Vista Security

jp_bl_68 · 27 Feb 2009 at 06:04

I'm about to upgrade to Vista and I was wondering what security software I might need. Does Vista come with a decent firewall, anti-virus, anti-spyware programs or are there better alternatives available?

I only ask because the security that came with XP was poor compared to some of the freeware security you can get.

Ratbag · 27 Feb 2009 at 07:07

You should get some third party stuff installed. I personally recommend Avira AV [freeware] and Comodo firewall [freeware].

RJC · 27 Feb 2009 at 07:27

I used Vista Firewall and Avast Anti-virus for well over a year and never had any problems.
Purchased the Kaspersky Internet Security from here for £14, which allows me to use in 3 pc's.

Ratbag · 27 Feb 2009 at 07:37

Yep, you can get away with the vista firewall but I like to know exactly whats going on regarding my connection - vista firewall doesn't filter outbound connection attempts whereas most 3rd party firewall apps do.

Final8y · 27 Feb 2009 at 10:35

Ratbag said:
Yep, you can get away with the vista firewall but I like to know exactly whats going on regarding my connection - vista firewall doesn't filter outbound connection attempts whereas most 3rd party firewall apps do.

It’s true; Windows Vista Ultimate does contain two separate, but very different, types of firewalls:

* The generic Windows Firewall
, which is accessible through the Windows Security Center
* The Windows Firewall with Advanced Security, which is available through the Start menu search feature

If you want a true bi-directional firewall, you’ll want to use the latter! Finding it can be a bit of a chore; however; you can best reach it by:

1. Click the Start button.
2. Type “firewall” in the Start Search box at the bottom of the Start menu.
3. Select Windows Firewall with Advanced Security.
4. Click Continue.

The Windows Firewall with Advanced Security appears using a Microsoft
Management Console (MMC) window. The center panel displays an overview of your firewall settings. By scrolling down the panel, you can access firewall properties. These allow you determine the firewall’s state (on/off, monitor inbound/outbound/all traffic), logging, or settings for each profile as shown below.

In the left panel of the application, there are icons for inbound and outbound rules, connection security, and monitoring. Let’s first set up inbound rules for configuring how the firewall manages incoming data packets. To do this:

1. Click Inbound Rules.
2. Click New Rule… in the Actions panel; the New Inbound Rule Wizard appears.
3. Select the Rule Type.
4. Select the Program.
5. Select the action to take; either block the connection, allow it, or only allow it if it secure.
6. Select the Profile to apply (Domain, Private, or Public).
7. Add a name and description (optional).

Your new rule appears among the list of inbound rules, as shown below.

You can set rules for outbound connections and connection security in a similar manner using these options from the left panel. All of the features mentioned above are unique to the Windows Firewall with Advanced Security; the standard Windows Firewall doesn’t let you perform these tasks.

http://www.askdavetaylor.com/windows_vista_includes_two_firewalls.html

Anyone like to see if the Advanced firewall setting exists in Home Premium.

Ratbag · 27 Feb 2009 at 17:00

Frankly, having to setup rules in such a fashion is tedious in the extreme which is why I recommended Comodo.

theheyes · 27 Feb 2009 at 19:14

Final8y said:
Anyone like to see if the Advanced firewall setting exists in Home Premium.

Yes it does.

Kennysevenfold · 27 Feb 2009 at 21:34

RJC said:
I used Vista Firewall and Avast Anti-virus for well over a year and never had any problems.

this