Firewalls: A Guide for Normal People (Part 2)

March 5, 2010 - By Ivan A. Vazquez

March 5, 2010 – Firewalls play a crucial role in network and computer security. This is the second part of article that applies to both business and home computer users. More specifically, it has been developed for everyday, non-geeky type computer users, with easy-to-understand explanations of their functions and use.

If you haven’t already read Part 1 of this article, you should, in order to make sure the second part makes sense. Just to recap, though, we went over what a firewall is, available types, important features, how inbound/outbound filtering works, and user configuration options. In this part, we’ll go a little bit more in-depth (but not too far) about the available sources for firewalls, native vs. third-party firewalls, and cover some common firewalls that may best fit the needs of the normal computer user.

Who makes personal firewall software?

Now for the contenders: First off, Windows XP and Mac OS X both come with their own built-in firewalls, so if you run one of those operating systems, you already have a very basic firewall installed. If it suits your needs as outlined in Part 1, all that is required is minimal configuration to make sure it’s working. It is also worth noting that all forms of UNIX and, therefore, Linux have packet-filtering capabilities (i.e. software firewall control in various forms). Popular freeware firewalls include Zone Alarm, Kerio Personal Firewall 2, and Agnitum’s Outpost. Other firewalls that are either inexpensive and/or have free trials include Norton Personal Firewall, Black ICE PC Protection, McAfee Personal Firewall, and Tiny Personal Firewall.

The information reported below on each of the firewalls listed was compiled from a number of reviews from various reputed sources, in addition to in-house testing. Some of the commercial offerings require an annual subscription, but this is worth the expense because it ensures automatic updates to the firewall software in order to maintain a high level of security.

Native OS Firewalls

Windows’ Internet Connection Firewall : The built-in XP, Vista, and Windows 7 firewall capabilities are weak, but it’s better than nothing. It is important to note that there is no “real” capability for outbound filtering or any additional features. To locate it and enable/disable it, open “My Network Places, click on “View Network Connections”, select the appropriate connection and right-click to “Properties”, then click the “Advanced” tab and check “Protect My Computer And Network By Limiting Or Preventing Access To This Computer From The Internet”. Voila: you have a basic firewall. Note that you should never use more than one software-based firewall at a time, as it can cause system conflicts. Turn off and Windows firewalls before installing any other firewall software.

Mac OS X Firewall : The built-in firewall for Mac OS X is, like the rest of the OS, built on a UNIX-based platform so it entails an advanced form of port monitoring. It is easy to understand and configure, but is also turned off by default, like Windows XP’s firewall. Under “System Preferences”, “Sharing”, a tab entitled “Firewall” holds the controls. A few switches within the “Sharing” windows along with following Apple’s instructions is all that is necessary to turn on the firewall. No advanced features are available in the native firewall, but it should be noted that the latest version of Mac OSX, Panther, includes a version of Safari, Apple’s browser, that does its own pop-up ad blocking and cookie protection.

Popular Third-Party Freeware Firewalls

Kerio Personal Firewall 2: Free for home use or $39 for corporate users, Kerio has downloadable preset rules in addition to the ability to create user-defined rules. One feature unique to Kerio and Tiny (they share the same underlying architecture) is file authentication by digital signature. Files are not encrypted by the firewall, but they employ crypto as a means of application integrity monitoring. Kerio is relatively new, but has received good reviews.

Outpost Firewall, by Agnitum:

This is a good, solid freeware firewall program that somehow has had little acknowledgement. It’s easy to use, blocks ads and viruses, and controls cookies.

Zone Alarm, by ZoneLabs: Probably the most well known freeware firewall program on the PC market, Zone Alarm is simple to install and configure. Like all other freeware and commercial products, it filters both inbound and outbound traffic. Zone Alarm has been the recognized leader of free personal firewall software for PCs for a few years now, but a few of the others listed below are becoming quite competitive.

Inexpensive firewalls (most with free trials)

Black ICE PC Protection: Black ICE looks to have less of an audience than some of the other leading firewalls, most likely due to its simple interface and limited feature set, but it has good intrusion detection, clear reporting and a clean look. Like most of the others, users can trace back for hacker identification. It’s a cheap option, but seemingly provides no more benefits than other free firewalls.

Norton Personal Firewall 2004 : Norton-Symantec has long been known to put out solid security products and this is no exception. Versions of Norton Personal Firewall 2004 and Norton Internet Security exist for both the PC & Mac. These programs are reportedly well suited to novices as well as experts in security. Norton has a full feature set, pre-written rules available, and installation is simple. The Norton Internet Security version includes anti-virus and parental control. (See chart below for advanced features.) When purchasing a product from one of the big boys, it costs a bit more. Norton and McAfee advanced packages both run over $50 whereas the other products on this list are all under $50.

McAfee Personal Firewall: McAfee Personal Firewall has a pleasant user interface but a lengthy configuration process. Some reviews rank it above Norton, but due to a slightly less mature product, McAfee generally comes in second. The basic version of the firewall is $30 and the Internet Security suite for $70, includes a chat room for kids, anti-virus protection, and ad blocking.

Outpost Firewall PRO, by Agnitum: The commercial version of Agnitum’s free Outpost Firewall adds application verification and stateful inspection, among other features. The price is reasonable, and family licenses are available for the networked home. It’s easy to use, blocks ads and viruses, and controls cookies. Definitely worth considering for home with multiple computers.

Tiny Personal Firewall: Previous versions are/were free, but now Tiny is moving to a free trial only. Rivaling ZoneLabs for the number one spot in the freeware market, Tiny has earned a solid reputation. Installation is easy, a multitude of expert options exist including detailed program control, and dialogs also contain a good amount of detail. The rule modification can be tedious, but many expert users enjoy this feature. One version scored low on a Shields Up analysis (see below to learn more about testing) and in general, Tiny’s benchmarks are slightly below Zone Alarm.

Zone Alarm Plus or Zone Alarm Pro, by ZoneLabs: A bit confusing are the plethora of options now available from Zone Labs: Zone Alarm, Zone Alarm Trial, Zone Alarm Plus 4.0, and Zone Alarm Pro 4 with Web Filtering, but it comes down to this: for free, you get a basic firewall. Pay USD$40 and add on a slick user interface and virus protection or pay $50 and add those things as well as Cache Cleaner, Ad Blocking and Cookie Control. (If you’re spending the money, it seems likely that the extra $10 is worth it.) Zone Alarm is a robust program, but its flaws are that the mechanism for filtering of outbound communication is somewhat clunky and its incessant pop-up security warnings can become annoying.

Is that all there is to know about firewalls?

Both parts of this article have been designed to provide the normal computer user (not super-geek or firewall ninja) with an overview of what firewalls are, how they work, possible options, etc. A simple Google search will yield millions of results, from which you can choose. At a minimum, though, understanding the information provided here will allow you to pick the best option for you and implement it. The most important part is to make certain your computer is protected to the greatest extent possible because, as we all know, the bad guys are always looking for a way in!