February 18th 09, 08:30 PM
posted to microsoft.public.vb.vista.compatibility,microsoft.public.windows.vista.general,microsoft.public.windows.vista.performance_maintenance,microsoft.public.windows.vista.security
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Microsoft Windows Vista includes a two-way firewall. TO THE TOP
"John Doe" wrote in message
...
"FromTheRafters" wrote:
"Richard Mueller [MVP]" wrote
"FromTheRafters" wrote
"I.C. Greenfields" wrote
Some of us want to choose what "gets out" and what
doesn't.
And this info doesn't work since there is nowhere to
make such
a change in the Windows Firewall window that comes up.
Configure it - HOW? Can someone explain how it's
configured to
actually work without being a programmer writing
strange
unknown confusing rules for everything that wants to
connect to
the net? If not, can someone recommend a good free
easy to
use two-way FireWall like ZoneAlarm that's compatible
with
Vista? Thanks.
http://www.vistastic.com/2007/03/09/...und-filtering/
I bet you didn't know that Microsoft Windows Vista
includes a
two-way firewall.
Windows Firewall with Advanced Security includes an API
that
allows services, applications, and installers to write
their own
ticket through the firewall. In other words, they can
add
themselves to the exclusions list.
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/libr...53(VS.85).aspx
Thanks for the information.
So, it doesn't really do what most people think it
does.
The key to not having programs make outbound
connections, or
opening up ports for receiving unsolicited inbound
traffic, is
to not run those programs on
the machine.
Third party firewalls don't make it *that* easy - but
they don't
make it much
harder either. They provide the illusion that they can
stop
outbound traffic.
Apparently the makers of ZoneAlarm fixed such a problem by
preventing ZoneAlarm from being shut down. After that , I
have never
heard an authoritative claim that an application snuck
through
ZoneAlarm.
Which is why I never use the Windows firewall. Every app
thinks
they are special and should be able to contact big
brother with
news about me and retrieve info on things they feel I
need. Some
companies are especially bad. I know because I don't use
Windows
firewall so I see the requests and deny them. Over the
years it
seems to have gotten much worse.
I think it comes down to trust. If you don't trust a
program -
don't execute it. If you *do* trust it, let it do
whatever it is
programmed to do.
Sounds like a symptom of the ones and zeros disease.
When there is no "grey area" ones and zeroes describe things
accurately.
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