Privatefirewall 3.x Features

Unmatched Security Technology and Ease of Use:

General -

Privatefirewall's security presets deliver superior PC protection immediately upon installation. Setup and configuration are fully automatic right out of the box.

One-click configuration of pre-defined security settings for Home, Office, and On the Road profiles eliminate complicated application tuning. This is useful for a mobile user who may need more than one level of protection due to changing network environments.

Privatefirewall conveniently detects connections to local networks and automatically sets rules that allow access within that network.

Enhanced User Interface - Privatefirewall has a new, improved interface that displays firewall settings, application listings, the Port Tracking Report, and Firewall Log all from the main window, providing instant access to important information without navigating through any program menus.

A variety of custom configuration interfaces are easily accessible for advanced users.

Application Control and Firewall Policy Management -

Privatefirewall 3.0 includes a proprietary Application Control Engine (ACE), which monitors all traffic to and from your PC. ACE prevents trusted applications from being "Hi-Jacked" without your knowledge to steal local or network-accessible files, or cause damage to your PC or extended network environment.

Users can also control which applications can be trusted to access the Internet, and can decide whether to permit/block every application with each usage, or save permissions permanently. Users can also customize an application to allow access for some types of traffic and deny for others. For example, in the screen shot listed below, the user has specified that they will allow regular Internet access (port 80-88) but deny as File Transfer activity (FTP, ports 20,21)

By detecting when an application has been altered since last use, ACE guards against Trojans, viruses, and spyware that attempt to masquerade as trusted applications (such as outlook.exe) and gain entry into your system. If an application has been altered, Privatefirewall will inform the user and prompt them to allow or deny access (see screen shot).

Privatefirewall's Application Control Engine (ACE) automatically opens only the ports necessary for a particular application to access the Internet. Most personal firewalls by default open all ports for trusted applications, thus opening the door for potential security breaches.

Privatefirewall also allows the user to establish custom levels of security for specific "Trusted" and "Restricted" IP Addresses. This is especially useful if the user requires a different level of security for a specific IP compared to the default "Internet" security level. For example, if a user knows that a "trusted" remote computer with a fixed IP occasionally connects to his/her system, that IP can be added as a "trusted site" and lower security levels can be set for that IP.

Privatefirewall allows users to define application specific or global packet filtering rules that can be applied to not only bi-directional traffic, but incoming or outgoing specifically as well. This improves overall system security by allowing information to only flow in one direction when needed, as opposed to allowing incoming and outgoing packets when it is not necessary.

Privatefirewall enables ultimate flexibility in packet filtering configuration. For each packet-filtering rule, the user can allow or deny access to any port or port range. This gives the user the ability to open only the ports necessary to allow access.

Internet Traffic (Packet) Filtering Security Level Control -

Privatefirewall 3.0 allows simple adjustment of security levels (i.e., Green, Yellow, and Red light) depending on the amount of protection required. Green allows all Internet traffic, Yellow filters all Internet traffic, and Red blocks all Internet traffic.

Port tracking and reporting -

This feature will track all of the user's ports to prohibit unauthorized port scanning or any other type of intrusion. A "Port Tracking Report" is kept that lists all the ports that are open, and which application they correspond to.

Comprehensive Alert/Attack Information and Reports -

Privatefirewall can be configured to automatically display pop-up alerts, which include detailed information related to all incoming or outgoing packet activity.

The firewall log contains the complete list of detailed information related to all incoming and outgoing packet activity. This is useful for tracking down incoming intrusion attempts to their source.

Stealth Mode -

Privatefirewall provides control over the openings to a user's computer. By "cloaking" the computer's IP address, the PC becomes invisible to the Internet and potential intruders and the risk of intrusion or attack is significantly reduced.

SecurePOPTM email protection -

Privatefirewall protects all POP3 email (such as Outlook and Outlook Express) with a proprietary combination of technologies including SSL (Secure Socket Layer Encryption).

"Non-Standard" static protocol filtering -

Privatefirewall blocks packets from "non-standard" static protocol adapters, which are overlooked by some firewalls and can be created/used by hackers to gain access to your system.