DefenseWall - Add folders...

Yesterday, I added DefenseWall v1.74 to my security setup. I'm not really new to DW, I tried it before.

Under the tab "Add/Remove Untrusted", I can also "Add folder..." and that's my problem.
What does that EXACTLY mean for a folder, when it is UNTRUSTED ?

For instance :

1. I add "D:" = my ENTIRE second harddisk/Data Partition [D:], which contains ALL my personal files.
Is something changed when I do this and WHAT are exactly the consequences when I have done this ?
Please no guesses or assumptions, because I have them myself, but that doesn't make me any wiser.
Sometimes, I like to know the TRUTH.

2. I add "D:\Documents", which has several subfolders. The same question.

Thanks in advance.

 

Hi EricAlbert,

Add folder is usefull for the following reasons:
1. Adding the folder of your shared drives e.g. My Kazaa or the Incomplete folder of LimeWire.
2. Adding your default download directory, or even your temp directory which is used by your browser (so when some malware stores an executable or file with executable code it is treated as untrusted, but I reckon you won't need this because most users delete the temporary directory at log-on/off with cccleander or sort of program), or your tasks directory in windows.
3. Adding your CD/DVD Drive master directory, or your spare drives for USB

This has the effect that even when DW was not active during download, any file or program in that director is treated as untrusted.

You can also add some weak programs like your unzipper to be untrusted or script defender for extra protection on your system, see pic

 

This feature allow you set up all the programs running from folder you need as untrusted. There is no need to set each as untrusted- only one folder...

 

Kees and Ilya,
Thanks for the explanation, I got it and will think about it.
This can be usefull for my data partition [D:], maybe my system partition [C:] too, but my system partition is already cleaned during each reboot and Anti-Executable also stops any not-whitelisted executable.
I don't need CCleaner or any registry cleaner anymore, because my frozen snapshot takes care of that too during each reboot.

Of course, I designed my approach in big lines and I still have to polish it in details.
I always take care of the wood first and then I take care of each tree in the wood. I hope you understand this. LOL.

 

90 degrees! Ahhh! I waited all season for this.

I don't discount the usefulness of program cleaners like CCleaner myself either but it is definitely comforting from one standpoint to know we can finally at this stage of time trim down our configs from having to regularly depend on so many other programs now that apps like FirstDefense double as an uninstaller/cleaner and so very much more. Technology does eventually evolve to a point where a single bright idea can in due time turn into a welcome reality that benefits using computers more efficiently but without having to stack them with so heavy a collection of programs just to make our machines run as intended.

 

It's very logical that I don't need history/registry cleaners anymore. History and registry are CHANGES on my harddisk and those changes are removed during reboot.
I'm getting rid of all my superfluous softwares and procedures systematically. I just can't do it all at once and I'm not in a hurry either. As long each step is an improvement, I continue with my plan.
All what I have to do is polishing and polishing, but those are just details.

 

Grand Master Ilya Rabinovich,

This is the way how I protected Firefox with DefenseWall :

C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe
I added this executable as an UNTRUSTED application and I'm quite sure this is correct.

I separated my data from my system partition and created a data partition on my second harddisk.
So I stored the profiles folder of Firefox on my data partition to keep my bookmarks.
The profiles folder is normally stored under the HIDDEN folder Application Data.
C:\Documents and Settings\Erik\Application Data\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles
and I moved the profiles folder to here :

D:\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\r22xvybm.default
I added this folder as an UNTRUSTED folder. I'm not sure this is correct or even necessary (?)
The folder "r22xvybm.default" contains files, the rest of the folders is empty.

Is this good or bad or between good/bad ?

PS: I did the same separation for Thunderbird to keep my emails, email-address-books and accounts, but I didn't add Thunderbird as an untrusted application, because I delete all my spam-emails without opening them.
My system partition has no personal data anymore and that gives me total freedom in my system partition.

 

Well, in fact, it depends the way you use those folders. My own opinion - it is redundant, but, one more time- mostly, it depends on th eway you use those folders.

 

So if I put firefox.exe as untrusted, that should be enough for both folders ?
The second folder is still a part of firefox. I only told firefox where it could find the second folder.
BTW you should know, you created DefenseWall.

 

Yes, this should be enought.

I know that!

 

OK. I trust you because it sounds logical to me.

I kept "C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe" as an untrusted application in DefenseWall
I removed folder "D:\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\r22xvybm.default" in DefenseWall.

Because Firefox knows where that folder is, it will be considered as untrusted also.

Moving this folder is not my invention, it's a valid procedure described at this Mozilla website :
http://kb.mozillazine.org/Moving_your_profile_folder (I used Method 1)
Case closed. (I love that expression.)

Thank you.

 

Ilya,
What are the consequences for a folder/file, if I put it in Secured Files of DefenseWall ?

 

Untrusted processes won't get access to them.

 

Sounds good to me.

 

"Secured Files" = "CloseFilePath" = "Confidential Folder"

 

Every user understands "folders/files", but only insiders know what "CloseFilePath" means.
So Ilya's solution is much more simple and simplicity is always brilliant.

PS: I knew what Secured Files ment, I just wanted to be 100% sure that I was right.