Are firewalls really needed?

pparks1 said:

software firewalls are designed to protect "you" from "yourself". With a nat hardware firewall, you only protect the bad guys from coming in. However, they don't do jack to stop you from going to a malicious website and clicking on something and accepting the payload. This is where the software firewalls come into play.

a big +1 :)

WindowsStar said:

pparks1 said:

software firewalls are designed to protect "you" from "yourself". With a nat hardware firewall, you only protect the bad guys from coming in. However, they don't do jack to stop you from going to a malicious website and clicking on something and accepting the payload. This is where the software firewalls come into play.

a big +1 :)

I also agree. But by the time the software firewall picks up the outgoing, you already have the nasty on your system.

CarlTR6 said:

WindowsStar said:

pparks1 said:

software firewalls are designed to protect "you" from "yourself". With a nat hardware firewall, you only protect the bad guys from coming in. However, they don't do jack to stop you from going to a malicious website and clicking on something and accepting the payload. This is where the software firewalls come into play.

a big +1 :)

I also agree. But by the time the software firewall picks up the outgoing, you already have the nasty on your system.

You are right; and that is why one must have a great AV and anti-malware software as well.

I am of the opinion that all Malware including the 0 Day variety that AV programs do not yet have a definition for on their Black List should be prevented from accessing the computer in the first place before they can infect and propagate. Running my browser in the virtual space of Sandboxie has successfully prevented the detection of any Malware on both of my computers for almost 2 years now.



Internet Security software will alert you of potentially damaging applications before they are installed, but Sandboxie will prevent them from harming your computer long before that by preemptively isolating them in its virtual space on the HDD where they can be easily destroyed before having a chance to make any alterations to the registry or system files. It is also safer to restore your computer from a clean restore point, Win 7 system image or 3rd party backup Image than having an AV program clean up a Malware Infection should one occur.

~Maxx~
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In Windows 7...are the default Windows Firewall settings set so that your PC is invisible?

I seem to recall a couple of years ago setting my XP Home firewall to invisible on the back of some advice I got from someone somewhere.

[QUOTE=jav;969824]

Maxxwire said:

Yeah, Windows 7 firewall is 2-way.
But what is the point if by default settings anything, I mean anything is allow to outbound communicate.
This default rules will not be changed by users I mentioned (which are majority).
They will be changed by only handful people. Something like 0.5% of Windows users?
well done, Thats an achievement.

So, in default settings it's outbound protection doesn't count...

I suppose this is where a guy like me comes in....smart enough to follow the discussion...hell...to find the discussion!

....but in need of some advice for how to make the default Windows 7 firewall more robust.

I'd be happy to provide any screenshots/ details if anyone can help me.

If there is an existing thread...please direct me to it.

thanks

hello people- Welcome to the Windows 7 Forums! I learned from making the same kind of mistake that when making quotations you need to make sure that the right name is attached to the quote. The quote in your post above is from actually from jav and not myself.

As far as Firewalls go I've been using the top rated granularly programmable fully stealthed Comodo Firewall to keep both my 3rd party and Windows programs from going to the internet without my prior approval for almost 2 years now. I'm totally amazed at how chatty many Windows programs are in that every time they are accessed they keep trying unsuccessfully to call Redmond and tell them all about it, but their internet access is denied!

~Maxx~
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I used to use Comodo a couple of years ago in XP.

Do you have any idea if there is a link between in/out communications let through by a sloppy/ default firewall configuration, and hard drive activity?

And...yeah I'll try to be more accurate in the quotations.

Thanks for the welcome...looks like a great database of support and a helpful community

hello people said:

I used to use Comodo a couple of years ago in XP.

Do you have any idea if there is a link between in/out communications let through by a sloppy/ default firewall configuration, and hard drive activity?

The good news is that has seriously bumped up its game over the last 2 years and Comodo still has the top rated Firewall and Defense+ HIPS protection according to the Matousec Proactive Security Challenge and in Comodo 2011 in addition to the Sandboxing of all unrecognized applications they have added...

-Extended spyware scanner and improved malware cleaning
-Cloud Based Antivirus Scanning
-Cloud Based Behavior Analysis
-Cloud Based Application White-listing
-Game Mode



Over the almost 2 years that I've used Comodo the developers have streamlined its performance and made it much quieter with fewer pop-ups while still maintaining the 100% Malware-free status of both of my computers.

~Maxx~
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