Comments on: Cisco's new security target: consumers

The multibillion-dollar player in security tools for businesses plans to move into the lucrative consumer market later this year.

[Dachi]

A good idea

Using NAT is a pretty safe way to suppress unsolicited inbound traffic to your PC's as it is.

The problem is that people are still downloading crap on their PC's that sends out a far amount of Internet clogging junk.

Being behind a NAT router does not prevent your PC from being used in a DDoS attack or as a bot to send spam for instance.

There will always be people who manage to have just about anything lurking on their PC's. I believe companies like Linksys actually reach enough homes that a product like this could improve the health of the internet as a whole.

I am sure there will be early bugs to correct, but if the idea is shown to work I think some ISP's should adopt a policy that if they have had to suspend your service more than 2 times because your PC is infected and packeting other Internet users that you should be required to install something like this between your PC and the Internet before they are willing to restore your service.

I wish Cisco/Linksys luck with this.

[Macsaresafer]

Puulease!

Malicious sites can only be malicious because there are so many
Windows vulnerabilities. Any attempt to protect Windows, be it
hardware or software, will add unnecessary layers to an already
overburdened internet. Spam, for example accounts for over 90%
of all email, and it's practically all sent from zombie Windows
computers.

If you really want to end the problem, don't connect a Windows
based computer to the internet. With no internet connection,
there's no way it can become a zombie. Leave the internet to
computers whose operating systems aren't security swiss
cheese: Linux and Mac.

[extinctone]

I agree

There is no reason not to use a hardware firewall. It's just basic common sense.

[Seaspray0]

It is, but won't stop an outgoing bot

"Being behind a NAT router does not prevent your PC from being used in a DDoS attack or as a bot to send spam for instance."

Not so. If your computer is part of a botnet, it will work behind a router. Programs, such as the free ZoneAlarm, will alert you to an unauthorized attempt to access the internet. Even the windows firewall in XP will alert you to unauthorized attempts. Aside from providing access to the internet for multiple computers, the NAT feature used in home routers provides an excellent defense against hackers attempting to access your computer through open ports. This defense helps keep your compute from becoming part of a botnet in the first place, but is not the only way your PC can be compromised. Running executables attached to email is a common method; which is why you should not always run as an administrator like most home users do (installing programs requires administrator rights in almost all cases).

[ciscostu]

Linksys + IPS + VPN + WPA Enterprise

The open source community has already started porting security features to Linksys routers-

http://packetprotector.org