Does the Windows 7 Firewall provide adequate protection ?

jjscotman

Hi

At the moment I'm in middle of setting up a new laptop for a friend and installing the programs she normally uses.

The operating system is Windows 7 which seems great but is new to me. It had a McAfee trial which I uninstalled and replaced with Microsoft Security Essentials (which I've been using successfully on my own Vista laptop for several months without any problems)

Regarding firewall, I've used the free Sunbelt one for several years and find it great but unfortunately it does not support Windows 7.

As I'm not fully up to speed with Windows 7, could more knowledgeable forum members please let me know if its standard firewall provides adequate protection ?

If not, what are the best recommendations for a free firewall compatible with Windows 7 - 64 bit ?

Before settling on Sunbelt, I tried Comodo but found it very intrusive and complicated so would prefer to avoid it.

Many thanks in advance for help !!

poppy10_2

Depends what you mean by adequate protection. A combination of Windows Firewall and your broadband router's NAT will protect you against most random attacks, and it is unlikely that you will be singled out for a more in-depth attack if you are not a major corporation or government agency.

Sunbelt and Comodo do however offer some things that Windows firewall doesn't, such as an outgoing filter - I can use Comodo to block various programs from phoning home or trying to auto-update themselves without permission, whereas Windows Firewall does not provide program-by-program blocking of outgoing traffic.

jayme1

yes the windows firewall provides enough protection and contrary to the above poster it DOES include a full outbound firewall, just type in firewall in the start menu and choose "windows firewall with advanced security".

the basic set up of microsoft security essentials, windows firewall, windows defender and automatic updating being turned on, is plenty for all but the extreme user, if she is also using it behind a NAT in her router than that is even better protection.

you can read this for more info: http://lifehacker.com/5401453/stop-paying-for-windows-security-microsofts-security-tools-are-good-enough

Richie-from-the-Boro

#3 The installation of Microsoft Security Essentials, as would be the case with 99% of all AV sets will disable the Windows firewall so whilst it can work all the way down to port level most .. .. 99% of the worlds puters will have it switched off / disabled.

jayme1

Richie-from-the-Boro wrote: »

#3 The installation of Microsoft Security Essentials, as would be the case with 99% of all AV sets will disable the Windows firewall so whilst it can work all the way down to port level most .. .. 99% of the worlds puters will have it switched off / disabled.

where does it say that? are you sure that microsoft security essentials turns off the windows firewall, because I am pretty sure it doesn't

swvillafan

jayme1 wrote: »

where does it say that? are you sure that microsoft security essentials turns off the windows firewall, because I am pretty sure it doesn't

Correct, MSE works alongside the built in firewall and shouldn't turn off/disable it. If it has then that's something else to look at...

jjscotman

Many thanks to all who replied and provided very helpful info and comments.

As my friend is quite a careful person in her computing/surfing habits and not likely to be visiting "dodgy" sites, I think I will just go along with MSE plus the standard Windows 7 firewall supplemented by Spyware Blaster.

I've also made Firefox her default browser and put her on to automatic Windows Updates.

I've double-checked and the firewall stays on even when MSE is operational.

Thanks again and bye for now !!

BillScarab

What MSE does turn off is Windows Defender as that fucntionality is included in MSE.

spud17

jjscotman wrote: »

As my friend is quite a careful person in her computing/surfing habits and not likely to be visiting "dodgy" sites,

I hope you include Fakebook in the dodgy sites list.

There are numerous threads here that start "I was on FB and something happened".

Richie-from-the-Boro

jayme1 wrote: »

where does it say that? are you sure that microsoft security essentials turns off the windows firewall, because I am pretty sure it doesn't

Hangs his head in shame, reintroduced in v2.0, my bad. Now I'll go and sit in the naughty corner and drink two cans of embarrassment abolition liquid.