Security Hole In Symantec/Norton Firewalls (solution available)

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Security Hole In Symantec/Norton Firewalls (solution available)

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Greetings from The VACM Team,

In This Issue:
----------------------
Security Hole In Symantec/Norton Firewalls (solution available)

***************************************************
* The Bottom Line...
***************************************************
This is a Critical Vulnerability.

If you connect to the internet, you need a personal firewall to
make your system "invisible" to hackers and everyone else on
the internet.

In this VACM issue, we are reporting about a serious flaw in
Symantec/Norton firewalls that could enable an outsider to
hijack a session moving through the firewall. This flaw is
found in the following Symantec/Norton Firewall products:

Raptor Firewall 6.5
Raptor Firewall 6.5.3
Enterprise Firewall 6.5.2
Enterprise Firewall V7.0, Enterprise
Firewall 7.0
VelociRaptor Model 500/700/1000
VelociRaptor Model
1100/1200/1300 and Gateway Security 5110/5200/5300

***************************************************
* What You Should Do...
***************************************************
Use ZoneAlarm, the best personal firewall available today.
Using and configuring ZoneAlarm is a no-brainer... it
pretty much does everything for you. All PCs at the
VACM project lab are protected by ZoneAlarm and we are
continually impressed with its capabilities and
effectiveness.

To switch from another personal firewall product to ZoneAlarm,
remember to uninstall your existing firewall and reboot
BEFORE installing ZoneAlarm. And remember, ZoneAlarm makes
you "invisible" to hackers. To test your firewall's ability
to protect you, see the "Tip Of The Day" below.

If you have a dial-up, DSL or Cable-Modem internet connection, the
hands-down best solution for making your PC or home network
invisible to the outside world is ZoneAlarm. This, according not
only to our testing but by numerous other big industry testing
and reporting organizations.

Best of all, ZoneAlarm for personal use is FREE! And the Pro
version not only provides better safety than the other personal
firewalls, and protection for wireless connections, and blocking
of Ads, cookes and Popups, but is cheaper to purchase, too!

If you would prefer to use ZoneAlarm Pro and have COMPLETE
protection, go to:

http://BestFirewall.cjb.net

ZoneAlarm Pro gives you all these features:

Advanced MailSafe e-mail attachment protection provides iron clad
e-mail defense. Prevents email-borne viruses from opening and
spreading to other computers.
Enhanced Hacker Tracking pinpoints the origin of a would-be
intrusion.
Automatic Intrusion Blocking recognizes, blocks and logs dangerous
threats-known and unknown.
Cookie Control keeps your Web activities private from spammers
and marketers.
Performance Ad Blocking lets you surf the Internet at top speed.
Pop-up Ad Control eliminates annoying pop-up ads that take over
your screen.
Improved Program Control prevents unauthorized inbound and outbound
connections-stopping rogue applications from transferring your
valuable data to a hacker.
Stealth Mode makes your computer invisible on the Internet, hidden
from hackers.
Wireless Network Protection detects wireless networks for instant
protection on the go.
Password Protection ensures customized security settings are
tamper-resistant.
Automatic Network Detection instantly senses new networks for
one-click trusted networking and file-sharing anywhere-a must
for mobile professionals.

If all you need is the free version of ZoneAlarm, download it here:

http://www.zonelabs.com/store/content/company/zap_za_grid.jsp

and use the download link under the column heading that simply
says "ZoneAlarm" only (not the "ZoneAlarm Pro..." columns)

NOTE: one of the best features of ZoneAlarm is its ability to
warn you whenever a program (or

***************************************************
* FYI, don't take our word for it...
***************************************************
According to a firewall related editorial written by
Curtis E. Dalton, Certified Information Systems
Professional (CISSP), who is a principal engineer for the
Greenwich Technology Partners consulting firm:

In terms of sheer likability, ZoneAlarm takes the prize. It's easy
to install and configure. With Zone-Alarm's interactive learning
capability, the user is queried as to whether to permit or deny
each application that attempts to access the network.

