I am new to Linux and Fedora. Am I safe when surfing the web with default Firewall setting? Can My Computer be hacked when the firewall is in the default setting?

[Digimer]

On 04/05/2011 11:57 AM, Varuna Seneviratna wrote:
> I am new to Linux and Fedora. Am I safe when surfing the web with
> default Firewall setting? Can My Computer be hacked when the firewall
> is in the default setting?
> I have no knowledge on configuring Firewalls
> 
> Help Appreciated
> Varuna

Default settings are safe. No firewall is less safe. No computer is
totally safe when on the Internet.

The firewall prevents attackers from trying to exploit known-security
faults in listening daemons by blocking their access to anything not
explicitly opened up. This means that the firewall is a barrier, an
extra layer of security.

Without a firewall, assuming your programs are all updated, you are
*probably* safe, but you've given up a layer of protection and are now
relying on all listening programs to be secure, so you have a much wider
number of methods that an attacker might be able to break in.

If you browse the web from behind a router, then it will have it's own
firewall, somewhat negating the need for a firewall on your computer.

It's not an easy question to answer. You have to decide how safe you
need to be, and how much hassle you are willing to deal with to get that
safety.

-- 
Digimer
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