek.com/story/IWK20020412S0009 ), and then join in the discussion!
 

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2) Spying At Public Kiosks & PCs?

Reader Mike Swickey was really, really mad:

Fred: If any of you have been in a CompUSA lately, I am sure you have seen the "TRY AOL HIGH SPEED INTERNET" signs and the "AOL Icafe" kiosks with 6 computers. I was in a CompUSA today and was looking up specs on merchandise on one of these computers. Please keep in mind, the Icafe sign invites you to check email - do whatever!

I noticed the interface was different. It wasn't what is usually there (basic AOL interface).....it was framed around a CompUSA frame. My machine messed up and needed a reboot and I saw the new interface as it came up. It was called "NetKey Creator Studio." Needless to say, I was curious. I went to Netkey.com after I got home (the URL was "locked" at the store).

It's nothing but glorified SPYWARE. There was NO NOTICE of any kind, no disclaimer, no nothing but a walk-up kiosk and you surf away.

The product on their machines are marketed for kiosk use inside stores. One of the major features? "Log all on-screen events."

Well, I wasn't using an employer's computer here where my "work" is being monitored. I don't work for them and my activities need to be watched! I know many think that's OK. But, this is different, a public kiosk inviting you to check email, etc. secretly snapping pictures of your screens and logging screens and keystrokes? I felt extremely violated.

I asked for a manager and the highest ranking member of the CompUSA team in the store was a 21 year-old &%^hole who DID NOT remember I was the customer! He was very rude to me in that "snotty" kind of way.

In fact, six (no kidding), stood around and listened to my complaint of there being no disclaimer that "all use is subject to monitoring." They ALL made fun of me in a "what do you expect?" kind of way. This is SAD... and I will NEVER go back to CompUSA!

Netkey ( http://netkey.com/ ) makes "kioskware," which is a kind of general tool that can be used to make crash-resistant, "locked down" custom versions of software to be run at public workstations.

Usually, the kioskware blocks access to the operating system and/or to any apps the kiosk owner doesn't want you to use (i.e. you can only use the product being demonstrated--- the one that's paying for the kiosk). Sometimes, these public workstations have ordinary keyboards on them, but more often they use touchscreens and custom graphical interfaces not only because they're more rugged than keyboards, but to further limit the users to doing only what the kiosk owner wants them to do.

That's all good. But yes, kioskware also can (and often does) log the user's input. Many times, this is done for benign reasons. At public information kiosks (at, say, airports and tourist sites), for example, the software may log user selections to see what people are asking about the most. Or, the software may log helpfile access: Lots of users asking for help would be an indication that the kiosk software itself is too complex or hard to use, or that the menu choices need reworking; etc.

But kioskware *could* log anything. In this case--- where AOL is trying to get you to sign up for its high-speed service--- I wouldn't be even a little surprised if AOL was capturing the logons so they can send you targeted ads or follow-up information. AOL--- it calls itself a media company, but it's really a marketing company--- already has the technical means to track your every move when you use their regular service via modem, cable, or whatnot--- why should an AOL kiosk be any different?

On the other hand, CompUSA's participation is probably very limited: They may get a commission or "bounty" for any AOL sign-ups that the kiosk generates, for example; or something along those lines. But I'd be surprised if the store or employees had access to--- or interest in--- the raw data captured by the kiosk.

So, this particular instance probably involves, at most, a limited form of AOL snooping--- another AOL marketing gimmick--- and nothing more.

But the potential for serious abuse is certainly there. It would be wise never to assume that anything you do on *any* public PC or kiosk is private or secure.

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3) Bugs and Beacons: Bah!

Many readers who are also Yahoo subscribers plowed into the fine print of the new terms of service (see "Yahoo Service Changes Baffle Customers" http://www.langa.com/newsletters/2002/2002-04-08.htm#3 ) and found--- among the settings that automatically signed you up to accept ads by email, telephone and paper mail--- other stuff about "web beacons."

Jeff Jost was one of the first to write in about them:

Thanks, Jeff.

