Reverse Firewalls As An Anti-Spam Tool

An anonymous reader writes "VeriSign's principal scientist Phillip Hallam-Baker believes one answer to stopping spammers and even crackers is by using reverse firewalls. He says reverse firewalls should be embedded in every cable modem and wireless access point for home users. "A traditional firewall is designed to stop attacks from the outside coming in; a reverse firewall stops an attack going out," Hallam-Baker said. Apparently, a reverse firewall would reduce the value of recruiting your home PC as a member of a botnet because "normal users have no need to send out floods of e-mail, which reverse firewalls can stop, but they do allow a normal flow of e-mail. ""

Ha! Beat you too it!

[physicsphairy]

I, being the ubergeek that I am, already have a 14k^H^H^H^H "reverse-firewall".

No hackers for me, no siree!

Just had to

[manwithoneredsynth]

Just the thing to protect the computers of... Reverse Vampires

Re:This isn't normal behavior?

[Anonymous Coward]

thank you for reminding me how good it is not using windows.

Worried about outgoing Spam?

[lecithin]

Just Put a Condom on it.

Re:And who will control what to control?

[bhima]

Sorry I can't help myself....

Can it it be configured to block port 1984?

security model

[blazen1]

However, the security model in 802.11 may not be enough to prevent an attacker to get access to the intranet.

you're kidding..

Re:Oh yeah, router manufacturers will buy this...

[double_plus_ungod]

but this discussion is about how to prevent our beloved boxen from sending spam.

Re:This isn't normal behavior?

[obeythefist]

Couple of relevant things:

Windows XP SP2 will include a reverse firewall that is enabled by default. Unfortunately it will be released, for compatibility reasons, after Duke Nukem Forever.

Principle Scientist for Verisign? The same company with the terrorists/geniuses (what's in a name?) who decided to hijack the DNS system and send it to a search portal that pays them money each time it gets used? Thanks a lot. I'll take advice from a great company like that.

I dunno, chief.

[mcco7614]

I just think it's funny that VeriSign's "chief scientist" said we should use "reverse firewalls" ... I'll foil his plans by installing a reverse router with dual reverse Ethernet switches between my hosts and my cable modem. And I'll connect it all using my reverse CAT6 cables. This way, by the time a packet arrives at the reverse firewall it will already have been reversed...in which case...uhhh...it will be re-reversed and forwarded normally. Yup.

I'm gonna go to reverse sleep now.

Re:And who will control what to control?

[c0p0n]

Force?
Say that to Obi Wan.

Personal firewall setup

[smittyman]

yeah just like all the other "personal firewalls".

I believe there is a future for this afterall:

"welcome to the setup of your personal firewall. To install some personal settings please anwswer the following questions:

- Do you click on banners.
Yes / no / Banners?

- Do you use floppies and CD's provided by your idiot neighbour.
Yes / no / also from my uncle
- Is your default webpage www.msn.com.
Yes / no / Banners?
- You have created a personal webpage about your hobbies.
Yes / no / with my cat
- Running Outlook and Outlook express.
Yes / no / I like it
- Paid for more space on the hotmail account.
Yes / no
- You made friends with a Gorrila.
Yes / no / I like him because he is purple
- Do you trust company popups that trie installing software.
Yes / no / They are here to help me run the internet arent they?

Thank you for filling out these questions, your personal setting will now be choosen. While we are doing that please fill in as many square boxes below as possible and a few email adresses from YOU and your friends so we can GIVE you information for FREE......

Setting found, If one of the questions above was not no your personal firewall will be put in the L-User setting, dis-engaging internet connection now, thank you, go read a book or play solitaire........still here? the setting was permanent, shoo, SHOO, rebooting now......