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What's the best free PC firewall?
ahofle:
Since internet search engines are now completely useless when searching for free software, I'm asking here!
I've been using Kerio Personal Firewall for years (I had to keep an old version before they changed to Sunbelt and started charging money for it). Well, I tried installing it on Windows 7 and it no longer works so I'm now trying to find a replacement. I'm looking for something very lightweight that notifies on outgoing connections, thus Microsoft's firewall won't do. I've probably discovered more malicious programs by discovering and blocking their outgoing connection attempts with firewalls than both virus scanners and spyware removers combined. Any advice would be appreciated.
CCM:
I always had good luck with Zone Alarm free.
http://download.cnet.com/ZoneAlarm-Free-Firewall/3000-10435_4-10039884.html?tag=mncol;1
Howard_Casto:
That isn't too far from the truth.
I prefer hardware firewalls myself. Your dinky little router can probably do a bit of double-duty as a firewall. Really any physical device between your pipe and your pc is helpful.
Virus scanners and malware removers are what you use after you've already gotten a virus, they don't prevent them. What you want is a "resident shield." It's an app that constantly checks your processes to see if anything quirky is going on and closely watches the behavior of a exe as you launch it. It's not the same as a firewall. Firewalls are different.... they just monitor network traffic. I don't think I've ever heard of a virus caught via a network hack on the consumer level. Rest assured, you let that virus in all by yourself.
The best shields are the ones that are integrated into a good anti-virus/anti-malware. As usual, AVG is what I reccomend.
It won't catch everything, but nothing does and it's a good balance between keeping you safe and keeping your pc so bogged down from scanning that it's unusable.
Dervacumen:
--- Quote from: Howard_Casto on March 03, 2012, 12:01:51 am ---As usual, AVG is what I reccomend.
--- End quote ---
I used AVG for a long time until I couldn't bear the nag screens any longer. Are those still around? I'm now using Avast which also has a nice resident shield. Thing is, I did a boot scan recently and found all kinds of crap that wasn't detected using my normal virus scans so I can see the value of monitoring outgoing packets. I used Zone Alarm about a decade ago but never really saw the benefit of a standalone firewall application, since pretty much any consumer router has decent protection built in.
Turambar:
Honestly the Win 7 firewall plus the free Microsoft Security Essentials combined with the security of your router is more than enough protection.
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