ZoneAlarm supports two interfaces, one for your home LAN and the
other for your Internet connection. With Zone-Alarm's ability to
filter both inbound and outbound traffic by application, you're
protected from Trojan Horses and spy programs. ZoneAlarm is the
only firewall I've seen that not only identifies outbound ports
and protocols, but also identifies the program attempting to
make these outbound connections.

For client mail applications such as Outlook to function, you'll
need to identify your remote mail server manually. Updates to
ZoneAlarm can occur automatically if you choose this option.
When using Medium, the default security policy setting, ZoneAlarm
was susceptible to six low-risk vulnerabilities. When I increased
the policy setting to High, however, these vulnerabilities
disappeared.

The IDS didn't produce an alert during a port or DoS scan under
the High security setting. Alerts, when they occur at lower
security settings, come in the form of pop-up dialog windows and
log-file entries. ZoneAlarm is free for noncommercial users.

For the typical home PC user who only wants protection while
connected to the Internet, and doesn't need the frills available
in other firewalls, the ZoneAlarm personal firewall is
the best choice.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
+ Tip of the day...
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
+ Use "LeakTest" to ensure that your PC's personal firewall can not
+ be easily fooled by malicious "Trojan" programs or viruses. Thanks
+ to this first version of LeakTest, most personal firewalls are
+ now safe from such simple exploitation.
+ http://grc.com/lt/leaktest.htm
+
+ Download and install "ShieldsUP!". This free utility is the
+ Internet's quickest, most popular, reliable and trusted, free
+ Internet security checkup and information service. Easily check
+ your system, and begin learning about using the Internet safely.
+ https://grc.com/x/ne.dll?bh0bkyd2
+
+ *****************************************
+ *** Got a valuable tip you'd like to share with our VACM
+ *** subscribers? Send it to us at mailto:vacm@apcsnh.com.
+ *** If we publish your article in a VACM Alert, we will
+ *** send You a FREE Gift- our new "Virus Secrets II - System
+ *** Hardening Guide" on CD-ROM. VS2 is our new, illustrated,
+ *** step-by-step guide to hardening your system against the
+ *** new breed of viruses. Why do you need it? Because
+ *** these days, antivirus software alone does not
+ *** protect you 100% !!
+ *****************************************
+
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Best Regards,
Marc Deschenes, VACM Editor
The VACM Project at
Automated PC Solutions

*** Be sure to check out the appendix at the end of this alert
if you are having trouble booting your computer into "Safe Mode".
The process is all spelled out for you there.

Why should you be very
concerned about Spyware?

Learn how to avoid Identity Theft and Windows corruption in this
free VACM Video:
VACM-tested #1 AntiSpyware Software

How did they steal my Identity?

Why do I get so much SPAM ?

Why is your computer
running so slow ?

Today, every PC needs just a few protection softwares. Find out what and why. Visit our Links Page to avoid Indentiry Theft and costly computer repairs.
VACM Links to Protection Tools and Softwares

Keep your PC Safe and
Avoid a costly trip to the shop...
with these VACM approved tools.

You need 3 things to protect your PC(s) automatically. Use these links to go directly to the Download and Purchase pages:

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******** APPENDIX - Handy How-To Tips **********

* How To Boot into Safe Mode

Shut the computer down so that the power is off.

Turn the computer on, wait 1 second and begin pressing the F8 key
on the keyboard, once every second repeatedly. Do this until
the Windows Startup Menu appears. If you get a keyboard
error, press F1 to resume and then continue pressing the
F8 key once every second, or your PC may tell you to press another key for BIOS setup.

Select Safe Mode from the Windows Startup Menu, then press
the Enter key on the keyboard.

Windows will then boot into Safe Mode.
NOTE: This may take longer than a normal boot.

At the end of the boot process a dialog box will appear
informing you that Windows is in Safe Mode. Click OK on this dialog box.

Windows is now in Safe Mode.

If you miss hitting the F8 at the right time, Windows will boot
normally and you will not see the "Safe Mode" message. In this
case, start from the top of these instructions until you get the
boot menu screen where you can choose "Safe Mode". This can be
a little tricky the first time you do it.