dk70
Cracking?
Sounds a little kinky…sort of…
Culpeper
Oh, I absolutely agree with both of your responses. I love the logging capability of Sygate just to see what is going and coming. It let me know I had a bunch of forgotten RSS feeds in my Firefox bookmarks, which was causing a slow Firefox start up. Without the firewall logs I would have completely forgot about those feeds and never figured it out.
Yes…though I am enough of a geek that with the XP Log Analyzer I got fro 2brightsparks, and some time, I can see what is where and why and how and so on… but eh… I am also a lazy bum at times, so I like having something else do the legwork for me…but not always…
For the most part though, the average person, not security computer freaks like ourselves, the basic firewall protection I mentioned above should be sufficient for security.
The hands off nature, and automatic features, mean that unlike before, at least there is some protection… computers are sold with AV installed nowadays, mine for example, came with Norton (ahahaha, what a joke, you can bet I removed that in a hurry, and talk about a pain to uninstal…) so with luck, many simple, and even more complicated things, are avoided, if the user pays attention, and does not insist on clicking on every last thing… (attachments, urls, pop ups)
In fact, a cheap router with a hardwire fire is more than sufficient. In my opinion. For the most part when I set up a computer for a friend or relative that just got their stuff from Dell et al, I just add on Avast or AVG and turn on the OS firewall, tell them not to mess with the settings, and then go home.
When I do support, remtelly, I tend to recoment the: The AVG/ZoneAlarm/Ad-Aware/Spybot/Crap Cleaner/Alternate Browser&Email Program, combo, though if it is an XP computer, then I will leave the resident firewall… it can be very hard to get beyond most peopels fear of computers, and as someone who used computers in the 1980’s, I can’t say I blame them… of course, once one goes away, it is up to the end user, and I find it is the Windows Updates, that are hardest to get peopel to take seriously… and of course, results vary… I remember once, I had someone who had a sober worm, and despite my entreaty to install and run Spybot, she refused… as I was far away and how could I diagnose it,and when I got her to fun MacAfee (ah, another joke) it showed up, but MAcAfee was unable to remove it, but stil she did not instal Spybot… so she called her local tech person, who brough a flash stick, and installed Spybot and Ad-Aware, and used them to clean the system…
In retrospect perhaps it was better the tech did it, but still it was an example of the intimidated attituude of most users…
When I actually have access to a system, I add all sorts of things, but I hide them away, so the user does not know about it, that way when I come to check the compters out, I dont have to use a flash stick or anything, I just open a folder and go… Rootkit Revealer, Hijack This, Pocket Kill Box, A Really Small App… mainly, and I close some ports, and so on… it is not ideal, but most people cannot or will not, pay attention to software pop ups or anything that forces them to make a decision…
You dont want to know about cracking Rain, keep yourself pure as snow. A cd-crack for a game it ok of course but the rest is not for public consumption 8)
I would be lying if I said I knew about all outgoing traffic on this computer but I dont believe not knowing necessarily is sign of weak security/open doors. Would also be lying if I said I dont care so if I read more of logs I will have to install outgoing control, I like stats… Had almost forgot, heh.
May be start with CurrPorts Rain http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/index.html#network_utils If you jump up and down in chair start hunting for easy to use yet powerful firewall. You want to… Check that forum I linked to earlier - lots of different experiences with each one. Im out of firewall testing but experience tells me you should take it easy during testing. If not that interesting go with the one which seems to be most popular, most compatible. Even more important to research a bit if you want to pay for firewall.
dk70
You dont want to know about cracking Rain, keep yourself pure as snow. A cd-crack for a game it ok of course but the rest is not for public consumption 8)
Ah, that would explain why I did not know, (the CD thing, not the not for public consumption thing) I don’t play games… and shoudl I ever start, I have a brother who is a very bad boy, who no doubt would have what I needed to get a cd to work…
I would be lying if I said I knew about all outgoing traffic on this computer but I dont believe not knowing necessarily is sign of weak security/open doors. Would also be lying if I said I dont care so if I read more of logs I will have to install outgoing control, I like stats… Had almost forgot, heh.
Yeah, they are oddly fascinating…
Im out of firewall testing but experience tells me you should take it easy during testing. If not that interesting go with the one which seems to be most popular, most compatible. Even more important to research a bit if you want to pay for firewall.
