Volker Birk <bumens@dingens.org> writes:
> Leythos <void@nowhere.lan> wrote:
> > In article <433d99cd@news.uni-ulm.de>, bumens@dingens.org says...
> > > > > > Hardware devices are relatively non-complex and
> > > > > > are easier to secure, unlike a multipurpose computer.
> > > > > This is just nonsense.
> > > > It's nonsense to think that a PFW will protect a user that is not fully
> > > > aware of how to use/operate it, aware of security threats and the OS in
> > > > general, and it's nonsense to think that a simple NAT device - which
> > > > requires no configuration for Cable connections is not simple to install
> > > > and gain protection from. Even if you have to set one up for DSL, it's
> > > > still designed to be installed by a kid and be up and running in
> > > > minutes.
> > > Yes, and your point being? I claimed that hardware devices in general are
> > > _not_ non-complex.
> > No, you said it was nonsense.
>
> Yes, I said, that "Hardware devices are relatively non-complex and
> are easier to secure, unlike a multipurpose computer" is nonsense,
> because I know that in general hardware devices are _not_ non-complex.
>
> Please read the above text again. I changed nothing.
Someone needs to figure out how to attribute quotes. Those are my
words the Great Volker has declared nonsense.
When I wrote "relatively non-complex" that was intended to imply
"versus a general purpose computer." This is hardly a contentious
statement.
If you feel that is nonsense, Volker, do you really feel a full Linux
distro or a Windows box running a general purpose microprocessor is
equally simple for a user to secure versus something like an embedded
or ASIC based box like a Linksys BEFSR41 or SMC Barricade, both of
which by default have no WAN-side ports listening save for perhaps
ident?
Or are you trying to make a debate out of the relatively obvious point
that "even though hardware appliances are less complex than a general
purpose computer (with its general purpose OS, peripherals and myriad
of listening services, hard disk), those little hardware firwalls are
still complex and intricate....versus something like my toaster."
--
Todd H.
http://www.toddh.net/