Vista Firewall: Boy do I Agree with Him Vista Security Discuss Vista Firewall: Boy do I Agree with Him in the Windows Vista forums; Hi Gang: Hi Friends: Here is an interesting read on the Vista firewall. As indicated above, I agree a great deal with what the author says. I have tried to ...

[Znod]

Hi Gang:

Hi Friends:

Here is an interesting read on the Vista firewall. As indicated above, I agree a great deal with what the author says. I have tried to configure the firewall to do some very basic things regarding outbound traffic, and, while I understand how it works at a slightly more than basic level, I could not disable everything I needed to get it working the way I want it too (i.e., without changing more things than I wanted given my level of experience with the firewall). For the most part, the instructions found online are a serious waste of time. Yes, they provide nice snips and discussion, but have most of the authors actually tried to configure the firewall with advanced settings? I doubt it.

Here is what I was able to accomplish. I was able to block all outbound without affecting our network negatively. Then, I was able to write "rules" that allowed me to connect with online sites that employ encryption, but I could never find a way to turn the encryption "requirement" off without, as indicated, going farther than comfortable given my level of experience with the firewall.

On the other side the coin, I was able to allow all outbound, but I could never write a rule, which seems like a simple enough thing to do, that would block "Leaktest" from getting through the firewall.

I have to wonder, why the firewall have to be so hard to configure when it comes to basic things. On the other side, maybe I got it right, and it just doesn't work too well. The good news is that Zone Labs ought to have their new free Vista-ready firewall out pretty soon. It is good at dealing with outbound.

[ants]

Hiya Znod

Mate I hear your frustrations. I think its a scratch each others back situation as to having to employ an expert to help with security. Microsoft always wins in the end. Its nice to see that they got security conscious but I think they gave the job to a paranoid schizophrenic

Lets take Symantec for instance. internet security 2006 was a dream. Internet security 2007 is a nightmare.

The earlier had an option to scan all folders for programs that had the ability to make an outbound request. The later doesn't. This frustrates me as I don't appreciate knowing that certain applications "Phone Home" without my permission. So I either have to add each application .exe to the firewall personally OR trust that the firewall will ASK my permission to allow a connection.

This is my final thoughts as to why things have changed.

I believe that Nortons/Microsoft/etc. have come to many agreements with many software companies to ALLOW a connection for license purposes. Meaning that "BACKDOORS" have been written inside firewalls for PAYING vendors to take advantage of.

Its a COnSPiRAcY hahahaha

naaaa true it is!

[felix8406]

That's an excellent point Ants. For what I have experience, I think that Microsoft will eventually want to build an OS that the only thing a user will be allow to do is some programs. In other words, an OS where the user doesn't know what is taking place behind the scene at all. Current OS's are composed of numerous small applications, all doing more or less what they are designed to do. On future OS, you don't see the applications because it would be more like a contiguous file with few options.

[ants]

Originally Posted by felix8406

That's an excellent point Ants. For what I have experience, I think that Microsoft will eventually want to build an OS that the only thing a user will be allow to do is some programs. In other words, an OS where the user doesn't know what is taking place behind the scene at all. Current OS's are composed of numerous small applications, all doing more or less what they are designed to do. On future OS, you don't see the applications because it would be more like a contiguous file with few options.

Words from a wise man. I totally and 100% agree with you.

(I think totaly and 100% are the same thing) hehehehe