Network Security and COX (was Need Advice on Routers)

[Craig White]

On Thu, 2009-04-30 at 11:14 -0700, Mark Phillips 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.
----
In theory, I would only want an Internet Service Provider (ISP) to
provide bandwidth but not security at all and for the most part, that is
exactly what they do. 

On residential accounts, they seem to block inward ports 25 & 80 so you
can't run typical mail and web servers that are reachable, I suspect
that they block netbios ports (137/138/139) but probably not much else.

They also block port 25 outward so you can only use their SMTP servers
for sending e-mail (unless you use something like port 465 or 578)

Each connected system is responsible for their own security.

Craig


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