Firewalls

Matousec.com tests firewall programs and sells the information to other publications. The tests are highly respected, and many reviewers either refer to the results or rely on them. Products are ranked by… their ability to prevent firewall leaks. Both standalone firewalls and firewalls that are part of a security suite are tested, and detailed results are available. Online Armor Personal Firewall is the top-rated application, passing all but one of the 84 tests it is subjected to. Three other firewalls or suites with firewalls also pass more than 90 percent of tests and are judged to be excellent.

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U.K. computer magazine Web User regularly reviews security software., Editors often select free software as their top picks, but their current favorite is the commercial program Outpost Firewall Pro 2009.… The reviews are brief, but testing is described, and results are revealed in some reviews. The magazine augments ratings with subcategory ratings for features, performance and ease of use. Matousec.com ratings are provided but don't reflect the very latest tests.

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Chris Pepper and Rich Mogull caution that Macs "aren't inherently immune" to security threats, although they're less vulnerable than computers running Windows. They suggest that a good third-party firewall… will offer "more flexibility and better protection" than the integrated Mac OS X firewall alone. This article links to reviews of individual firewalls, including their top picks: DoorStop X Security Suite and Little Snitch.

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This popular software download site lets users post ratings and opinions and also hosts a limited number of professional reviews. Unfortunately, the professional reviews are brief, and testing is alluded to… but not described. As with all user reviews, the quality varies greatly, but lots of firewalls get enough feedback so that clear trends in terms of user satisfaction can be seen. Unfortunately, few firewalls rate as highly with users as they do with the editors.

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This shareware site also invites users to review products they have downloaded. There are fewer reviews here compared to the shareware sites listed above -- too few in many cases to give the opinions… expressed too much weight -- and editors have yet to weigh in with any picks of their own among firewalls. That said, Comodo Firewall Pro, now part of Comodo Internet Security, gets more than 1,000 ratings here and relatively high grades.

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PCMag.com's reviews are thorough but don't cover very many firewalls, and many reviews are dated. Comparisons are very good, and user-interaction issues are addressed. The magazine also tests the firewalls… in most of the major Internet security suites. Kerio WinRoute, available only in groups of 10 user licenses, is the only current Editors' Choice selection. Neil Rubenking also likes the firewall in Comodo Internet Security, and gives an older stand-alone version an Editors' Choice award, but he is underwhelmed by the antivirus and anti-spyware features in the version he reviews.

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