Vista's Firewall

Windows XP and Vista firewalls

If you use Windows XP or Vista, you are somewhat protected by their included firewalls, but reviews still say you will be safer with a third-party firewall. Windows XP includes a rudimentary firewall, but it only protects against inbound threats. Windows Vista includes a slightly more robust firewall that also protects against outbound threats, though that protection is limited.

The consensus among reviewers is that XP's firewall is adequate at best. Reviewers such as PCMag.com's Neil Rubenking say that several free third-party firewalls are a significant upgrade from the XP firewall. Web User's Brad Jackson describes the default option as "a workable measure of protection for those who don't like the setting up and interaction involved in other firewalls, and would otherwise be going unprotected." However, he adds, "this is a risky strategy, and we'd thoroughly recommend installing one of the more sophisticated firewalls instead."

Because the XP firewall only monitors inbound threats, ComputerWorld.com's Scot Finnie and Preston Gralla say, "If your PC [is] invaded by a Trojan or spyware, those programs would be allowed to make outbound connections unimpeded." Reviewers say that this is the key reason why they recommend using a third-party firewall. To rely completely on the XP firewall, you'd need to be certain that your computer harbors no intruders already, such as previously downloaded programs that might be dialing out. In that case, blocking inbound traffic might be enough.

Other firewalls not only block incoming traffic, but also monitor Internet activity initiated from your computer. This enables them to catch intruders that have been planted in your computer and are trying to pass personal information and files to a tracker, hacker or hijacker.

On paper, the Windows Vista firewall is a big improvement since it monitors outgoing as well as inbound traffic. Microsoft is touting security enhancements as a big reason for upgrading. Reviewers say that Vista's security enhancements for home users don't amount to much, however. That's also true of the latest integrated Mac OS firewall (see Mac Firewalls elsewhere in this report for more information).

The big complaint regarding the Vista firewall is that outbound security is limited by default, and that turning on better protection can be difficult. ComputerWorld.com's Preston Gralla calls that inadequate. He checked with Microsoft product managers, who didn't dispute his criticisms. Scot Finnie is a bit gentler, saying, "It's better than nothing if you don't have a third-party software firewall, but that's about it." Considering that you can get a better firewall for free, the operating system firewalls seem to offer only limited value.