Re: Sygate Free PFW

On Sun, 11 Jun 2006 21:18:48 +0200, "WinTerMiNator" <me@xxxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:

Is it a good idea to just
switch to the windows XP SP2 firewall?

Yes.

No. Keep Sygate PFW. Version 5.5 build 2710 preferrably (latest one has been
modified in order Windows useless security center be aware of Sygate; but it
doesn't have any security improvement and this latest and last version is
very buggy!).

First, Windows firewall does not inform user when an apps tries to connect
to internet: it knows to block only inbound connexions, not outbound ones.

Pretty normal. And spares You from annoying pop-ups.

Volker and his fellows will say you it is a good design choice! Even if this
was true, Windows firewall has definitely a big hole:

It is *not* a hole. It is a design choice. Whether it is a good choice
can be debated.

When apps are installing, they can add an exception and so allow an *inbound* connexion
without requesting user's authorization

Wrong. When running it as admin, You have authorized it.

or even without informing him (her).

Using personal firewalls has just made You consider this a must.

Only the minority of users (like people reading this group) cares for
a second about connections being opened. All they care about is that
the app they just installed works properly.

For example, just try to install Skype 2.0, or any security product which
needs to connect to internet...

Why allow an application to run and then afterwards try to put
restrictions on it? If You don't trust an app, don't run it.

But don't bet your life on the fact Sygate PFW will detect and block all
malwares wanting to connect! It should be used in a secure environment

In a secure environment, You don't need a PFW at all.

In fact, a computer should not, for security reasons, be connected to
internet! ;-)

If You can accept an internet-security-level of less than 100% then
Yes, it should ;-)

So, never forget to periodically backup your computer! You might need, one
day, to recover from a crash, induced by malwares or whatever else.

Good idea.



Yours,
VB.

Regards

/B. Nice
.

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