FireWall updates ... are they needed ?

[rjharle]

I have a question about firewall updates.

I had a paid sudscription to Zonealarm Pro for two years and would receive updates for the program. I have since let that subscription expire and have not updated the firewall in about 3 months. The OS is the same, I have not changed anything since and everything runs fine.

If the function of a firewall is to monitor programs in and out of the system, ask when a program wants access, and maintain a stelth IP when out on the internet then what needs to be updated if that is what the firewall is doing.

The only thing I see that is different about not subscribing is that I no longer have access to Whois (addresses of IPs requesting access) and software updates that I don't know what they are for.

I also have a firewall in the Linksys wireless router that never gets updated and Linksys is not asking me to subscribe.

I think that once a fuctioning firewall is in place it does not need to be updated but I could be wrong the money is not the issue .. I just don't want to be wasteful.

What do you think ... does the firewall need updates