Private Firewall Updated (again)

Many legal programs do it. Just an example: many legal programs use Windows hooks to inject code to the other process and if you prevent them from doing this you risk to get not functional legal application. I mean the key problem is to determine where "inappropriate elevation" begins. In most cases one alert is not enough to do it.

BTW, when I tested PFW (just for myself), I answered all the alerts with "block" and "remember". Still it performed very poor. Very poor means that it added only 3 points to the Vista default security. And after I was pointed to some settings and changed them, situation didn't improve. And I don't think this is because I'm a novice in security or motivated in any way.

 

I have not encountered "many legal programs" that try to upgrade privileges or set global hooks etc. In fact, the only non-malware programs that tried to do this, as far as I can remember, were security programs. That's just my own experience -- your mileage may differ.

In my experience, blocking any ONE of a program's key actions would quickly cause that program to either crash or shut down. If a program keeps on trying to function, AFTER one or two key actions are blocked, that is one doggone suspicious program IMO.

By the way - - - In the real world, when a program tries to grope my computer's private parts, my first action is not "block" but "TERMINATE." (I just looove the smell of napalm in the morning. )

 

I dunno if you need to use layout switcher, but almost anyone aside the build-in one use it. (switchIt, punto switcher as examples).

I also have some programs from my ASUS-laptop native set and from my DELL-laptop native set that use global hooks. Some programs use it to implement "hot-keys". They are really many if "many" means absolute number instead of relative to your setup

This is excellent approach, but I'm not sure what actions fall in this category - "to grope". From my humble point of view you need to monitor file access and file enumeration at least to determine a beast "is groping your sensitive data"

 

New Version: 7.0.24.9

GENERAL INSTALLATION PROCEDURE: Please uninstall the existing version of Privatefirewall and reboot system before installing an update. Process Monitor and Firewall settings can be preserved by exporting (File -> Export Settings) before uninstalling, and importing (File -> Import Settings) after installing updates. We also advise temporarily disabling any antivirus or or other active anti-malware or HIPS software until the Privatefirewall installation process has completed.

RELEASE NOTES - 7.0.24.9, posted 7/5/2011
- Added "Trust this process" option to the tray alerts.
- Added "Apply to all alerts" option to Full/Detailed alerts.
- Added "x" to sign in tray icon to indicate when Training is active.
- Expanded packet filtering indicators in firewall log.
- Added ability to generate HTML report for Detected Processes in Advanced Reports.
- Fixed IP address display issue in systems where IPv6 is not installed.

 

Re: New Version: 7.0.24.9

I`m having this annoying problem when some game go fullscreen with privatefirewall on it freeze my computer, anyone was able to solve this?

 

Re: New Version: 7.0.24.9

AFAIK, no one has yet produced a fix or work-around, including PFW support.

Outpost FW offers a "game mode". Maybe you should give it a try.
Comparison table

Free Version

Paid Version
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Like PFW, Outpost is a firewall + HIPS.

If you decide to try Outpost I recommend that you first make an image of your System Disk, with PFW installed. Then uninstall PFW, install OP, & make a System Disk image with OP installed.

REASON: PFW uninstalls 99.999% cleanly. Op does not uninstall nearly so cleanly as does PFW. Thus, uninstalling PFW & installing OP works okay. But uninstalling OP & installing PFW can be problematical at times.

 

Re: New Version: 7.0.24.9

thanks for your reply, its a shame i have to uninstall pfw.

 

Re: New Version: 7.0.24.9

I had to turn off the HIPS part. It kept forgetting things after each upgrade even if I did the export/import settings. I also have had the issue you described with it not doing right with fullscreen games. I like Private Firewall but it needs some of the rough edges smoothed out.

 

Re: New Version: 7.0.24.9

I had the same issue with the fullscreen games. Thats one of the main reasons that I uninstalled Private Firewall.

 

Re: New Version: 7.0.24.9

I have never had PFW out-&-out "forget" anything.

I HAVE had PFW re-alert to an app that it had previously encountered & for which it had custom HIPS rules. In those few cases where PFW re-alerted to some aspect of an app that it had previously set rules for, my research disclosed that:

(a) Even though PFW already had rules for the app, the app was doing something new, or was doing something differently, than had previously been seen by PFW.

