Who thinks Windows 8.1 Firewall is good enough?

Please use this forum to ask our resident IT geeks advice.
User avatar
sirch345
Site Admin
Posts: 21668
Joined: Mon Aug 25, 2003 10:35 pm
Location: The West Country.

Who thinks Windows 8.1 Firewall is good enough?

Post by sirch345 »

Having just installed Comodo's Firewall (free version) on my Windows 8.1 pc as the 90 day trial version from Kaspersky was coming to an end, I was wondering who thinks the default Windows 8.1 Firewall is sufficient?

Chris.
Virt
Posts: 6793
Joined: Wed Dec 12, 2012 12:35 pm
Location: Leicestershire

Re: Who thinks Windows8.1 Firewall is good enough?

Post by Virt »

The firewall is sufficient if you're using a relatively secure browser (Firefox or Chrome preferably).

Some things will get through, so use MalwareBytes to pick up anything that gets through. You have to scan manually on it, but it's one of the best Anti-Viruses out there. Also, you only need to run a quick scan 99% of the time on it, the only difference is a Full Scan will look into .zip/.rar etc. files. It takes less than 8 minutes for a quick scan on my system, so it's fast too :thumbup:
Slowly approaching the more bikes than birthdays achievement
User avatar
sirch345
Site Admin
Posts: 21668
Joined: Mon Aug 25, 2003 10:35 pm
Location: The West Country.

Re: Who thinks Windows8.1 Firewall is good enough?

Post by sirch345 »

Perhaps I'm inclined to be a bit OTT when it comes to security for computers Young Virt :)

After installing Comodo Firewall I turned off the Windows firewall from the control panel, but I found in the Task Manager that it was still running, so I disabled it there too.

Thanks for the advise on Malwarebytes, although I am actually a fan and regular user of that already, and SAS (SuperAntiSpyware)

For anti-virus software I use Avast 2014.

I also run Secunia PSI, I'm not sure how good it is, but it's supposed to tell you if a program needs updating,

Chris.
Virt
Posts: 6793
Joined: Wed Dec 12, 2012 12:35 pm
Location: Leicestershire

Re: Who thinks Windows8.1 Firewall is good enough?

Post by Virt »

sirch345 wrote:Perhaps I'm inclined to be a bit OTT when it comes to security for computers Young Virt :)
True, some things you can never be too wary of. I made a virus as a joke during Sixth Form and let it loose on a friends computer, it was only a very basic keylogger, but I still gained info. Told them about it and we had a good chuckle ( they didn't believe in needing all the security back then ). So it can wreck a lot of damage without necessary a lot of programming skill
After installing Comodo Firewall I turned off the Windows firewall from the control panel, but I found in the Task Manager that it was still running, so I disabled it there too.
It's probably easiest to keep it running, I use Malwarebytes anti malware and windows firewall and nothing else, Firefox is a good, secure browser nd I don't store anything valuable on the laptop. I do my Malwarebytes search every 24 hours as well, 0 viruses ever on this laptop :lol:
Thanks for the advise on Malwarebytes, although I am actually a fan and regular user of that already, and SAS (SuperAntiSpyware)
Yay, another believer! Never heard of SAS though
For anti-virus software I use Avast 2014.
I used Avast on a previous laptop, it was good but made too much noise. Really annoying, effective too, but mostly annoying as I couldn't be bothered to mute it.
I also run Secunia PSI, I'm not sure how good it is, but it's supposed to tell you if a program needs updating,
I'll look that up, never heard of it
Slowly approaching the more bikes than birthdays achievement
tony.mon
Posts: 15938
Joined: Wed Jul 25, 2007 10:46 pm
Location: Norf Kent

Re: Who thinks Windows8.1 Firewall is good enough?

Post by tony.mon »

Windows 8.1 Firewall seems to be a resounding win to Windows.

They have 8 gooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooals to Firewall's single Gooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooal.

Apparently.

I'm not really a fan of footyball.
It's not falling off, it's an upgrade opportunity.
tony.mon
Posts: 15938
Joined: Wed Jul 25, 2007 10:46 pm
Location: Norf Kent

Re: Who thinks Windows8.1 Firewall is good enough?

