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Personal Firewall ReviewsAfter important tips and comparative reviews, this page provides links to vendors and reviews of over sixty personal firewall products.
Hacker Proof? "The perfect personal firewall would be inexpensive and easy to install and use, would offer clearly explained configuration options, would hide all ports to make your PC invisible to scans, would protect your system from all attacks, would track all potential and actual threats, would immediately alert you to serious attacks, and would ensure nothing unauthorized entered or left your PC." Source: Make Your PC Hacker Proof, Jeff Sengstack, PC World, July 21, 2000. Important Tips
Comparative reviews of personal firewall software:
Top Picks Personal FirewallsCheckpoint's ZoneAlarm Pro retail product includes network, program and operating system firewalls, identify theft protection, anti-spyware, privacy protection, game mode, essential email security, wireless PC protection, and smart defense service (but no antivirus). For reviews of the ZoneAlarm Internet Security Suite, that includes antivirus, see our Suites page.
Sunbelt Personal Firewall freeware and retail versions, includes packet filter, file integrity control, application communication and launch controls, network and host-based intrusion prevention systems, identity theft protection, script, referrer, cookies, ad and pop-up windows blocking, and statistics. Free download, full function for 30 days, then reverts to the free version features or purchase to keep all features.
Comodo Firewall Pro freeware, PC Magazine Editor's Choice December 2007, included in "The Best Freeware", PC World, January 31, 2007. Note: For better protection, install the advanced version, not the basic one.
More Personal FirewallsThese are listed in alpha order and have been reviewed. CA Personal Firewall, Computer Associates
Jetico Personal Firewall for 32/64-bit Windows is payware; Freeware for is also available.
Look'n'Stop Soft4Ever Microsoft Windows Firewall, free, built into Windows XP-SP2 and Vista
NeT Firewall, NT Resources Kernel
Norman Personal Firewall, see review of Norman Internet Control on our Suites page. OutpostPro Firewall, Agnitum
PrivateFirewall, Privacyware VisNetic Firewall, Deerfield
Webroot Desktop Firewall, now freeware
Firewalls Moved to Internet Security Suites Firewalls from these vendors are no longer available as separate products, see our Internet Security Suites page for reviews. Bullguard Internet Security -- includes antivirus, anti-spyware, spam-filter, firewall, backup and support. F-Secure Internet Security includes anti-virus, anti-spyware, firewall, anti-spam, anti-phishing, zero day, parental controls. Kaspersky Internet Security includes anti-malware (virus, spyware, trojan, worm, root kits), zero-day, anti-spam, anti-phishing, parental controls. McAfee Personal Firewall Plus is only available in their three suites: VirusScanPlus, Internet Security Suite, and Total Protection Suite. Norton Internet Security and Norton 360 from Symantec include antivirus, antispyware, email scanning, anti-phishing, root kit detection, identity protection, web site authentication, network monitoring, firewall protection, automatic backup and restore (360), 2GB secured online storage (360), PC performance tune ups (360), automatic updates, embedded support, optional anti-spam and parental controls. Panda Internet Security has anti-malware (virus, spyware, adware, phishing, root kit, spam), malicious web pages, personal firewall, identity protection, parental control, backup and restore, PC tune up, automatic updates. Trend Micro Internet Security has antivirus, anti-spyware, email scan, root kits, intrusion blocking, anti-spam, personal firewall, home network protection, website authentication, parental controls, data theft prevention, free support. Personal Firewall Products Not Reviewed Product descriptions on software download sites do not qualify as reviews. Nor do end user write ups on sites like Amazon because they seldom include firewall testing. 8Signs Note: Replaces the ConSeal PC Firewall that was acquired by McAfee in 1999. Ashampoo Firewall Pro (12-22-2006) and Ashampoo Firewall Free (4-10-2007) MicroWorld eConceal StandardNetveda Safety.Net, free & pro versions PC Tools Firewall Plus -- freeware R-Firewall -- freeware Sphinx Software Vista Firewall Control [free & paid versions] and XP Firewall Control [paid] Fading Away or Gone CompletelyArmor2net last update was in 2003 (?) BlackICE PC Protection, IBM bought Internet Security Systems in 2007, ISS purchased NetworkICE in 2001. Latest release was 3.6 in September 2004. IBM to bury BlackIce by next year, Jeremy Kirk, Infoworld, August 3, 2007. CheckIT Firewall, Smith Micro Software product not listed ConSeal PC Firewall, replaced by 8Signs, conversion tool available eSafe Desktop, Aladdin Knowledge Systems, no longer available or supported Fireball Cyber Protection Suite, Redcannon, product not listed Firekeys, Software Appliance Company, product not listed Firewall X-treme, StompSoft, product not listed Freedom Personal Firewall, Zero Knowledge, no longer available HackerSmacker not listed HackTracer, Sharp Technology (NeoWatch by Neoworx was a related product) InJoy last update 2005, gone? Internet Firewall 2000, gone, not recommended by reviewers
Mindsoft Firewall, gone, not recommended by reviewers Omniguad last site update 2005 (?) pcInternet Patrol gone? PC Viper, Source Velocity, gone Primedius gone NeoWatch, NeoWorx was purchased by McAfee in Fall 2001, related to HackTracer Safeworld Hacker Stopper gone SecurePoint Personal Firewall not listed SecureUp Personal Firewall gone SoftPerfect Personal Firewall latest version March 11, 2005 Sphinx, BioData, went out of business Surf Secret Personal Firewall, SurfSecret last release June 23, 2004 Sygate Personal Firewall -- Symantec Shelves Sygate Personal Firewall, Paul Roberts, eWeek, November 28, 2005. Sygate was purchased by Symantec (Norton) in August 2005. TermiNet, Infotecs, last update March 1, 2007
Tiny Firewall (acquired by CA, June 2005) The Shield Firewall not listed as a separate product VirusMD Personal Firewall, gone, not recommended by reviewers
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