Security software compatibility

[Phaewryn]

Hello. I am just learning about security, and I've been told I should consider switching from the built in Windows 7 firewall to ZoneAlarm by a techy friend. I'm currently running Advanced Systemcare Ultimate Beta, Microsoft Security Essentials, MalwareBytes, and the Kaspersky TDSSKiller utility, TOGETHER. Successfully. All in happy compatibility.

What I want to know is, will adding another firewall program result in some compatibility issues? I know that adding a new one would disable the built in one, or, I think it will. Has anyone here (ever) successfully used any outside firewall with Microsoft Security Essentials, MalwareBytes, and Advanced Systemcare Ultimate beta or ASC with Antivirus 2013 (all together) before?

Not sure I want to press my luck... :huh:

 

[ignatzatsonic]

I haven't heard much about Zone Alarm in years--certainly not on this forum.

I'd be suspicious of "Advanced Systemcare Ultimate", which sounds like a Swiss Army knife app of some kind that may do a lot of unnecessary or questionable stuff. Windows 7 doesn't need a lot of maintenance beyond the built in tools.

I use the Windows firewall, but there are other decent options. I'd just pick one firewall and be done with it.

I think your instincts about not pressing your luck are sound. As they say, "the enemy of a good plan is the search for a perfect plan".

 

[Phaewryn]

Is there a way to set the windows 7 firewall so that it is more secure, and interactive, or it always just a background thing? I'd like to be able to see the rules, and what it is doing or not doing.

Advanced Systemcare has successfully saved me from my own stupidity several times already, it has a fantastic ability to repair the registry (and they have a nice force uninstall that helped me dump a load of bloatware). I'm beta-ing their new version with antivirus included, and so far, it's pretty flawless, but then, I am not under attack, so it's hard to say 100% for sure. I have nothing but good things to say about them though. They are a newer company (IObit), and they are doing a good job so far.

 

[ignatzatsonic]

You can look in control panel/Windows Firewall/advanced settings and fiddle around to your heart's content.

But the premise of Windows Firewall is to not require a lot of interaction and constantly ask for input of some type from the user. I'd guess 95% of users just turn it on and do nothing else.

There is something out there called "Tiny Firewall" that I think is a front end for Windows Firewall and it might be what you are looking for. It's not a separate firewall--just a way of controlling Windows Firewall. I've heard good things about it, but don't have the urge to dig into it.

 

[Alejandro85]

Is there a way to set the windows 7 firewall so that it is more secure, and interactive, or it always just a background thing? I'd like to be able to see the rules, and what it is doing or not doing.

By default Windows Firewall has very conservative settings that render it quite insecure for its task, but the advanced control panel is the option you need to turn it more secure. The key feature to enable is blocking of outbound connections, which is off by default. The rules themselves I think is one of its coolest features with very detailed configuration is you want to spend a few minutes preparing it.

It's completely a background service. It's supposed to have incoming connections attempts notifications, but those rarely work really, and it completely lacks outgoing notifications so you have no way of knowing that, being one of the greatest flaws in it.

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Well if it is only a firewall you need the Comodo one is supposed to be about as good as they get. Mind you you seem to running a heck of a lot of apps there.

Personally I quite like the whole set of dice with Comodo Premium (free) or paid for - if I wasn't sold on Kaspersky I'd go the real deal with that.


Firewall, Personal Firewall Software, Free Internet Firewall PC- COMODO

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

I haven't heard much about Zone Alarm in years--certainly not on this forum.

I'd be suspicious of "Advanced Systemcare Ultimate", which sounds like a Swiss Army knife app of some kind that may do a lot of unnecessary or questionable stuff. Windows 7 doesn't need a lot of maintenance beyond the built in tools.

I use the Windows firewall, but there are other decent options. I'd just pick one firewall and be done with it.

I think your instincts about not pressing your luck are sound. As they say, "the enemy of a good plan is the search for a perfect plan".

I've been using Zone Alarm's free firewall for years, first on XP, and now on Win7 and have been happy with it. Many people don't like it because, until you get it "trained", it has a lot of popups, even more so than UAC. However, if one pays attention to the popup before blindly clicking it off, Zone Alarm gets trained pretty quickly. I find it easier to use than Windows 7's firewall.

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Hum sounds very much like the Comodo set up it takes a bit of "training" too.
But happy that you have got set up ok

 

[cmmtch]

I too have been a ZoneAlarm Pro user since Win 98, W2K, XP, and now Win7. I am considering dropping the paid subscription and this thread may help, http://www.sevenforums.com/system-security/259568-questions-about-windows-firewall.html#post2143694 as I had questions similar to yours. I can't tell how many times if there were any that it saved me. I do know I've had maybe three virus/malware problems over the last 12 years. Don't know if ZA saved me some problems or not, you can't really know.

My opinion on ZA is it has changed so drastically I don't really care for the interface now and probably will go with Windows Firewall when my subscription expires this month.

It has played nice with Win7, it did have problems with a recent version of Avast! I ran that for years but had to uninstall it. Now I use MSE, Malwarebytes, Superantispyware, Spyware Blaster and ZA firewall.

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Why don't you just try the Comodo firewall Steve? can only try it out it's free and well if you don't like it just uninstall it ain't going to cost you zip.

 

[cmmtch]

I will keep Comodo in mind ICit2lol, I'm going to give the Microsoft firewall a try. You can bet if it doesn't seem like it's doing the job I will look for a 3rd party firewall. I could keep ZA and by letting the subscription expire essentially it will become the ZA free version.

With Microsoft developing their own antivirus/malware (MSE) I would think they've improved the firewall too. Protecting their OS for their customers should be right up there on the priority list (notice I put the disclaimer "should" in there)

 

[ICIT2LOL]

I will keep Comodo in mind ICit2lol, I'm going to give the Microsoft firewall a try. You can bet if it doesn't seem like it's doing the job I will look for a 3rd party firewall. I could keep ZA and by letting the subscription expire essentially it will become the ZA free version.

With Microsoft developing their own antivirus/malware (MSE) I would think they've improved the firewall too. Protecting their OS for their customers should be right up there on the priority list (notice I put the disclaimer "should" in there)

No probs Steve keeping in mind that two firewalls - usually not a good idea run together at same time free or not

 

[cmmtch]

Sorry I wasn't clear, I thought that went without saying. I'd never run two firewalls at the same time.

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Sorry I wasn't clear, I thought that went without saying. I'd never run two firewalls at the same time.

No it is probably some confusion my end Steve as you mentioned keeping the free ZA FW.

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

I agree ZA has made less than desireable changes to it's UI, apparently in an effort to make it easier to use. In a way, it is a bit easier to use in that the pop-ups are less cluttered due to fewer options showing but I feel that only made them a bit less intuitive; one can still make the same choices but it isn't as obvious as it once was. If I hadn't been a long-time user, it probably would have thrown me for a loop and I would have dumped it. But, over all, it does seems to work better. Less training is needed because it now comes partially pretrained fpr the most popular programs. One can still go into the program to adjust that training if desired. In addition to just being a simple firewall, ZA also takes control of downloading, checking downloads both against a data base and hueristically in a sandbox if a download isn't in its database. It's caught a couple of downloads for me that were suspicious. They may have been safe but I prefer to err on the side of caution.

Other than the download manager, I doubt ZA's free firewall (I've never used the paid version) is any better than Win 7 but it is one heck of a lot easier to use than the Win 7 firewall, especially for setting up parameters for outbound transmissions.