Why are some firewalls obsessed with rigid rules?

[ploppo]

Why is ZoneAlarm's default 'Remember this setting' (or similar) sorely missing in some other firewalls?

To me it is such a great, flexible, user-friendly, feature - how can it not possibly be a standard feature in every firewall for a home user?

So many products I have tried, whether it be a pure firewall or an internet security suite, are obsessed with forming a set rule.

What is the obsession with setting a rule? I seriously don't get it. Why is it not a default with firewalls to have the option of NOT remembering your choice and turning it into an ongoing rule?

Based on the fact that so many other firewalls that I have tried don't want the user to have this option (certainly as a default), then why does ZoneAlarm offer this option as default?

[JoeBlack40]

Originally Posted by ploppo

Why is ZoneAlarm's default 'Remember this setting' (or similar) sorely missing in some other firewalls?

To me it is such a great, flexible, user-friendly, feature - how can it not possibly be a standard feature in every firewall for a home user?

So many products I have tried, whether it be a pure firewall or an internet security suite, are obsessed with forming a set rule.

What is the obsession with setting a rule? I seriously don't get it. Why is it not a default with firewalls to have the option of NOT remembering your choice and turning it into an ongoing rule?

Based on the fact that so many other firewalls that I have tried don't want the user to have this option (certainly as a default), then why does ZoneAlarm offer this option as default?

Did you even tried among "many products" Comodo FW?Seems to me that it has such an option....as default...

[act8192]

@ ploppo,
Re: remembering rules - "how can it not possibly be a standard feature in every firewall for a home user?"
You may want to try Kerio 2.1.5, or Sunbelt firewall (all versions, based on Kerio), or Outpost all versions, or LookNstop, or ... there are others, tons of them. They all have a way to "remember the setting & don't ask me again".

Some firewalls can build you rules automatically, in which case you're not even asked.
Others might already have built in rules permitting common applications - wide open and less safe, so those won't ask you much either.
If true what you're saying, it could be that the vendors don't want to intimidate the users with popup questions. Applies to the last two instances.

Navigating through firewall options normally reveals a way to do what you want.

Can you give examples of firewalls you saw that do not give you the "remember" option?

Yes, I have to agree with the replies that most of the software firewalls available have the feature, at least the numerous ones I've tried over the years.

[siberianwolf]

almost all fw sw's have "remember my/this choice" option. but it's the damnest thing that almost all of these fw sw's also have some problems/flaws w/ this option, reportedly by many fw sw users around the web. in many cases, most fw sw's tend to "forget" this very choice made by user or repeatedly ask the same question over and over again from time to time.
so, if there's an issue w/ having a certain fw sw remember the choice made by user, it's this minor (or major maybe) re-asking thingie.
just my 2 cents.

[J_L]

What are these some other firewalls?

[blasev]

Look 'n' stop always remmeber my choice/setup

[Phant0m]

Maybe people are confused in what they are really seeing, first you have a program that is detected for the first time, then when the program gets updated, a good informational Application filtering alert will tell you that the signature of the program has changed, allow or not. And if you have x64 system, you have duplicates of many things, two cmd.exe, two iexplorer.exe, two explorer.exe ...

[Spooony]

Firewalls must be configured as minimally as possible, to minimize risks. And if risks do not exist, why run a firewall?

The answer you will be looking for is security policy. Defining the limits of acceptable behavior is fundamental to the operation of a firewall.

[buckshee]

What I like in fact is that the new Zone Alarm does not have the `remember me' choice but rather just remembers automatically for the future whether you selectted accept or block. I got so fed up with firewalls that make me not only push accept but also check the `remember me' as well. It seemed so stupid, if I accept a program once why would I not always accept it and similarily with block. If I made a mistake I can always go in to the rules and delete or cchange them