Windows Firewall - in AND out protection ?

[doctormac]

Greetings folks

I was "surfing" around MDGx's brilliant website and found this information about the Windows Firewall :

It said that after installing XP SP2, the Windows firewall not only protects incoming data, but now also keeps an eye on OUTGOING data.

I know one of the biggest minus factors used to be that the XP firewall only worked with incoming data.

I wonder if some of you technical experts could confirm that with XP SP2 the Windows fFirewall now protects both ways. If this is indeed the case, then I don't have to worry about installing a different firewall.

Thank you folks.

Best wishes,

Dr. Mac

Edited June 5, 2008 by doctormac

[Tripredacus]

Even with pre-SP2, you could limit the type of data coming into the computer, but it didn't actually seem to protect against anything in particular. For example, it will block everything that isn't coming in on a standard port (like 110, 25, 80, etc) and any port not being held open by a program already running on the computer. So basically, if you had a trojan on your PC, and it was using some random port to talk to the internet, Windows Firewall wouldn't do anything to stop it.

Now the one with SP2 or 3 had an exclusions list, which mean you can select or deselect the programs you want to have access to the internet. You may have port control but I am not certain. The same basic rules as the pre-SP2 ICF (internet connection firewall) exist.

[doctormac]

Greetings.

Many thanks for your reply - I've learned a little more about the Windows Firewall now.

Best wishes,

Dr. Mac

[JedMeister]

If you are behind a router with built-in hardware firewall, or at least NAT, then its probably sufficient to just use Windows Firewall (probably don't really need one at all). Although if you're worried about restricting apps (inc Trojans and other malware) from contacting the net then I don't think its good enough. I have found that sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn't.

I highly recommend Comodo Free Firewall. Its probably overkill and you'll probably get sick of the pop-ups every time things want to use the net or when programs communicate with one another, but after the initial stage of learning I think it works quite well.