Network Security and COX (was Need Advice on Routers)

[Sir Light]

Mark,

When I went online with COX, one thing above all else is that I knew I MUST, let me scream that LOUDLY again, ***MUST*** have a firewall in place. 

Why? Simple...

To stop people from coming into my network with things I do NOT want like viruses, people trying to hack into my boxes, all them infected boxes trying to infect my boxes and all them sciptkiddies just playing around. 

With the exception of a few ports like 25, 80 and a few others that I can't remember off the top of my head, you are pretty much wide open to the above nasties from ANYWHERE,
inside and outside of COX's network which is why a firewall is a MUST. 

One thing I read is that a naked Microsoft Windows box can be taken over in something like under 5 minutes even with all the patches applied. A Linux box setup to be a firewall, well... next to impossible. 

One thing I have turned off is the PING response which if someone were to ping my firewall, it's like talking to a blank wall. 

*pets his firewall* This firewall has served me very very well. :)

Jon

---- Mark Phillips <mark at phillipsmarketing.biz> wrote: 
> Some of the comments on my earlier thread got me thinking about network
> security and Cox. One of the thoughts in my earlier thread (Need Advice on
> Routers), seemed to indicate that IPcop/Smoothwall were better choices than
> a Linksys SOHO router because they provide better control and network
> security. It made me wonder. My network is one subnet on Cox's network. What
> levels of security/protection does Cox provide? Is a simple Linksys SOHO
> router sufficient when placed behind the Big Bad Cox Router? Or not?
> 
> It may be that I don't know enough about network security/routers etc. to be
> framing the question correctly. If so, please re-frame the question. If my
> local network were in a company, there would (should) be some sort of
> strategy for network security that leads to an implementation plan. If I
> were to write such documents for my home network, what would I say that Cox
> provides, and what holes do I need to fill at the local level?
> 
> What do the security gurus on the list think?
> 
> Thanks!
> 
> Mark
> 
> P.S. This is not meant to be a Cox bashing/praising post. Cox exists and I
> sit behind their firewall, so I am curious as to what they bring to the
> party and what I need to do.