Post by tony.mon »

Virt wrote:

I'll look that up, never heard of it
You'll waste years of your life doing that.

I spend ages looking up things I've never heard of, for the most part it results in nothing more than cats doing funny things, and people falling over.

I'm currently searching for the Holy Grail of internetwork searchery, funny people falling over cat things.

I'm fairly sure it won't be worth the effort.

Meh.
It's not falling off, it's an upgrade opportunity.
User avatar
sirch345
Site Admin
Posts: 21668
Joined: Mon Aug 25, 2003 10:35 pm
Location: The West Country.

Re: Who thinks Windows 8.1 Firewall is good enough?

Post by sirch345 »

Young Virt, I bet you were not popular with your virus joke :lol:

I've come across one two before who don't run an anti-virus software, but for me I like to have that (hopefully) extra layer of protection. You obviously know what you are doing, and think the gains outweigh the losses of not running an anti-virus tool.

Secunia link:-
http://secunia.com/vulnerability_scanning/personal

Chris.
Virt
Posts: 6793
Joined: Wed Dec 12, 2012 12:35 pm
Location: Leicestershire

Re: Who thinks Windows 8.1 Firewall is good enough?

Post by Virt »

I can afford to do it Tony, I have youth on my side. Plenty of time to waste :wink: :lol:
sirch345 wrote:Young Virt, I bet you were not popular with your virus joke :lol:

I've come across one two before who don't run an anti-virus software, but for me I like to have that (hopefully) extra layer of protection. You obviously know what you are doing, and think the gains outweigh the losses of not running an anti-virus tool.

Secunia link:-
http://secunia.com/vulnerability_scanning/personal

Chris.
Aha, I didn't do anything with the information other than print it off and hand it to them. I deleted the data right afterwards and my memory is shocking so I couldn't remember anything other than facebook and hotmail logins :lol: Both of which were no use to me if I wanted to do anything malicious anyway, other than spreading rumours of homosexuality or signing up for pornography websites :lol: They weren't impressed, no. But after a few weeks they saw the humour in it and it became a good thing to laugh over. They did get me back eventually, but let's not go into that :lol:

It's rare, I think because so many people have computers they think the risk of them getting targeted is so small. I suppose this would be true if all data-mining ( or whatever you wish to call it, that's probably not the correct term ) was done manually. But since most modern viruses are coded to spread via networks and contacts it's not like that anymore :thumbdown:

I think the performance hit is what bothers me most about automatic AV tools, hence why I rely on Windows Firewall, but as I am well aware of the risks I run a manual scan every day to remove every possible thread and I have everything backed up onto an external HDD and a server, with any sensitive information stored only on the external HDD. I also encrypt a lot of my data, and keep the source code and .exe on my external HDD so that it can't be accessed, as it's only ever plugged into my computer during encryption/transfer.
Which reminds me, I need to actually write my own encryption soon. I borrowed a friends' to tide me over until I got mine sorted, that was 4 months ago :lol:

There are many ways to go about doing anti-virus. I chose the manual route as I have a small idea of what I'm doing, and I feel more confident about it. It's not the route for everyone though. I like making things complicated and not having to rely on a 3rd party more than I have to.

Plus I'm an idiot :lol: :thumbup:
Slowly approaching the more bikes than birthdays achievement
User avatar
sirch345
Site Admin
Posts: 21668
Joined: Mon Aug 25, 2003 10:35 pm
Location: The West Country.

Re: Who thinks Windows 8.1 Firewall is good enough?

Post by sirch345 »

Young Virt, what you did was just a bit of fun IMHO. I remember some dipstick having a laugh (IIRC it was on the Superhawk forum) many years ago with a link he supplied that gave you a shock, as it was like a virus where new windows kept opening up, no sooner had one window opened you got another and another and another with no apparent way to stop it. It wasn't malicious as it turned out, but at the time you thought it was. I can laugh about it now, although I was not laughing at the time.

