Privatefirewall updated

Thanks bellgamin for youre reply, however I was looking more at adding a blacklist like from bluetack, unfortunatley PFW you can only add single IPs or IP ranges and URLs.

nessy

 

You can readily accomplish that by using the HOSTS file. Simply copy&paste the blacklist to HOSTS, and point all of the blacklist's IPs & URLs to 127.0.0.1 or 0.0.0.0. By doing that you can freely change from one HIPS/FW to another HIPS/FW, as often as you like, and never have to worry about moving the blacklist around.

More information about HOSTS HERE.

If you decide to give HOSTS a try, here's a very tiny and very GOOD editor.

 

IPs don't work in the HOSTS file. You can only use host names/domain names.

 

You're right. Forgot about that.

 

Just wondering how I will be able to answer PF's popups when I have a fullscreen game(or any application) running?
Tried using Command and Conquer and it can take a jiffy amount of time before I alt+tab my way out.

 

It is a very difficult goal when you seek to (a) maintain reasonable security, while SIMULTANEOUSLY (b) retaining zippiness in your computer.

Shown below are the alternative ways for meeting this goal that I usually recommend.

If anyone reading this has a better idea, by all means share it with us. I am ever ready to upgrade my thinking if warranted.

ALTERNATIVE 1- If you are fairly certain that your "fullscreen game (or any application)" is squeaky clean then --- > right click the Cop in your system tray > Click "Training" on the resultant menu. After that, if you get any pop-up alert, click "Train" on that pop-up.

ALTERNATIVE 2- If you are NOT certain that your "fullscreen game (or any application)" is squeaky clean then:

a- MAKE AN IMAGE of your systems disk (usually Drive C)

b- Encrypt all private files & use Keyscrambler for entering any private data.

c- Proceed as given for Alternative 1. (Even more radical is ALT 1a- right click cop in system tray > click "Allow Traffic")

d- When done, run full scan with such as Hitman Pro, Bugbopper, antivirus, etc. If not clean, restore Image. Otherwise -- good to go (hopefully).

 

For my case, it was in Training mode when I ran that game. PF's popup would only appear when the game loads, thereby limiting chances to answer that popup. In some cases, the fullscreen game/app would lock the computer if I wasn't able to respond to PF's popup, in which I can hardly access.

*forgive me for my bad English

 

Hi, I don't know if your game qualifies as a trusted publisher but this is a quote from the pfw help file.

May be worth checking out.hope this helps

 

Well the game is Command and Conquer 3 by EA, though I'm thinking PF can be a bit more "cooperative" for fullscreen applications in a way that it won't be strict that it would hold the process while the popup remains unanswered.


Anyone here can test running PF + a fullscreen application to see how it goes to another system?

 

I am thinking of using the combination of Panda Cloud Free antivirus along with Privatefirewall on our Windows XP computer at church. I've been told that both are acceptable for non-profit use, but I do have one question about PFW.

Several people who will have access to this computer are not computer experts by a long shot. Will the pop-ups that the HIPS component of PFW generates be confusing to them? Are they pretty straight forward, even for the novice user? I don't think they'll mind having pop-ups per se, as long as they can easily understand them. Or, should I look elsewhere for a firewall that can be used by non-profit organizations?

Thanks for your help!

 

PFW's alert pop-ups via HIPS do require some thought. This is true for all HIPS!

If you are the "responsible person" for keeping this computer from being seriously infected or otherwise compromised by multiple users, then I recommend the following:

Step One
Set up each user with his/her own Limited User Account (LUA).

Step Two
Password protect &/or encrypt all private files on the computer.

Step Three

Alternative 1- (free) Image the hard drive at least weekly and password protect the image so that it cannot be accessed by inept users. A good free one is Macrium Reflect. There are others if you want to do Wilders searches. At the end of each week, or sooner, (a) thoroughly scan the computer for malware (using Hitman Pro, Bugbopper, etc), AND (b) run ChkDsk. If either (a) or (b) make you even remotely suspicious, then restore the latest clean image.

Alternative 2 (not free) - Deep Freeze -- this is THE way to go for any computer put into a kiosk, classroom, library, internet cafe, or other public use set-up. The $$ for a Deep Freeze license is way WAAAY cheaper than paying for computer disinfection &/or repairs.
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Having done the above, it is relatively unimportant which AV & FW you use. I recommend: (1) AV: Prevx-free with SafeOnline, (2) FW: Private FW with HIPS disabled (to disable: right click cop icon > click Main Menu > click Process Monitor > set slide to "Off")
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Good providence! Since you are the computer stuckee for a church, be sure and pin a sign to the seat of your pants saying "Kick Me"

 

bellgamin and what do you recomend for:
"Password protect &/or encrypt all private files on the computer." ?

 

i've used windows steady state for multi-user pc's with great success: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...2d-93e9-4b02-bd95-9d770ccdb431&displaylang=en

but hurry up and download now, microsoft is pulling the plug in december

 

I use Androsa, a freebie. There are lots of other good free ones such as True Crypt -- check HERE.
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Oh my yes!!! That looks to be a really good (and free!) substitute for Deep Freeze.

 

Thanks for the suggestions, bellgamin. And I'll be getting the "kick me" sign soon as well, because I'm sure I'll need it!

 

Privatefirewall- How to reinstall "Run as Admin"?

I dumped OA & PCtools Plus FW's, as too buggy!

I'm a 1-week newbie With PF, and like it once I got my Trusted Processes/Applications/IP's Allowed (Installed normally, as logged in Admin)!

Now after reading this Thread I see I should have installed it as "Run as Admin"!
Q?- How can I do this without having to redo all the settings? Can I maybe just reinstall it over itself, without an uninstall/starting over...?
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BTW!- I went from XP to Win 7 (a whole different Security world!), and feel that I should have installed/run All of my Trusted Programs as "Run as Admin" (many are buggy...!)!?
Even disabling Win Defrag in services.msc, didn't take until I Run as admin (installed Puran Defrag 7.1)!
Even an Acronis Restore doesn't work properly, unless I Run as Admin!

 

Privatefirewall- Where is Advanced IP information?

I right click on IP's in my History log, but nothing comes up about who they are...?
Having to Google them, is a pain!

 

Re: Privatefirewall- Where is Advanced IP information?

This firewall has auto-update feature?

 

Nope PF does not auto update.

 

To manually check for updates from time to time. goto HERE or else right click the cop in your system tray, click "About Private Firewall" & there's a "check for updates" click spot there -- it takes you to the same url as the one I just gave you.

 

Thanks for your info.

 

It's packet filter is good?

It has some SPI (Stateful Packet Inspection) and SPF (Stateful Packet Filtering)?

 

Personally, I think this is one of the most underrated firewall/hips available. You always here about the others but this particular security package has never given me any issues and is very good. Running it along with Avast 5 and I feel safe and secure.

Ice

 

PFW is running just fine here alongside EAM and Prevx SOL.

Both FW and HIPS functions are excellent.

PFW is at least equal to OA Free and Comodo FW/HIPS, though final tuning of the HIPS in PFW is a bit rigorous. I had to pretty much run every app in every possible mode to expose all possible exes and processes to the HIPS for allow/block alarms.

 

Totally agree Batman...err IceCube I am in XP Pro SP3 and also run PFW along with Avast5 and my system has never run better. As bellgamin has suggested in basic settings (https://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=279923 Post #3) ...I use manual control and disabled auto-response.