From Software Informer
Outpost Firewall Pro
 | | Developed by | Agnitum |
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| Latest release | 6.5.4.2525.381.0687 / April 15, 2009 [1] |
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| Operating system | Microsoft Windows 32-Bit/64-Bit |
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| Type | Firewall |
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| License | Proprietary EULA |
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| Website | www.agnitum.com |
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Outpost Firewall Pro is a software-based personal firewall package developed by the Russian firm Agnitum. It is available in both paid and freeware versions, though the freeware version is severely outdated. The product is also licensed by several leading security software publishers: Sophos, Lavasoft, and Bullguard.
Outpost is designed to monitor incoming and outgoing network traffic on Windows machines. Like most recent Windows firewalls, Outpost goes beyond monitoring internet traffic and also monitors application behavior in an attempt to stop malicious software covertly infecting Windows systems. Agnitum calls this technology "Component Control" and "Anti-Leak Control".
Outpost Firewall Pro allows the user to specifically define how an application connects to the internet. This is known as the "Rules Wizard" mode, or policy, and is the default behavior for the program. When in this mode, Outpost Firewall Pro displays a prompt each time a new process attempts network access or when a process requests a connection that is not covered by its rules. The idea being that this then lets the user decide whether an application should be allowed a network connection to a specific address, port or protocol. In practice this can make the product seem over complicated to less experienced users. In order to make things easier, Outpost includes pre-set rules for many popular applications. Users can also optionally submit rules they have created through the Agnitum "ImproveNet" program. After a new rule has been received and validated by Agnitum engineers, it is automatically shared with all other Outpost Firewall users via Agnitum Update. Agnitum currently has over 15,230,000 application pre-set in its database. The ImproveNet Program is accoladed by end-users for allowing a more seamless installation and secure setup.
The firewall includes a spyware scanner and pop-up blocker/spyware filter for Internet Explorer. Outpost Firewall Pro was also designed to allow users to create their own plugins and add other third-party plugins to meet specific needs and/or functionality.
Outpost Firewall Pro's self-protection aims at detecting attempts to modify/disable its services or hinder program protection and is accoladed by Comparison Testers as being capable and sophisticated at detecting all known methods of disabling it. The testing site Virus Bulletin gave Outpost an "easy pass to all given tests" while running Outpost Firewall Pro on Windows XP Service Pack 3 in August 2008. Also Matousec.com, which performs a test-set of leak-tests to all the most reputable software-based firewalls, gives Outpost Firewall Pro its highest ratings time and time again.
[edit] Criticisms
Outpost Firewall has been criticized by some end users for being confusing to use, possibly because of its advanced features. Outpost can generate a large number of security alerts, which some experts believe will lead to an inexperienced end user habitually dismissing all alerts, even important ones. This firewall is prefered by experienced users as Agnitum's direction is to give the end user complete control to all aspects of their system to avoid unwanted changes by malicious software, disclosure of personal information and viruses/malware/spyware. In advanced security mode, Outpost's Component Control will notify the user every time a network enabled application has a changed component and Anti-Leak Control will notify the user whenever an application performs a potentially dangerous operation such as overwriting another application's memory space. In practice this can result in such a high number of alerts that they can quickly become intrusive. To mediate this, Outpost includes the option to apply validated pre-sets automatically, to allow for a secure configuration, and yet provide ease of use.
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