Password Protection
While McAfee Firewall is designed to protect a Windows computer from
unwanted network communication, the security it provides can be
undermined if the configuration can be altered. This is especially easy on
Windows 95 and 98.
This problem is partially addressed by adding password protection to the
configuration file. The protection is only partial because only the operating
system can provide access control, such as is found in Linux and Unix.
When you use a password to protect your configuration:
• The settings cannot be changed while McAfee Firewall is running unless
the correct password has been entered.
• The tampering of the configuration file will be detected the next time
McAfee Firewall is run, if (and when) the password is entered
• If the password has not been entered, new networking applications will be
blocked automatically.
Instructions for Administrators
Configuring Network, Display and Logging Controls
Network Control
This should usually be set to "Filter Traffic". If it is set to "Block Everything",
the system will not be able to communicate over any network device. If it is set
to "Allow Everything", nothing will be blocked. When it is set to "Filter
Traffic", it controls network communications according to the Application and
System settings.
Display Control
It is best to choose Summary mode when setting it up for other users. The
information shown in Detail mode is intended for the Adminstrator and may
reduce performance on high-speed networks.
Logging Control
It is important to log unknown traffic if you want to review the log files to look
for intrusion attempts. This option should only be unselected if the computer
is on a busy network and large amounts of (harmless) traffic fills the log file.
McAfee Firewall Configurations
Getting Started
25
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