[ale] [OT and sorry] - M$ patches and security advice?

[J.M. Taylor]

Thanks. Some questions...

>
> 2.    I also recommend that every Windows client machine have installed
> locally both a virus scanner and a personal firewall product.

A personal firewall product...like a software fw on the windows box
(ipchains for windows??)...isn't there one called Black Ice?  Or do you
mean a fw appliance like a linksys cablemodem fw/router?  Or both? :)  For
my Linux stuff, I have a fw appliance and then each machine runs iptables,
which is probably what I'd recommend to these folks (or anyone).

How hard are the personal fw products to install and configure properly? 
IE - is it pretty brain-dead to install it and have it run with decent
default settings, or is it going to leave RPC ports open by default?

Many thanks
jenn