Can someone post a link to a free version of ZoneAlarm (just the firewall)
that they know will really work with Vista SP1? I've been trying a lot of
different sites, all of which claim their download will work, but I either
get "not compatible with this OS" or "this driver will not work with this
OS". Many thanks!
Reconsider; Do yourself a favor and educate yourself. Stay away from 3rd
party (so called) firewall application!
You are not going to find anything better than the Vista FW and Vista in
itself due to the advanced features the FW and Vista are using.
"Personal Firewalls" are mostly snake-oil.
http://www.samspade.org/d/firewalls.html
PFW Criticism.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_firewall#Criticisms
Jesper's Blogs-
At Least This Snake Oil Is Free.
http://msinfluentials.com/blogs/jesper/archive/2007/07/19/at-least-this-snake-oil-is-free.aspx
Windows Firewall: the best new security feature in Vista?
http://blogs.technet.com/jesper_johansson/archive/2006/05/01/426921.aspx
Exploring The Windows Firewall.
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/technetmag/issues/2007/06/VistaFirewall/default.aspx
"If you try to block outbound connections from a computer that’s already
compromised, how can you be sure that the computer is really doing what you
ask? The answer: you can’t. Outbound protection is security theater—it’s a
gimmick that only gives the impression of improving your security without
doing anything that actually does improve your security. This is why
outbound protection didn’t exist in the Windows XP firewall and why it
doesn’t exist in the Windows Vista™ firewall."
Tap into the Vista firewall's advanced configuration features
http://articles.techrepublic.com.com/5100-10877-6098592.html
"...once you discover the secret of accessing its advanced configuration
settings via the MMC snap-in, you'll find it to be far more configurable
and functional. At last, Windows comes with a sophisticated personal
firewall that can be used to set up outbound rules as well as inbound, with
the ability to customize rules to fit your precise needs."
Or
Configure Vista Firewall to support outbound packet filtering
http://searchwindowssecurity.techtarget.com/tip/0,289483,sid45_gci1247138,00.html
Or
Vista Firewall Control (Free versions available).
Protects your applications from undesirable network incoming and outgoing
activity, controls applications internet access.
http://sphinx-soft.com/Vista/
The free version may be all you need, check the comparisons under
the "Download and Buy" link.
Managing the Windows Vista Firewall
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/cc510323.aspx