Dont Toss That Personal Firewall

Third-party firewalls, such as Zone Labs ZoneAlarm Pro, go well beyond this, as Im sure even Microsoft would gladly admit. All these programs, incidentally, will need to be updated to work correctly with SP2 and updated further to work optimally with it.

For example, the shipping version of ZoneAlarm Pro works with SP2, but the recently released Version 5.1 supports the reporting APIs in it so that the new Windows Security Center properly reports that ZoneAlarm is protecting the system.

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To some extent such firewalls protect you against the less common case, but they are a small price to pay for the considerable extra security they provide. Here are some more weaknesses in Windows Firewall that might make you want to get a stronger third-party product:

• Windows Firewall trusts all systems on the local subnet. If you are on a hotel network or a public wireless network or an insecure cable modem network, you can be attacked by a neighboring system.
• Many attacks, including Trojan horses, spyware and adware, dont need inbound communications before they infect the system and begin unmonitored outbound communications.
• Windows Firewall is a user mode application, and firewall vendors claim it is not as hardened as their products. Many viruses attempt to shut down security software, which must attempt to protect itself against the possibility. Windows Firewall is too easy to shut down.

Clearly Microsoft had to be dragged to the point of providing a decent personal firewall. They and we, the press, are in a tricky position of describing the benefits of Windows Firewall without diminishing the need for third-party solutions. It would be a shame if users got a false impression of just how much better Windows Firewall is.

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