Is Network Installation of FSIS2012 Safe?

MikeG

We are always being told how important it is only to go online with an account with few privileges (i.e. without administrator rights) and with a firewall, virus scanner, intrusion protection,  etc. etc. etc. in place, and yet F-Secure demand that we:

1) remove any antivirus etc. program from the computer,

2) upload the  "network installer",

3) with the unprotected computer go into the internet and run the installer as administrator,

4) wait, connected to the internet with a still unprotected computer until the installation is finished,

5) Repeat 1 -  4 for as many computers as you have licences - in my case 5, duh!

If they're not really needed, why bother to include a firewall and intrusion detection in FSIS?

I've read F-Secure's justification for the network installer, but don't find it persuasive for the customer, even if it may have some advantages for F-Secure. It really is not a big deal to download a 50-55 MB file (about the the size of FSIS 2011) one time with the speed of connection that most people have these days.

Providing a full installation file means that the computer must never be attached to the internet completely lacking in protection. After the offline installation you just need to go into the internet to get the most recent signatures.

I waited for the backup CD to arrive in the post, hoping to find a full version of FSIS2012 on it, but to my great disappointment all I found was, of course, the network installer.

I would sincerely ask F-Secure to reconsider their policy on this issue.

Does anyone else feel uneasy about F-Secure's present method of distributing their product?

Janiashvili

actually, people who are not tech savvy should not install random applications, and thats why they should use account with few privilegies. Usually everyone at home who can install OS is enough tech savvy to use Administrator account for daily jobs

 

You should remove antivirus because two AVs can't function at the same time. That means, that you can have AV before FS AV installs.

Same with firewall.

 

and, before you go to internet(if you mean browse the web), you should download installer first.

 

 

And actually, if you got up-to-date Windows OS you should not bother yourself about viruses for enough time to download and install FS IS. This may take up to one week, but not more. And if you won't use infected thumb drive or won't go to malicious web-sites you shouldn't encounter any harmful virus.

MikeG

Janiashvili,

In a roundabout way you seem to be agreeing with me.

In order to install FSIS you have to deinstall any firewall you may have. Quite. Going online without a firewall doesn't sound too safe to me either.

And it can take up to a week to install FSIS? I didn't know that, but it seems rather a long time to be without protection.

 

I still have a problem with F-Secure only providing a network installer when other reputable internet security product vendors (Kaspersky, to name one) will provide you with a downloadable offline installation file. I'm sure you'll agree the offline installation is the safer approach. The file may be a quite a bit bigger than the F-Secure network installer, but why take an unnecessary chance on getting your computer infected?

Janiashvili

Actually I meant to reinstall OS and install all the apps and updates, and then install FSIS. this may take up to one week. And there very small chance of danger in one week if you're absolutely up-to-date.

 

And, uninstalling firewall you should after installation of FSIS.

 

And I guess Kaspersky installer is the same network installer, except that GUI and engines are within installer. Actually it downloads whole databases(otherwise it would be 1GB) after you have installed it

MJ-perComp

Hi,

 

let me add some few points to counter your concerns:

 

- yes any additional firewall software should be uninstalled, but the windows firewall, that comes with all supported OS (XPsp3 and newer) may stay active and will only be disabled by F-Secure if the f-Secure firewall becomes active.

 

So you are not unprotected, but if  if you still fear:

 

- in most cases the system is behind a NAT-router connected to it via WLAN or direct. The router itself will deny direct access to the system from outside. How likely is it that your system gets intruded from a well known system in you home network?

 

and finally: janashvilli is right, first you install the OS (it will bring Firewall and Defender), then you apply all the hotfixes that you certainly download from a well known source (now you have patched al the vulnerabilities). At this point you are protected by Router, firewall, Defender and an attacker would have trouble to access your system at all. Exactly here is the point where you start downloading F-Secure and you would only go to other weird sites if F-Secure is fully operational.

 

I think you get the point, but all this is no justification for F-Secure not to provide a full installer that we need for setting up several hosts or when operationg behind slow lines or similar setup-related reasons.

 

Have fun!

 

 

 

Janiashvili

Kudos to Matthias

MikeG

Thank-you for your helpful comments, Matthias. When I wrote my previous entry I wasn't aware that the XP firewall stays active. That certainly is reassuring.

I was having an issue with a program that worked with FSIS 2011 then stopped working after installing FSIS 2012, however I had also downloaded various OS updates and installed some other programs, so I couldn't pin down the problem until I had unistalled FSIS 2012. It would have been nice to have had a full installer so I could have experimented and got to the root of the problem quicker.

 

Anyway I think you have said all there is to be said on the matter until F-Secure react.

Thanks again.

Mike

 

Janiashvili

You could say so, also contacted to Support and discussion would go to absolutely another direction.

 

Maybe problem was due to FSIS Firewall(it block by default little bit different ports than FSIS2011)