Actually web bugs/beacons--- like cookies--- are normally harmless, but can be subverted for aggressive marketing. As Yahoo is giving you a choice about their bugs, it suggests there may be some aggressive marketing afoot, and an opt-out may be wise.

But use caution: Some people are so worried about cookies that they disallow all of them--- which prevents some web sites from operating correctly. Likewise, some people are so worried about web bugs they disallow them all, which will cause some ad-supported web sites (including the ones that use web bugs in a 100% benign way, as a simple counter to record how many times an ad was displayed) to go out of business due to lost ad revenue. See http://www.informationweek.com/story/IWK20010621S0030 . It's ironic that as more and more users assume that all ads in all forms are bad, and employ every method possible to block them all, the unintended consequence is that many "free" web site--- hanging on by their fingernails today through totally benign advertising practices--- will go belly up.

Not all cookies are bad. In fact, most have zero privacy impact, and are either neutral or actively good. Not all web bugs are bad; in fact, most carry zero privacy risk, and actually do some good by helping to keep the lights lit at "free" (ad-supported) sites you visit. It's fine to block bad cookies and bugs, but indiscriminate blocking may end up hurting more than helping by killing off the very sites you like to visit.

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4) How To Remove IE Content Advisor Password

Fred, Great newsletter, full of useful information. I finally found the information I needed to get around the problem many of us have had to live with.........HOW TO REMOVE IE'S CONTENT ADVISOR PASSWORD.....for us who have forgotten the password. Click http://www.techrepublic.com/article_guest.jhtml?id=r00320020404jdt01.htm&fromtm=e103-3  for the article that helped me get around this problem. I did find that I had to enter a new password to be able to "disable" the content advisor. I have written down the new password and kept it in a secure and easy to find place. --- Mark A. Peterson

Thanks, Mark. I never use the Content Advisor, so I 'm not very familiar with it. But several readers have asked about removing forgotten passwords, and this article should be of help to 'em.

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5) Shortcut Arrows Reappear?

Fred: I use Tweak UI to eliminate the shortcut arrows on the desktop icons. All of a sudden [after installing a recent Microsoft Critical Update], they were there once again. After frustration and research, I found a source which addressed the problem. Listed below is the excerpt from PCForrest site where I located a description of what happened and the solution for this issue...  Hopefully this helps someone.--- Jack Burke

The March 7th Critical Update appears to corrupt shell32.dll, causing shortcut arrows to remain on screen, regardless of which setting you use. To restore this file, run SFC and replace it with the copy on the Windows 98 CD. A reboot is required. Thanks to John A MacPhail for both notifying me of the problem and for providing the eventual solution.
http://www.forrestandassociates.co.uk/pcforrest/index.html

Thanks, Jack!

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6) PR Budget = $0.00

Long-time readers know this newsletter is a private project of mine: It's not part of some publishing empire's stable of publications. There's no special budget, staff or facility to handle outreach and promotions. The newsletter depends on word of mouth to grow.

And that's where you come in: Each issue, I try to offer you useful, interesting and amusing factoids to help you with your hardware, software, and time online. Can you take just a minute to help me out in return?

If you think the LangaList is a worthwhile read, just use the following link to recommend the LangaList to a friend. Your friend just may find a new source of useful information; I just may gain a new subscriber; and you just may win $10,000 for your trouble (full details also available via this "Recommend It" link): http://www.langa.com/recommend.htm#1

The "Recommend-It" service is an ad-based site (you’ll see banners and such). The advantages to you of using the Recommend-It service are that you can win $10,000 and that you can add a personal message to your LangaList recommendation.

But if you’d rather use the tried-and-true, ad-free recommendation form, you’ll find it at: http://www.langa.com/recommend.htm#2 . That option gives you a shot at winning a no-strings $30 Gift Certificate for any item at Amazon.Com--- books, software, hardware, kitchenware, toys, and more.

Either way, thank you for helping to spread the word about the LangaList!

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7) New IRC, AIM and Email "Blended Threat" Worm

From the Symantec AntiVirus site:

W32.A p l o r e @mm is a [brand new] mass-mailing worm that attempts to spread using email, IRC and AOL Instant Messenger (AIM).

