Windows network traffic scanners, and general terminology questions

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uOpt

[H]ard|Gawd
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Mar 29, 2006
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I am only a casual windows user (gaming only). I would greatly appreciate if those familiar with windows security products would tell me what an "accepted standard" for terminology is for windows security software.

I keep seeing people throw live scanning of network traffic in with "firewall". Apparently it's only a firewall for them if live scanning is done. Is this an accepted term right now or is it just stupid journalists? How common is live scanning of the internet connections in current products, anyway? And if so, how is that supposed to work if the virus signature is bigger than what's in a packet?

My mother's crazy windows box behaves like live scanning is done of block devices reads. Is the thing just screwed up or is this something that products do these days?

I keep telling people they make their windoze unusable by shutting it down right after every use, because the weekly scan will start all over every time they boot and never finish. Really unhealthy for laptop harddrives in dusty laptops. Am I right?
 
A firewall filters network traffic to and from devices on a network, be that on your local network or on the internet.

By "live scanning" I'm assuming you mean traffic filtering with AV, anti-spam, etc. UTMs usually do this. These usually have firewalling built-in to them.

Most people when referring to a firewall are talking about blocking by IP, port, protocol, etc. UTMs are at a higher level.

Dusty laptops are dusty.

As for whatever else you were talking about, I have no clue what you are asking.
 
I know what a firewall is all right. I'm asking how windows people use the term.
 
uOpt said:
I know what a firewall is all right. I'm asking how windows people use the term.
Click to expand...

Huh? A firewall is a firewall regardless of what kind of "people" are using it.

Maybe you can elaborate some more?
 
uOpt said:
I know what a firewall is all right. I'm asking how windows people use the term.
Click to expand...

Windows Firewall ?

Firewall isn't an OS term, it's a networking term which applies to anything network related.
 
Blackjack988 said:
Huh? A firewall is a firewall regardless of what kind of "people" are using it.

Maybe you can elaborate some more?
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No, because I don't get it :)

I have such a hard time communicating with windows users that want my help but are constantly bombarded with random usage of the word "Firewall" by movies and journalists (the latter being even worse).

Can somebody at least confirm which windows security products, specifically, include live network snooping and how they solve the problem of virus signatures potentially crossing packet boundaries?
 
Malwarebytes, most AVs.

This is usually done at the head end using something like Untangle, Barracuda, etc. Any sort of UTM.
 
I still don't understand OPs question.
There is no "standard terminology" for "security software" since security software ranges from firewalls, to anti-virus, to anti-malware, to host-intrusion protection.

Live scanning of network traffic can be done with a sniffer, ala Wireshark. But it does absolutely no firewall duties.

My mother's crazy windows box behaves like live scanning is done of block devices reads.
Click to expand...

Please reiterate that in proper English.

keep telling people they make their windoze unusable by shutting it down right after every use, because the weekly scan will start all over every time they boot and never finish.
Click to expand...

Depends on the AV used, I imagine. For example, if MSE misses a weekly scan, it just skips it.
 
Your best bet to solve this problem is to avoid windows people completely.

They seem to have infected you with their disease.

Best to cut off all contact immediately and go back to whichever land you were in before, build a really tall fence with guards and guns and never stray back.
 
Please reiterate that in proper English.
Click to expand...

sorry
s/of/on/

My mother's crazy windows box behaves like live scanning is done on block devices reads.
 
What are you referring to by "block device reads"? Gremlins? Tribbles? Opening files? What?
 
I realize that. Stop being cryptic and trying to use fancy terms and just ask your question like a normal person.

Are you asking if it's normal for files to be real-time scanned as they are opened? Yes, almost every AV and anti malware (paid ones) do this. This has been the norm for many years now. They do this with flash drives, network drives, email attachments, etc. anything that involved the process of reading a file.
 
/usr/home said:
I realize that. Stop being cryptic and trying to use fancy terms and just ask your question like a normal person.
Click to expand...

I guessed we reached a fine example of why Unix and windows people can't talk to each other.

Windows doesn't make a difference between raw and block devices? What about a VFS layer?
 
Yeah the question is kind of, awkward.

Most of it was well explained as by others. While there may be some terminology difference between Windows and Linux folks, the question I'm assuming you're asking is what the difference is between the System Administrator people and the Network Administrator people.

In a nutshell, we avoid each other lol unless you're forced into providing both services for an organization.
 
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