I have paid for firewalls, I can say that paying for anti spyware, or anti virus, is worth it, but firewalls, notso much, and I have tested in various ways a few, be it on my machine, or other machines… but I prefer to research, and then try only sometimes… I am not into messing up my registry and so on, I mean I know how to clean it up, but boring… never mind little widgets of software floating about for all eternity…
I will test this Slovakian firewall, after I read about it a little more… I like the looks of what I have read, it is dead simple, partly point and click, partly rule based, I only need a firewall, I have the other security software…
Oh, yeah, Cracking software. The so-called security sites have all the cracks you need for just about any software you want. Just download the application software, find the crack and run it and you have a registered version of the application installed. The astalavista security site is notorious for this. Please don’t try this at home. If you do you are not taking advice from me. In fact, I believe Avast! includes certain cracks in their signature files. Cracks is sharewares’ and trial versions’ worst enemy. They can cost a developer a lot in lost revenues.
I get by with the XP firewall just fine as my ISP (Metronet) has firewall options in place too (more ISPs should do this). I don’t like Windows Defender, by the way, I prefer WinPatrol Plus to monitor my systems and programs.
greenhatch
I get by with the XP firewall just fine as my ISP (Metronet) has firewall options in place too (more ISPs should do this). I don’t like Windows Defender, by the way, I prefer WinPatrol Plus to monitor my systems and programs.
Firewall options?
And yeah, I agree, Windows Defender is not…for me…
Culpeper
Oh, yeah, Cracking software. The so-called security sites have all the cracks you need for just about any software you want. Just download the application software, find the crack and run it and you have a registered version of the application installed.
Yeah, I have heard of that, (just not as cracking) most things that interest me anyway, are freeware, and because I am a writer, I tend to want to give credit, where credit is due… I also don’t play games… so I have no regular need to buy software or anything…
The astalavista security site is notorious for this. Please don’t try this at home. If you do you are not taking advice from me. In fact, I believe Avast! includes certain cracks in their signature files. Cracks is sharewares’ and trial versions’ worst enemy. They can cost a developer a lot in lost revenues.
I am willing to cut corners upon occasion, but especially with security, I am not…
Still researching this: http://www.hurricane-soft.com/
Okay, not sure if this is the right place, but I now have an oppinion to offer about: Hurricanesoft Personal Firewall Free Edition EN 2.4
http://www.hurricane-soft.com/
Windows ‘Security Center’ does not recognise it as a firewall, but that little anoying ‘thing’ is easy to overcome if you just tweak the settings…
It runs flawlessly alongside the XP Firewall, I always test that… (because I am weird that way)
It is SIMPLE… I mean, DEAD SIMPLE… which is both a beautiful thing, and for a wrench head like me, a little irritating, but certainly does not detract from its beauty…
It passed the ‘Leak Test’ from Gibson Research, and the simple of the two Firewall tests at Audic My PC… I did not check the more complex one, as I do not care to have my Anti Spyware software go absolutelly bananas at this time…
It took only a minute to install, added a registry key to the startup and did not require a restart, and so far I have not noticed it interfearing with avast! though each segment of avast! has to ask permission to access the internet…
It does not seem possible to add programs to it, except by running them, and then asking them to update myself, this causing the program I want added, to attempt to access the internet, and therefore ask the firewall for permission, or if the various subsystem programs and so on, are trying to access the net on the sly…such as a driver update program or whatever… the automatic stuff… it pops up with a very simple program pop up, and it is possible to examine the path of the program and even run along and research it, before saying yes or not… it also monitors connections, and tells you what connections as well…
4 out of 5 stars
the only thing that it does that bothers me, is it does not seem to switch itself off, or power down, when I restart, or turn off my computer, it just seems to hang… but it is not unreasonable to think that one could remember to exit it, before this, and certainly it does not make the computer hang, you can just switch it off if you forget it on, even after you have started the shotdown sequence…
It has almost no system footprint…
Does it have any logging?
Culpeper
Does it have any logging?
It has some basic information, here are three screenshots of its key areas, (with my stuff blanked out)
No application pop-up, as I have nothing to add to it right now, but they are very simple, and easy to understand, though not really layperson… they show the program path, and ask simple questions like: allow always, block, allow once, block once… no recomendations, but if you ask it to block always or allow always, it will ask you if you are sure about it…
Connection Monitoring & Control:
http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l177/soldierofsorrow_rain/fa9292d7.jpg
Application Control & Rules
http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l177/soldierofsorrow_rain/9b0ba33e.jpg
Settings (pretty damn simple)
http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l177/soldierofsorrow_rain/fa9292d7-1.jpg
This is basically just a firewall, and nothing else…
Rather ugly, if you ask me. :-X
The GUI looks like a Symantec rip-off.
