HIPS

New Article Series: Software for Secure Computing

I recently posted the last article in my How to Secure Your Computer series of security maxims (an eBook will be available shortly–stay tuned for details). While editing the book, I realized there’s a wealth of free and Open Source software available that can help anyone from the novice to the professional practice secure computing.

My “Nine Steps to System Security - 2008” (originally posted as “Seven Steps to System Security - 2004“) is the latest iteration of what is essentially the basis of all the maxims. It lays out a plan that’s been proven highly workable and will serve as a rough guide for the sequence of articles in the new series. The maxims will provide additional layers as the series develops.

At last count, there were 26 pieces of software mentioned in the main articles. Many of those will be grouped into a few general categories, but I believe the Software for Secure Computing series will be substantial.

First in the series will be “Software for Secure Computing: Secure Browsers.”

Top Five Personal Firewalls

How well does your personal firewall protect you? GRC’s Leak Test, PCFlank, and Bob Sundling’s TooLeaky all provide a quick way to check your personal firewall to see if it effectively blocks outbound connections. But if you really want to know how well your firewall protects you against a whole host of known attacks, check out Matousec’s Firewall Challenge website. Here are the top five based on Matousec’s extensive testing:

1. Comodo Firewall Pro 3.0.21.329 (Free)
2. Online Armor Personal Firewall 2.1.0.119 ($40, Free version available)
3. ProSecurity 1.43 ($30 single PC home user, $40 household)
4. Outpost Firewall Pro 2008 6.0.2302.264.0490 ($40/year for 3 home PCs)
5. Kaspersky Internet Security 7.0.1.325 ($80/year for 3 PCs)

The top two, Comodo and Online Armor, scored 100% on the tests. I’m using Comodo from now on.