Long term viewers of this blog will know that I am keen on personal security from the computer perspective and also that I am keen on windows users installing personal firewalls.

Firstly I guess, a definition of personal is required here.  By this I simply mean it is a software based firewall that sits on the same machine it is intending to protect. So I’m not talking standalone stuff like Smoothwall or Firestarter (both *nix based and free) and neither am I talking about the big boys of Corporate security such as Checkpoint, Cisco PIXes,  Cyberguards o, well the list does go on.

I hear often and long about all you need is a router and an Anti-Virus application and maybe an anti-malware scanner but you should never need more than Windows provides and certainly you shouldn’t need a firewall beyond stealthing your open internet ports. Well I disagree and I will continue to do so whilst Windows maintains its inherently buggy approach to security. Beyond this I hear the so called experts say that so long as we are careful never to install or click on anything untoward then we don’t need a personal firewall.

Bull.

So long as we all remain human then we all remain susceptible to malware or buggy software. Take me for example - in 23 years in IT I have never so much as had a virus or any other form of malware attack my PC until recently and I am very careful about what I do and don’t do.

However, I can’t legislate for my children who will click on ill chosen adverts by web masters - and so, last week I ended up with Vundo on my system. Whilst I can’t (well I can but won’t) control my childrens clicking behaviour, what I have drilled into them is  that if a popup appears they come nad get me or stop what they are doing and wait for me or phone me. So whilst my system got this trojan I wasn’t susceptible to the spying activities of it because my personal firewall detected the outbound activity and threw up the alert. It then took me best part of a day on and off to remove the horrible thing, but at least it didn’t leak anything.

So, to the point then. I’m pleased to see that my personal favourite, Comodo, (and the one I use) software firewall is still getting good comments from Scott Finnie over on his blog and is still in the running for his “top personal firewall choice” along with Online Armor <sic> from TallEmu. I haven’t used OA myself, but the fact that Scot rates it highly is enough to satisfy me. Scot is an independent soft and hardware reviewer who has as many years in the computer trade as I do, and he fiercely protects this independence and is loyal to giving his readers his personal, honest and well reasoned reports.