More worryingly, the company website does not give an address, or even a country for HurricaneSoft. They also seem to have a website in an eastern European language (Polish maybe?) Nothing wrong with software from eastern Europe of course, I just wonder why they haven’t given an address?
There are also no reviews yet.
I don’t think I’ll be trying it out just yet. 
Hi FwF,
The firm is either in Praque or Bratislawa for these two languages are also supported next to English.
Alas there is no documentation for the software there or I missed it,
polonus
FreewheelinFrank
Rather ugly, if you ask me. :-X
Newp, ain’t pretty…
The GUI looks like a Symantec rip-off.
Heh, that too…
More worryingly, the company website does not give an address, or even a country for HurricaneSoft. They also seem to have a website in an eastern European language (Polish maybe?) Nothing wrong with software from eastern Europe of course, I just wonder why they haven’t given an address?
They are Slovakian…
http://www.hurricane-soft.com/Contact/
http://www.hurricane-soft.com/Company-Profile/
http://www.hurricane-soft.com/Awards/
There are also no reviews yet.
True, with other things cornering the market, and a tendency to shy away from European things, unless they are Finnish, or British, or German, it is hard for products to become well known… but for me, it is pretty much, viva la difference…
I don’t think I’ll be trying it out just yet.
Well, I am still testing it, so watch dis space, ju know?
polonus
The firm is either in Praque or Bratislawa for these two languages are also supported next to English.
Alas there is no documentation for the software there or I missed it,
Yeah it is a little slim on information, but there are plenty of places mentioning it, so I am readingup what I can find… I have the anti spyware av I need… so I am basically looking fo something light and simple… even if it is ugly…
I will keep this thread informed, about security things, that happen, if my system is attached and so on, how it behaves… so this is just a begining…
Hurricane seems to do very little is all I will say. Site and their public face is more or less a big question mark. Try compare with Comodo. Last years Comodo was called Netveda I think http://www.netveda.com/consumer/safetynet.htm - they have gone zzzzz. Not a good sign Hurricane look like they are in that mode already. Buggy software can be fixed and since almost any firewall seems to be in that category support and feedback is important.
Anyway, here are 18 pages of forum chitchat about outbound control/software firewall being important or not IF behind router taking care of inbound http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14627281~days=9999 Im with the guy on page 18 who also think main reason is to keep pirated software private.
Rain, may be you are not attacked so much you can judge Hurricane - not before it is too late. Does it pass some leaktests? http://www.pcflank.com/ there are others. I have tried most of the free firewall, mostly for the extra features (some can even go as adblocker), but eventually Ive uninstalled due to pain the butt factor. Would not mind something simple. Comodo is pretty good though - mainly thanks to supportforum, updates and what seem to be genuine desire to make good product! Yeah, right… They have other goals, products in mind of course. Could be dying already, how it goes with freeware sometimes.
dk70
Hurricane seems to do very little is all I will say. Site and their public face is more or less a big question mark. Try compare with Comodo. Not a good sign Hurricane look like they are in that mode already. Buggy software can be fixed and since almost any firewall seems to be in that category support and feedback is important.
Yeah, I am going to test some of their other firewalls, they have more than one version…and moe than one free version, there is also a ‘Pro’ edition, that seems to have more features…
I’m looking for something with the same type of logging that Sygate has/had:
Security Log
Traffic Log
Packet Log
System Log
The Traffic Log is my favorite.
I don’t see a problem with operating behind just a router firewall. However, it is “well advised” that you augment it with a software firewall. But I don’t consider it a prerequisite. Nevertheless, in some cases the hardware firewall is so good that installing a software firewall alongside it may cause conflicts. Once again, if what ever you are using is passing the various online firewall tests than what is the big deal? Some people only have locks on their doors and some people take the next step and get an alarm system. Personally, I have a junk yard dog for when I’m not home and a junk yard dog as well as a couple of Ithaca shotguns for when I am home.
Now, because Windows is such a bad neighborhood to begin with I take the extra step and install a software firewall with good logging capabilities along with the router firewall. But on the remote wireless Linux box I don’t have a software firewall. I only rely on the router’s. Why? Because Linux is already a gated community with its own security guards built in. In fact, on that machine I only have a command line virus scanner that is updated daily merely to scan incoming email. On Linux about the only thing you have to worry about is an inside job. And not even my wife knows my root password. ;D
Culpeper
[i]I’m looking for something with the same type of logging that Sygate has/had:
Security Log
Traffic Log
Packet Log
System Log
The Traffic Log is my favorite.
[/i]
They gace a Pro ‘Free Firewall’…
You can see the screenshot there if you click on it, (the enlargment)