From: "Rich" 

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   George's suggestion is a great example of bad use of encryption, =
something that is not encryption at all but simply complicated = obfuscation.

Rich

  "Paul Ranson"  wrote in message =
news:4328b57d{at}w3.nls.net...
  Encrypting the registry would just mean at a simplest level running =
the=20
  firewall configuration app and poking keystrokes at it rather than =
just=20
  editing the registry. Keeping it hidden isn't rocket science.

  Not running untrusted code would seem to be the first line of defence. =
And=20
  having the firewall physically distinct a distant second. I don't see =
that=20
  any local firewall significantly adds to my security, it just may =
alert me=20
  to unauthorised activity. But then my router's firewall log does that.

  Paul

  "Geo."  wrote in message =
news:432857bf$1{at}w3.nls.net...
  > You are missing the point, step one is to get your evil.exe code =
onto my
  > machine and run it.
  >
  > I don't have to have code executing on your machine to change your=20
  > firewall.
  > A simple javascript included in a pdf file and emailed to you or =
posted to=20
  > a
  > newsgroup should be enough to disable your firewall fire up tftp and
  > download your evil.exe code and run it. (I don't really know if I =
can do=20
  > all
  > that in javascript but I'm just trying to describe a technique =
that's been
  > used by countless hackers)
  >
  > Your firewall is useless against an attack where the firewall needs =
to be
  > diabled before the evil.exe can be downloaded and run.
  >
  > Something as simple as encrypting the registry key data would =
prevent this
  > or at least make it infinitely more difficult.
  >
  > Security is not an absolute, it's a shade of grey and the idea is to =
have
  > your grey more white than black.. this sillyness definitely moves =
you
  > towards black.
  >
  > Geo.


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   George's
suggestion is a =
great example=20
of bad use of encryption, something that is not encryption at all but = simply=20
complicated obfuscation.
 
Rich
 

  "Paul Ranson" <paul{at}barkto.com>">mailto:paul{at}barkto.com">paul{at}barkto.com>
wrote in =
message news:4328b57d{at}w3.nls.net...En=
crypting=20
  the registry would just mean at a simplest level running the =
firewall=20
  configuration app and poking keystrokes at it rather than just =
editing the=20
  registry. Keeping it hidden isn't rocket science.Not running =
untrusted=20
  code would seem to be the first line of defence. And having the =
firewall=20
  physically distinct a distant second. I don't see that any local =
firewall=20
  significantly adds to my security, it just may alert me to =
unauthorised=20
  activity. But then my router's firewall log does=20
  that.Paul"Geo." <fake{at}barkdom.com>">mailto:fake{at}barkdom.com">fake{at}barkdom.com>
wrote in =
message news:432857bf$1{at}w3.nls.net...=
>=20
  You are missing the point, step one is to get your evil.exe code onto=20
  my> machine and run
it.>> I don't have to have =
code=20
  executing on your machine to change your >
firewall.> A =
simple=20
  javascript included in a pdf file and emailed to you or posted to =
>=20
  a> newsgroup should be enough to disable your firewall fire up =
tftp=20
  and> download your evil.exe code and run it. (I don't really =
know if I=20
  can do > all> that in javascript but
I'm just trying to =
describe=20
  a technique that's been> used by countless =
hackers)>>=20
  Your firewall is useless against an attack where the firewall needs to =

  be> diabled before the evil.exe can be downloaded and=20
  run.>> Something as simple as
encrypting the registry =
key data=20
  would prevent this> or at least make it infinitely more=20
  difficult.>> Security is not an
absolute, it's a shade =
of grey=20
  and the idea is to have> your grey more white than black.. this =

  sillyness definitely moves you> towards
black.>>=20
  Geo.

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