OR

(b) PFW's HIPS module had been modified such that PFW was applying a new or revised behavior attribute. (E.g. PFW now protects BETTER-than-before against keylogger behaviors. I think PFW has achieved this & other recent improvements because of modifications to certain behavior attributes that are monitored by PFW's HIPS component.)
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I'm absolutely NOT saying that PFW's "forgetfulness" didn't happen to you. I'm just saying that I have never personally had that same experience, whereby PFW *inexplicably* re-alerted to a previously seen app.

 

Re: New Version: 7.0.24.9

I certainly can't say that. Every time I upgrade I get popups for stuff that I have already answered. It gets old after a while so I finally just threw in the towel and turned off the HIPS.

 

Thanks for all the comments on PFW from those who've tried it.

Looks like I'll need to look elsewhere for my LnS replacement (I use full screen modes like games, so freezing on those is not good).

Does anybody know of any updated, fast, stable and extremely light on resources firewalls other than PFW (LnS)?

FW alone is good, but I don't mind an added HIPS (esp. if it can be disabled separately).

Please don't make this mine's better than yours argument. I'd just prefer to hear from alternatives to PFW that are extremly light on resources, esp. from those who have tried PFW and noticed it's resource usage (or lack of it).

BTW, as a comparison, Comodo is way too heavy on my system (and yes, it's a great FW, I have nothing against it). It's just not for me.

 

Try Rising FW.Is free and you should try it.Light,fast and no-HIPS.

 

For WHICH version of Windows?

Link?

 

Link?


http://computelogy.com/2011/03/free-rising-firewall-lifetime-starting-2011/

 

I think this link is questionable...
There are even links to free Rising IS and antivirus which are otherwise not free products. Also this is a PFW thread, so it would be better if you posted this in a different thread. I may be wrong though...

 

sorry but only trying to help as far as the link it works.

 

I downloaded Rising FW from this thread link.More discussions here
https://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=296235&highlight=rising products free

 

Oh, good point

Win7Pro X64.

 

In which case the meaningful choices (aside from PFW & LnS) are pretty much limited to Outpost, Online Armor, PC Tools FW, & Comodo. Of these I recommend Outpost Pro.

Of course there's another option -- go for a suite. They almost all have FWs therein. Of the suites, I have found Norton to be effective & fairly light.
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Using *any* Rising software is a VERY dicey thing to do in my opinion. Their well-publicized deceptions, their censure by the Chinese government, & the iffy nature of their so-called freebies is something that I do not care to have anything to do with.

But -- to each his own (as the lady said when she kissed the cow).

 

Jetico was good, but its paid now, and no HIPS, I have the same opinion on Comodo, its too heavy, same to be said to Outpost free edition, until PFW fix this stupid bug, I'll be using windows firewall + netlimiter to control outbound connections...

 

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Using *any* Rising software is a VERY dicey thing to do in my opinion. Their well-publicized deceptions, their censure by the Chinese government, & the iffy nature of their so-called freebies is something that I do not care to have anything to do with.

But -- to each his own (as the lady said when she kissed the cow). [/QUOTE] bellgamin



I understand your point! I would really avoid clicking on the Free Rising firewall link as you said. I did and lost my computer! All AV, malware detectors would not work. System restore was corrupt and lost most functions of my computer it was hopeless everything I tried it would not let me access it! All due to downloading the free Rising Firewall. I think they give bad downloads, it was like I was hit by a bomb! Or a really bad virus!

And the weird part about the free license was it said it would expire in 3093 days. What happened to the free license? Something felt wrong.

Glad I had an image backup of my C drive and was back up and running in 40 minutes. Rising looked like a good firewall but after testing it nothing would work on my computer. Killed it! Back to Private Firewall now.

Even Maintenance was unusable, but not from booting from the image disk recovery in Windows 7. That link should be banned or taken down it’s bad news! [IMO]

 

Update 7.0.24.10 : http://privacyware.com/PF_support.html

RELEASE NOTES - 7.0.24.10, posted 7/20/2011
- Added installation instructions to setup process.
- Added automatic version check and update download option.
- Resized Detected Applications and Trusted Publishers screens.

 

As little as a visually appealing interface has to do with the actual effectiveness of a program, i would have thought a complete graphics overhaul and fixing the full-screen freezes would come before automatic updates. PFW looks like a fifth grader designed the interface and icons. Not that i could make anything better myself, but complaining behind a nickname is just too easy.

Other than that, seems like a nice firewall.

 

I like the GUI & icons. Tastes vary.