I meant to ask you (although it's obvious you're not now) are you not using Windows Defender :?: :)

The guy's who I have known who don't run anti-virus software give the very same reason as you, to much of a resources hog.
Which reminds me, I need to actually write my own encryption soon. I borrowed a friends' to tide me over until I got mine sorted, that was 4 months ago :lol:
You'd better get your finger out :lol: (perhaps I should rephrase that in case anyone else reads it, you'll know who I mean :lol: )
Plus I'm an idiot :lol: :thumbup:
Never put yourself down, there is always someone else who will do that for you :plainsmile

As Tony mentioned there is going to be Windows 8.2 coming out next year, I had a little look on the net to see if I could find out a bit more. I see Windows 9 was on the cards, but it looks like that will be held off now for a while seeing as W8.2 is the next upgrade/update.

Chris.
Virt
Posts: 6793
Joined: Wed Dec 12, 2012 12:35 pm
Location: Leicestershire

Re: Who thinks Windows 8.1 Firewall is good enough?

Post by Virt »

sirch345 wrote:Young Virt, what you did was just a bit of fun IMHO. I remember some dipstick having a laugh (IIRC it was on the Superhawk forum) many years ago with a link he supplied that gave you a shock, as it was like a virus where new windows kept opening up, no sooner had one window opened you got another and another and another with no apparent way to stop it. It wasn't malicious as it turned out, but at the time you thought it was. I can laugh about it now, although I was not laughing at the time.
That's true. It's also the context of the prank, I did it to a friend I'd known a good few years. Whereas someone online doing it who you haven't met? It would be easier to assume malicious intent, even if you never suspected the person of being that type beforehand.
I meant to ask you (although it's obvious you're not now) are you not using Windows Defender :?: :)

The guy's who I have known who don't run anti-virus software give the very same reason as you, to much of a resources hog.
I don't know. I just run it with the pre-installed windows thing. Never really checked up on it that much, it's effort and I'll start trying to find ways to improve it. Which is usually why everything technological I touch seems to die a painful death. :lol:
The resource hogging stemmed from the fact my last laptop was a 2.4Ghz dual core intel pentium with 4GB of RAM. It sounds enough to manage with everyday tasks but for some reason it really wasn't, and nothing I did could speed it up so I got rid of the huge stuff.. That's the only thing that worked. It's not really a concern on my current laptop considering I never go above 60% CPU usage, even playing games on high/ultra, but old habits die hard and like I said, I don't like leaving things to third party anyway
Which reminds me, I need to actually write my own encryption soon. I borrowed a friends' to tide me over until I got mine sorted, that was 4 months ago :lol:
You'd better get your finger out :lol: (perhaps I should rephrase that in case anyone else reads it, you'll know who I mean :lol: )
Nah, let them think what they want. We can be mature about it and thus superior :wink: :lol:
Plus I'm an idiot :lol: :thumbup:
Never put yourself down, there is always someone else who will do that for you :plainsmile

As Tony mentioned there is going to be Windows 8.2 coming out next year, I had a little look on the net to see if I could find out a bit more. I see Windows 9 was on the cards, but it looks like that will be held off now for a while seeing as W8.2 is the next upgrade/update.

Chris.
This is true, gotta stick around for the forum for that reason. Finding ways to insult myself requires effort, you guys all do it flawlessly :wink: :lol:

Announcing 8.2 and hinting at W9 so soon though? That's interesting, wonder if that reflects on the popularity of W8 or something. It's only a year old. Though they should hurry to W9, everyone knows that every other version of windows is good. Vista = bad ( apparently. I had nothing against vista ), 7 = good, 8 = bad ( or just too much change too quickly ), 9 = good?
Slowly approaching the more bikes than birthdays achievement
User avatar
Tweety
Posts: 466
Joined: Mon Feb 18, 2013 10:47 am
Location: Skurup, Sweden

Re: Who thinks Windows 8.1 Firewall is good enough?

Post by Tweety »

Well... Sign me up for the "I'm an idiot" camp along with Virt... I do it myself, or I simply don't care... Most the time I run on Linux anyways, so I rarely get any viruses, Win8 is only booted up for gaming...
Image <--- The result of OCMD... I gave up listing the mods in a sig line...
User avatar
sirch345
Site Admin
Posts: 21668
Joined: Mon Aug 25, 2003 10:35 pm
Location: The West Country.

