Eight Sandboxes Reviewed

Hi Brian! Welcome to wilders.
What I should understand from ur nick? Am I guessing right?

Thanks.

 

Yes this test proves one thing: That freebies are as good as commercial products. Pity that Sandboxie's last version didn't work well in my machine.

And usually the ones complaining are those who have shortcomings in their products, blaming the testers rather than themselves.

Cheers.

 

I have always had a sneaking respect for the TechSupportAlert Concept and newsletter. It has given me a starting point for selecting software.

I was therefor dismayed at the review that emerged for GesWall. I am a user of it but am not blinded by it. What irks me about the review is that the author chose a method which is not now reproducible.

So GesWall is panned, possibly with good reason, possibly not. Either way there has been a fair amount of desertion, from the program on the basis of this one report.

I don't hear anything from TechSupportAlert offering to redo the tests on a more reproducible basis so that the developers can modify their products?

Tests of this sort look dangerously amateur, do no favours to those who rely on them, in fact they don't help anyone including the author.

A CHALLENGE TO TECHSUPPORTALERT. What about a retest, with a bit more reproducibilty rather quick flash statistics for short term gain.

Terry

ps I am no inveterate supporter of GesWall if their product falls short, but I do like fair play

 

Go with Greenborder as it is the only one to pass all tests.

 

Why should I choose GreenBorder on the basis of these tests?

As I inferred lack of reproducibility invites lack of credibility!

Terry

 

Did I say otherwise?

Well you can be a computer professional without being a computer security professional....

 

Wasn't contradicting you. Just having my ten pennyworth, because I feel so strongly about it.

Terry

(which I am entitled to do)

 

No, I just meant to say I have used it for awhile and really like it. It seems to have worked for me, but that is just one vote and I realize that.

 

Devil's Advogate

I was very polite to you when I added a few remarks to your 'professional' categorisation of HIPS.
https://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=152694

I think you think you are a more professional security expert than Brian (of GeSwall) or Ilya (of DefenseWall).

Keep on dreaming

 

It looks as if using a sandbox is complicated, and would slow down your surfing. Is that not true?

Jerry

 

Thanks for the link CogitoErgoSum.
I will download the apps I've not used before & compare. Thanks.

 

TSA's test of sandboxes is flawed from the standpoint that it discloses little if anything about test bed & testing methodology.

GesWall did splendidly in recent tests by the AV-Comparatives professional testing site. In case you've never visited AV-C...

+Main AV-C website

+Click "Comparatives" button in left-hand column

+Scroll four-fifths of the way down the page until you see line entitled "Comparative of various protection tools October 2006"

+On that line, click "Report (PDF)"

>>>As you read AV-C's report, take note that test bed & methodology are fully disclosed.

 

Call me old hat or fashion but SHADOWSURFER does all the sandboxing needed for my researches. Also have SANDBOXIE in the cabinet if or when i decide to run inside it sometime again, but for now SHADOWSURFER pens down malicious files within it's security ring adequate enough as-is for now.

 

Sandboxie, for example, slows down web surfing very little (if at all). It only requires 3MB memory, 5MB when browsing, and compared to much of the other security software discussed on these forums, you'll probably find it simple to use.

In terms of security, especially for those who aren't always careful about what email attachments they open or what web sites they visit, using sandbox software in a limited user account seems to me inherently safer than layering AV, AT, HIPS, etc. software in a normal administrator account.

 

easter have you tried shadowsurfer against killdisk (or other low level disk access virii)? a friend of mine had deepfreeze and it didn't work out too well, he wound up emailing pharonics with his results.

 

I don't notice any slow down while surfing, though I think (though I might be imagining it) a slight delay when opening browsers in sandboxes.

 

My exeperience--
GesWall- no significant slow down
DefenceWall -- no sign slow down( used very little0
Sandboxie_- no significant slow down
BufferZone-- significant slow down in browser launch and slight slow down in browsing
ShadowUser -- ?slight slow down

All is subjective though.

 

Thanks for the replies. I think I will stick with what I have. I'm so safe that many would be bored following me.

Regards,
Jerry

 

Bellgamin,

I have visited the site, but only for the AV-comparatives (how does Antivir stand out). My compliments for sharing this info

 

I did some script timing:
- fastest GeSWall (IE 7 beta)
- fraction slower DefenseWall (0.2 sec in IE7 RC startup)
- slower BufferZone (1.7 secs in IE7 RC startup)
- slowest Sandboxie (2.3 secs in IE7 beta startup)

Although the timing is slightly blurred by using different IE versions and due to difference in time, the state of the hard disk the first three observations are in line with the 'feel' experience of others.

Sandboxie stands out with all other contributors to this post as no significant slow down. I must have set up something wrong to get completely different results. According to others (Aigle, Devils's Advogate) I have to review my opinion of Sandboxie (regarding speed).

 

Nice work,I never measured so. Did u check the first launch of browser after booting or susequent launch,as first launch is always slower than sunsequent launch.

 

First launch only, subsequent launches were about 2 to 3 secs faster

 

So u mean for all sandboxes you rebooted ur PC each time?

 

Yes, and your question. . .

just made me realise why Sandboxie performed worse in my test.

At home we have three PC's:
Wife (has an MBA, but is a computer novice): Antivir + CB + DefenseWall she uses IE (Dep enabled in XP),
Son (a script kiddy, builds websites at school, gamer): Antivir + SSM + BufferZone 4 FireFox only when surfing tacky sites in search of scripts to use (+DEP)
Own (Antivir + SSM + GeSWall (+ DEP).

I tried some virtu/sandbox programs on my own PC for my wife. Because she downloads a lot of paid music (from internet) and some free with LimeWire, therefore sandboxie really was not option.

So I had fiddled a lot with GeSWall, DefenseWall and BufferZone. Then I gave Sandboxie also a try. What I did not think of is, that you have to boot a few times to get Sandboxie in the windows prefetch. This might be the reason why sandboxie performed worse on my PC.

Apologies SandBoxie fans

Regards Kees

 

To me I will first run any browser few times in one specific sandbox and then will note the timimg.
For calculating first browser launch timr u have to reboot ur PC for every sandbox one by one and it will take too much time.
I just rely on my subjective feeling and indeed I am very sensitive in this regard.