The worm sends an email containing the attachment P s e c u r e 20 x-c g i-i n s t a l l. v e r s i o n .6.01. b i n.h x.c o m  to all addresses found in the Microsoft Outlook address book.

When connected to IRC or AIM, the worm sends a web link to IRC channels or AIM contacts which references an .html file which was dropped on the infected computer. This file displays as a Webpage which asks the visitor to run a copy of the worm....

More info:
http://securityresponse.symantec.com/avcenter/venc/data/w32.aplore@mm.html

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8) More Reader Sites!

Do you have a home page or website? (It doesn't matter what size.) Please click over to http://www.langa.com/code.htm  and maybe you can join the hundreds and hundreds of LangaList readers who have "Loaded the Code!" (If you've already "Loaded The Code" and are wondering if your site will appear here or on the Langa.Com web site, please see http://www.langa.com/link.txt  )

Speaking of which: Here's another eclectic sample of reader sites--- some professional, some very personal:

View A Randomly-Chosen Reader Site From Among All Listed
http://www.langa.com/randomlink.htm

Manually Browse All Posted-to-Date Sites Starting At
http://www.langa.com/readersites.htm

"My PC Dr."
http://www.mypcdr.net/

COLD FUSION WEB DEVELOPMENT
http://www.cfmworks.com/

Willow Tea
http://adwt.com/index.htm

Bunkley's Homepage
http://home.san.rr.com/thebunkleys/index.html

Mark "Tiny" Scott
http://www.geocities.com/tinyohio/tiny.html

America, Alabama
http://webpages.charter.net/hplylar/

Hillview Computers Free Help Pages
http://clix.to/hillviewcomputers

Home Page of Scott Marshall
http://members.iglou.com/marshall/

ComputerStuff
http://www.geocities.com/wmars1776/Page4ComputerStuff.html

Desktop Themes
http://themes.tjmoes.com/page_1.html

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9) "Answers That Work"

Hi, Fred,  I've found information available at this site to be helpful and worthwhile http://answersthatwork.com

The library of answers that work has links to task list programs with recommendations on continued use. There's also a link to "downright useful downloads" (Start-up manager being a particularly useful tool.

I never saw this site mentioned in your newsletter, but thought other readers would be interested. Thanks, & keep up the great work! --- Robert M. Lewis

Thanks, Robert.

The basic site is free; and you can access past answers and downloads just by poking around the site. The "Task List" and driver info alone makes the site worth a bookmark.

But if you want to have them answer a new and specific question for you, you have to register. A single user can get an unlimited number of questions answered for a year for $35. There are group discounts, too.

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10) Just For Grins

The last trickle of reader mail on content filters contained some very, very funny stuff.

For example, Esther Schindler, who helps beat my InformationWeek columns into shape, wrote of a friend who lives in California's wine country who can't send emails about a favorite chardonnay because that word triggers stupid content filters: They ignore the name of the wine, and see only the embedded six letter string that starts with "h" within "chardonnay." Duh!

Reader Tom Phelan also wrote:

Indeed, that silly scan found that my hard--- oops--- h a r d drive was full of bad words. It even freaked out at a whole section of the BrowserTune tests I have on my local drive--- the "Browser T o r t u r e Test." In another place where I said "I'm a Google lover," Contentwatch flagged that text because it had the word "lover" in it. Some of its choices were laugh-out-loud funny. <g>

Contentwatch is actually a great example of why filters are so silly--- and useless!

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11) Plus! Edition Highlights

• Troubleshooting Problems With Word
• Outstanding And Exhaustive Spyware Resource
• VirtuaWin

Today's LangaList Plus! Edition contains all ten items above, plus about 30% more content including: tons of resources for tracking down just about any problem with any version of Microsoft Word; an incredibly rich resource with all kind of info on spyware, anti-spyware sites and tools, places to complain, and more; and a free tool that creates "virtual desktops" to expand your workspace.

Plus! Edition info: http://www.langa.com/plus.htm 

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See you next issue!

Best,

Fred

Please recommend the LangaList to a friend! (And maybe win $10,000!I)

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