Dynamic Security Agent Revisited

Private Firewall (PFW) includes a component known as Dynamic Security Agent (DSA). DSA used to be available as a stand-alone application, but has since been made an integral part of PFW. However, copies of stand-alone DSA still exist, and are quite viable even today.

The following summary of stand-alone DSA's capabilities is still valid:

Thus, stand-alone DSA has strong Firewall capabilities PLUS its 4 Modules provide superb anomaly-blocker capabilities.
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The following is a compendium of tests & discussions concerning DSA:

http://membres.multimania.fr/nicmtests/Dynamic-Security-agent-tests/DSA_index.htm

https://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=179889

https://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=161400

https://www.wilderssecurity.com/showpost.php?p=924198&postcount=16 (by a VIP from Private FW's proponent)

https://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?p=925697
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Here is a screenshot of a summary of test results by the (in)famous Matousec site. I have DSA version 2.0.11.23 (the last stand-alone AFAIK) whereas Matousek tested using version 2.0.11.22.



If you visit Matousec's site to view DSA's test results in the context of other tested apps, please take special note that little DSA surpassed "pure" FWs by a mile, & also did quite well when compared with full-on FW+HIPS apps.
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P.S. Per Greg, Tech Support guru with Privacyware.com, DSA does not filter IPv6 traffic (just passes it through). He further stated that this capability does not exist in Privatefirewall at this time either, but will be added during 4th quarter (Oct-Dec) this year.

 

DSA was essentially PrivateFirewall with preset firewall rules and no interface to change them. They toned down the popups with v2 but as a result it didn't do as well in leak tests. It's a shame they got rid of it. I can't tolerate that horrific PF interface.

 

Uhh... they didn't actually get rid of it. To access DSA via Private Firewall, do the following:

Right click system tray icon (the cop) > click Main Menu > on resultant GUI, click the Gears icon in the upper left border > on resultant screen, click Advanced - - - - - POOF! there's DSA.

 

Hey bellgamin, you just cant leave DSA alone

Although I liked it very much I couldn't get it to remember rules - have you experienced the same with Private Firewall at all?

 

AFAIK, DSA & PFW both use the registry to remember rules & conmfigurations. Thus, if you use a registry cleaner you might erase their remembrances. Otherwise, there should be NO problem with remembering rules.

As for me, I have never had a problem with PFW in this area. PFW remembers just fine. On the other hand, I myself am sometimes a bit forgetful. But then --- senility is a great way to meet new friends every morning.

 

Since DSA seems no longer available anywhere on the web, I've uploaded version 2.0.11.22 here:

http://www.file-upload.net/download-2850472/DSA.exe.html

(Thanks, Bill!)

 

Thanks a lot to you Pinga and also to
Bellgamin for having started this interesting post.

so very true! it also saves a lot of money,for instance:

I didnt have to start P2P to provide a relative of mine of new episodes of Inspector Barnaby- N° 16 is a 'new' one every week SINCE two months....

 

By the way, stand-alone DSA will work JUST FINE even if you are already running a firewall (FW). When you install DSA, it will take notice that you already have a FW running, and will automatically disable its own FW components. That will leave DSA running as purely an anomaly detection software -- a useful adjunct to any security set-up.

However, if you are NOT running a FW, DSA will do quite an effective job as a simple SPI-capable FW, but with limited options for configuration.

Addendum - - - If you are a config/tweak-freak (like me) then you will want Private Firewall (it includes DSA but is also very configurable).

 

Uhh, regardless of how they label it, DSA WAS PrivateFirewall, not just a component. It just didn't have the "fancy" interface. What I mean was they got rid of the DSA product.

 

The DSA component wasn't "gotten rid of" -- it is readily accessible in the current version of PFW.

If you mean that the *current* DSA component is no longer available as a stand-alone app, you are correct. But I just don't get your point.

 

not sure exactly what u mean, but if u meant that what they used to call DSA was what is now privatefirewall then ur wrong cuz both private firewall and DSA were seperate products that were both around at the same time, its just DSA as a standalone product was discontinued, and privatefirewall was made freeware (which is DSA with a firewall built on)

 

... DSA used the same firewall driver and appinit filter as PrivateFirewall and had the same HIPS capabilities - it was PrivateFirewall, just with a simpler interface and some preset firewall rules. The registry keys were the same as well. I used to use the PrivateFirewall executable for modifying the firewall rules then go back to using DSA. You could run either executable, DSA.exe or pfw.exe, and they would both function the same.

 

maybe so, but they were still seperate products, back when privatefirewall was paid, they were distributing DSA as freeware, and privatefirewall was paid, idc about the similarities in their functions, they were seperate products, both around at the same time, and DSA did not have a firewall so there's the difference

 

I know they were seperate products - that why I was lamenting the discontinuation of DSA. And DSA was a firewall like PFW, incoming and outgoing - it just didn't have the configuration interface. Like I said before, I used to use the PFW.exe executable to modify the firewall settings for DSA.