Re: Who thinks Windows 8.1 Firewall is good enough?

Post by sirch345 »

I meant to ask you (although it's obvious you're not now) are you not using Windows Defender :?: :)

The guy's who I have known who don't run anti-virus software give the very same reason as you, to much of a resources hog.
I don't know. I just run it with the pre-installed windows thing. Never really checked up on it that much, it's effort and I'll start trying to find ways to improve it.
Just type in "Defender" into the search box, then open Windows Defender, if your's has not been turned off then you are running an Anti Virus, as it's built into Defender in W8/W8.1. The anti virus bit was known as MSE (Microsoft Security Essentials) that can be used by itself on earlier versions of Windows such as W7 etc. You could be loosing pc resourses if it's still running :lol:
Nah, let them think what they want. We can be mature about it and thus superior :wink: :lol:
Exactly Young Virt, very nicely put :thumbup:

Chris.
User avatar
sirch345
Site Admin
Posts: 21668
Joined: Mon Aug 25, 2003 10:35 pm
Location: The West Country.

Re: Who thinks Windows 8.1 Firewall is good enough?

Post by sirch345 »

Tweety wrote:Well... Sign me up for the "I'm an idiot" camp along with Virt... I do it myself, or I simply don't care... Most the time I run on Linux anyways, so I rarely get any viruses, Win8 is only booted up for gaming...
:lol: :thumbup:

Chris.
User avatar
VTRDark
Posts: 20010
Joined: Sun Mar 18, 2012 9:24 pm

Re: Who thinks Windows 8.1 Firewall is good enough?

Post by VTRDark »

Sorry to but in, Firewall, virus's...... Being on the Mac I don't worry about virus's so much, though I do run a freebie version of Sophos. I feel this necessary not to protect myself so much but to catch PC viruses and don't occidentally spread them on as a carrier in achievements or whatever.

What worries me more is tracking cookies and the likes of google and the information about ourselves freely given out. I want anonymity on the web!!! it's one thing having the gov know what your up too, but companies like google, facebook, marketing companies, Apple, Microsoft...the lot of them, tracking us, watching us, data mining and using that data to influence or even control us, I don't like. :thumbdown:

I mention tracking cookies as this is something that can get forgotten about and virus softwares usually wont clean them out or block them.

I recently installed a Firefox add on to block google from my searches. Seems to work well so far.
https://disconnect.me/

(:-})
==============================Enter the Darkside
User avatar
Wicky
Posts: 7895
Joined: Sat Feb 11, 2006 2:43 pm
Location: Colchester Essex
Contact:

Re: Who thinks Windows 8.1 Firewall is good enough?

Post by Wicky »

Do you use 'Little Snitch'?

The only sure way not to leak personal data over the interweb is to unplug your puter from the network and post a letter / go to shops and buy with cash. As even your ISP will track what you're up to and who with - remember the ACS:Law scandal when the dodgy solicitors were provided with info by ISPs on what folk had supposedly downloaded and were asked to cough up. Thankfully Virgin didn't cooperate.
cybercarl wrote:Sorry to but in, Firewall, virus's...... Being on the Mac I don't worry about virus's so much, though I do run a freebie version of Sophos. I feel this necessary not to protect myself so much but to catch PC viruses and don't occidentally spread them on as a carrier in achievements or whatever.

What worries me more is tracking cookies and the likes of google and the information about ourselves freely given out. I want anonymity on the web!!! it's one thing having the gov know what your up too, but companies like google, facebook, marketing companies, Apple, Microsoft...the lot of them, tracking us, watching us, data mining and using that data to influence or even control us, I don't like. :thumbdown:

I mention tracking cookies as this is something that can get forgotten about and virus softwares usually wont clean them out or block them.

I recently installed a Firefox add on to block google from my searches. Seems to work well so far.
https://disconnect.me/

(:-})
It may be that your whole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others.

ImageVTR Firestorm and other bikes t-shirts
Post Reply