Let’s start off with something most of you have heard of – Lifelock. If you have seen their commercials on TV, you’d think if you paid the hefty price for Lifelock, you can rest easy — your identity is safe. The truth is, neither one can. But it’s simply not true. And it illustrates that some of those who sell security software will do anything to convince you – if only you bought their product you’d be 100% safe. But it’s not true, and they know it. The Truth: Lifelock does not prevent identity theft. A firewall does not prevent identity theft, How can we say that even Lifelock does not stop identity theft (but they spend millions of dollars trying to convince to you they can). Want proof? Lifelock been sued by users and by the FTC. LifeLock paid a hefty fine to the U.S. Government for making false claims. It’s too bad the U.S. Government doesn’t take a closer look at the claims being made by many security and firewall vendors these days.
Software vendors have never been above hyperbolizing to the point of prevarication. We subscribe to many security newsletters – some of them published by security software vendors like Sunbelt and McAfee. Sometimes reading the baloney these newsletters serve up to their readers almost makes us want to regurgitate. And it’s a shame that vendors will go to any lengths to sell a product knowing it can’t possibly do what they promise. Unfortunately, gullible readers gobble up the baloney – because scare tactics sell products.
A firewall – no matter which one – cannot prevent identity theft; there isn’t a program made that can prevent you from giving your information away willingly. The best crooks can trick the innocent into giving up passwords, email addresses, credit card numbers, and even social security numbers.
A firewall is necessary, but every version of Windows from XP though Windows 10, has had a built-in firewall. If you listen to the so-called tech experts, they’ll tell you Windows firewall isn’t as good as brand x, y, or z. If you’re paying attention when you’re reading though, you’ll find that most of these so-called experts are selling brands x, y, or z – or all three. The motivation is money – your money. So in a sense those who twist the truth are our for the same thing as the crooks who trick you into giving up your personal information — your money.
Firewalls can’t protect you from identity theft. In most cases, they don’t even help. LifeLock, now included with Norton, has been the target of many lawsuits and has already paid a stiff fine to the government for making false claims.
When it comes down to it, you need a good anti-spyware program – or two, a good anti-virus program and you need to keep them updated. You need to keep Windows firewall turned on – not because it will protect you from identity theft, but because it can protect you from the unlikely event of unauthorized access to your computer via a network.
What you really need to protect you from identity theft is something you already have – common sense. The same old common sense you’ve been using for years – the common sense that tells you not to leave valuables lying on the front seat of your car, to lock your car doors, to lock you house at night when you go to bed, etc. Most identity theft occurs when people get careless and click links in emails that look as if they came from a bank or credit card company. These links lead to counterfeit sites. Unwary users give up their personal information unwittingly – and that’s how identity theft most often occurs.
A firewall isn’t going to stop identity theft. A 3rd-party firewall will certainly lighten your wallet -legally. Common sense will prevent identity theft better than any combination of security programs. Think before you click! And always make sure you know where you’re going and to whom you’re giving your information. When in doubt – leave it out. Don’t give away any personal information to any site unless you’re absolutely sure of the site you’re on.
Very good advice which so often goes unheeded. My mother raised us on common sense….no iphones, no computers, nothing… except her wits. I survived! Today, I just can’t believe the gullibility of people that fall for phishing scams, phone scams, younameit scams….and end up losing a lot, a whole lot…even people from my generation who should know better, get suckered in. Ok, Ok! I’m 75 (not that old) but I raised my kids for the most part on common sense and they are all doing well. Please keep your advice on this matter up front as you have done so well in the past. I do hope that I’m not the only “senior” who thinks this way…common sense rules!
I read “The Facts About Firewalls” with great interest. My question then is why on the right side of my screen are the advertisements for Lifelock and IdentiGuard so predominantly displayed? I assume Google throws them on randomly or not? Are they one of your advertisers? They appear to be there because of the type of article involved – have you no control over this? It makes your articles appear incongruous.
Read our privacy policy. We don’t endorse any third-party ads. Ads are served based on the content and we do not control individual ads. Without advertising we could not maintain our Web site. The content of our article should speak loudly for itself. We do not endorse or sell Lifelock – nor do we sell any 3rd-party firewall or any security suite which includes a firewall.
If I read a magazine article about the danger of high fat diets and I see an ad on the page for butter, I don’t assume that the author of the article put the ad for butter on that page.
Not sure what your motivation was for your comment, but apparently you haven’t read our privacy policy and you don’t know us.
Thanks for the reply – was a tad surprised at your defensive attitude since I was merely asking why all the ads that popped up opposite your article were in direct contradiction to what you were saying. I was just thinking that most people would not be able to understand what was going on.
You also indicated that I didn’t know you very well – that could not be any further from the truth – I have been an ardent fan since you began – I am a Cloud Eight Gold Member – I have all the stationery and many of your programs – I have touted you since your beginning (I am old) as the ultimate source for excellent information about anything related to the internet. I have noted through the years that you are in fact more money oriented which is understandable – the services you provide are in fact excellent at the price you charge for those that do need it.
So please do not take offense at my question about the ads directly opposite of your information – again, I just found it very incongruous…..which is the only reason I posted it.
Yes, when you insinuate we have control over something and don’t exercise it and thus expose readers to trash ads, we can get a little defensive. Don’t think you insinuated anything?
Let me quote you: “…have you no control over this? It makes your articles appear incongruous.” We can take criticism when it’s well-thought-out or deserved, but when someone tries to impune our integrity with statements like that, we’re going to defend ourselves.
If you would have just asked why those ads were there and if they were there because the ad network placed them randomly, we would have provided you with a non-defensive answer. But when you deliberately try to make it look like we are the two biggest hypocrites in the world, then we are going to defend ourselves.
You can’t walk back what you said. Anyone who reads it would think the same thing. “Have you nocontrol over this…” means what it says. Obviously if we had control over the ads, those ads for Lifelock, etc would not have been there, or are we just hypocrites?