Outpost Firewall 7

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Introduction :
Antivirus vendors relate differently to release updates to their products, but the industry's common practice to release versions of "next year" about the spring and summer of this year. In other words, users can buy the product, which will be built on technology. On one of these solutions, we'll talk today - it goes on line Outpost 7.

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Appearance and setting:

In the line of security software from Agnitum Outpost 7 consists of three products: Personal Firewall Outpost Firewall Pro 7, antivirus Outpost Antivirus Pro 7 and complex decision-class Internet Security - Outpost Security Suite Pro 7. "Seven" in the release version represents a new generation of solutions - the previous two years were issued under the number "6". Pushing aside all the marketing ideas, it is worth noting that the developer promptly updated their applications to meet modern requirements for functionality and appearance of the software in the context of the increasingly growing popularity of Windows 7. Working installer in the new version of the application is much simpler - the user clicks a few moves already to the installation level, he did not raise questions, some requests or wording on the screen. For example, the classic mode switch (normal or advanced) on a separate screen in the beginning of installation.

If the user selects this option, it may the first time in the history of this product to determine the composition of additional components (only the web antivirus ("Web Control"), Spy ("malware protection") and anti-spam). Request for setting the behavior of the firewall now default to automatically download and apply the rules for popular programs, but the option avtoobucheniya during the week deactivated. Further consideration of the product line we will act on the senior of them - Outpost Security Suite Pro 7 (OSS 7).

After you install OSS sees the user interface is modified by the main window with information about the state protection system, as well as access to the sections relating to the work of the OSS components 7. In general, new changes are reduced to the use of a lighter color scheme, and some reformulation and additions to the list of components on the left.

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Firewall and Security Applications :

If you select "Firewall", you can see the network activity statistics (the number of sent / received data, programs using currently available on the Internet, a list of attacks, open ports with the statistics for each of them). Firewall operates in six modes - from the complete blocking of all traffic until the resolution of all network activity, by default it is on display in the learning mode (ie, the rules will be created as needed, if they did not exist previously). In the firewall settings, the user can enable or disable the global and low-level rules, to set which ports, and against some common types of attacks should be applied firewall protection. Here you can specify a list of sites to block by IP-address. As the developer, the improvement in the module "Firewall" significantly reduced the load on the processor and network connections, including the use of P2P-connections. A new mechanism of filtering network events, non-filtering binary streams, fine-tuning packet sniffers - these and other changes allowed to minimize the impact Outpost 7 on system performance.

Work module "Proactive Defense" is the identification of unknown or disguised threats that originate from unknown software - including copies of the virus and infected executable files of legal software. Accordingly, in this section, the user can see the list of active processes, as well as related information (the use of RAM, CPU cycles, the status of the application). Of the new features worth noting the appearance of one more useful item - "Access to the files and registry. It allows real-time show what branches and sections of the registry, and which files (on Windows or the user) being accessed (read, read, create the key and so on) from one or another program. By default, this monitor is turned off, so to keep track of these data it should be included. Note that this should be done only when necessary - OSS 7 begins to question any applications, which naturally affects their work and the computer's performance. In the resultant table is actively working with the built-in search filters.

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In the parameters of "proactive defense", you can choose the policy of this component, OSS 7 - by default it is "elevated", which controls the activity of the whole system, start and requests internet access of any change of the executable file. Here is the detailed parameters is an expanded version of the configuration control of leakage (anti-leak) data through certain events in the programs. From the innovations of the seventh version it should be noted the imposition of a separate list of "application security" - is specified installed on a PC program that product from Agnitum is protected from access by unauthorized processes (there are, for example, web browsers, instant messengers, customers electronic payment systems to add other programs manually in the list can not be an option available only to the exceptions list). Another useful new feature - protection system (a component that contains a list of critical (most vulnerable) systems places - in the registry and configuration files and notifies the user that the program is going to change them). Previously, such an option was present in the OSS «as is" and the user can not know what is considered to be critical, and could not modify this list. Finally, the developers decided to include in the OSS July ability to manually specify the files and folders that are protected from damage, alteration or unauthorized access, implemented by other users or viruses.


Anti-virus, anti-spyware, Web Anti-Virus :

As part of OSS 7 present fully multilateral anti-virus protection - antivirus update file (it has already won the VB100), anti-spyware module and web-antivirus. From the obvious changes can be noted in a separate sub-allocation of the profile settings to scan flash drives - the user can specify the action to be taken when they connect regularly or when a particular event. The developer also reports that the new version has been optimized load on the Internet channel module updates (earlier on slower connections download signatures were often unstable and ended with an error). Web Anti-Virus in OSS 7 protects personal information from unauthorized transfer when working with Web forms, "cuts" advertising, and potentially dangerous scripts. Thanks to Improve Net list of resources and types of content that falls under the limit, constantly expanding and the user always works with the current version. In the main window of the state protection of web activity is also included for each application, indicating the site URL, the object and its size.

Findings :
Ruler Updates for Outpost, in our view, has undergone not only cosmetic, but some of the conceptual changes that meet the current needs of information security and modern software, in particular, Windows 7. The product was subjectively faster than the previous version. You can even buy Personal Firewall Outpost Firewall Pro 7, antivirus Outpost Antivirus Pro 7 and complex decision-class Internet Security - Outpost Security Suite Pro 7.