Firewalls INSIDE a LAN?

[anandfan]

Help! I have a 3 computer LAN at home connected through a router to my ISP. Printer and file sharing is used. I believe I am secure from attacks originating on the other side of the router, but want security from attacks originating within the LAN. For example, what if someone opens an email or similar with the LAN and infects their computer. How do I protect the other computers? I tried Windows built-in firewall but that blocked sharing.

Thanks.

 

[Garion]

In this case, you're dammed if you do, dammed if you don't. Most of the "modern" hard-hitter worms use MS file sharing protocols. You either share files and open yourself to viruses or you don't do any sharing unless you absolutey trust the other machines.

The best bet is to make SURE that all the PC's are up-to-date on their AV definitons and MS patches and decide they are probably clean. Otherwise, you could always get another router or even a software firewall (MS, Zone Alarm, etc.) and create yourself a little isolated world from the rest of your LAN.

- G

 

[doug]

One approach that might help a it is to have more than one brand of virus protection on the different computers. If brand X does stop the virus when the email gets opened then brand Y might stop it when it tries to infect another cmputer.