Windows Vista's half-cocked firewall.

[anandk]

"The Windows Firewall is of course not new; it's already available in Windows XP SP2, but it works only one-way, that is, it only blocks malicious inbound connections. In Windows Vista, Microsoft says its new Windows Firewall is now two-way, that it adds outbound protection, but a closer look reveals...

...though Vista's outbound firewall is 'on' by default, all outbound connects that do not match a rule are allowed. In the default configuration, there are no outbound 'block' rules, only allow rules. In other words, even though [the Windows Firewall outbound protection is] on, it is not doing anything...

...Microsoft's PR agency, Waggener Edstrom, offered this defense: "If we turned on outbound filtering by default for consumers, it forces the user to make a trust decision for every application they run which touches the network...

...a weak defense, at best, of a flawed security implementation, considering that every other personal firewall on the market today doesn't do what Microsoft described above. Check Point ZoneAlarm keeps a database of known applications, as does Symantec..."

http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-3513_7-...ocked+firewall

[aryayush]

WTF! After all the assurance that Windows Vista is so secure and what not, this is like a smack in the face! Will they never learn?

[Ankur Gupta]

well then whats the use of making a two-way firewall in which all outbound connections are allowed by default....most users will not know how if such a feature exists or not and hence no use of providing it....

[rahull]

Vista is still in development phaze of Next generation OS .....Am sure Os after Visa will be SUPerzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!
Untill then Mera Xp mahan!

[aryayush]

WOW! That is great logic. Mind boggling, really!

If an OS that was in development for six years and has officially been released is still in 'development phaze', Windows is never going to come out of that 'phaze'.

[gxsaurav]

umm...not likely

In Vista, go to start menu & write "firewall", this will open Windows Firewall configuration panel.

Go to "outbound Rules" on the left pane & set it to high. Thats it, now all outbound trafic will be scanned. U can even make your own rules

It's not Zone Alarm, but still really decent for a free integrated firewall

[anandk]

^ true.

just for the records. half-cocked means well sort of half-ready. it comes from a gun being half-cocked or fully cocked.
the default config is half-ready. do the above and u have a fully cocked gun !

[rajasekharan]

install comodo and feel safe thats all ,its so simple isnt it . why bother about windows firewall .

[gxsaurav]

^^^ Comodo firewall or any other firewall is not yet available for Windows Vista. Kaspersky Internet security 6 works, but it's not that good anyway, KAV 6 rox on Vista though