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Security

Outpost Firewall Pro Firewall Security for Windows

The first personal firewall developed with Open Architecture and plug-in support
Outpost Firewall Pro has been always recognized as one of the best personal firewalls in the world. One of the reasons for this is that we continuously work to improve the product’s security in order to provide our customers with the best possible protection.

Whenever a new threat arises, Agnitum engineers add a new security layer to Outpost (without turning the program into ‘bloatware’). We added anti-spyware to Outpost 3.0 to detect and remove spyware, Trojans and keyloggers. And with the latest Outpost 4.0 we introduced new anti-leak functionality to proactively block any malware trying to send out any data from the user’s computer to a third party.

Many of you have asked why we don’t provide anti-virus and anti-spam. Well, now we have an answer, and we think you’ll like it. Within the next two months, we’ll be releasing the all-encompassing Outpost Pro Security Suite, featuring:
? Personal firewall (based on Outpost Firewall Pro);
? Anti-malware (a combination of the new antivirus engine and our existing anti-spyware plug-in);
? Proactive security (based on existing anti-leak capabilities);
? Spam filter (based on Agnitum’s latest offering, Spam Terrier);

So what makes Outpost Pro Security Suite better than other security suites already on the market? Here are a few pointers:
? Best-in-class personal firewall;
? Superb ID theft protection;
? Inbuilt protection against disablement by targeted malware;
? Anti-malware that provides robust protection without slowing your system down;
? Meets the needs of both beginners and advanced users

The overarching goal behind the development of Outpost Pro Security Suite has been to automatically eliminate as many threats as possible using smart programming techniques without the need to resort to signature-based scanners; only in the final stage are signature-based scanners used. This means that Outpost Pro Security Suite runs faster than other security suites without any loss of security, because we’re blocking most threats before they can become problems.

Here are some key features of “Outpost Firewall Pro”:

Proactive Security

? Preemptive threat protection
Outpost Firewall Pro provides the first line of defense against malicious software by proactively controlling how programs behave and interact on a PC and preventing security breaches. The Host Protection module proactively monitors for and blocks sophisticated hacking techniques used to compromise or steal data. By analyzing threats and displaying actionable alerts, Host Protection blocks zero-day attacks and other unauthorized activities, providing advanced protection against botnets, rootkits and inadvertent data disclosure. New! This latest version extends the range of monitored events and operations for even greater and more customizable protection.

? Self-protection
Today’s malware frequently seeks to shut down security software to make its own infection process easier. By incorporating solid tamper-proof protection for all its components, Outpost Firewall Pro makes it impossible for anyone except the authorized user of the program to disable or close active protection.

Anti-spyware

? Essential spyware protection
Outpost’s Anti-Spyware module safeguards PCs against the threat of spyware, which can range from displaying annoying ads to hijacking your browser homepage to stealing your identity and confidential data. Spyware is blocked at every possible stage – installation, activation, transmission of information and re-installation. The on-demand scanner scours the system for traces of deactivated spyware and erases them completely. Even if you disable active spyware protection during processor-intensive tasks like online games, new network connections are proactively verified in the background to be spyware-free before being allowed to proceed.

Network Security & Continuity

? Connection security
The two-way firewall monitors your computer’s inbound and outbound connections and prevents local and remote unauthorized network access. It conceals access ports, making your presence on the Internet invisible. The Ethernet Protection module guards your network connections and prevents insider attacks by controlling the transmission of data over the network. This eliminates the potential risk for data such as chat windows or authenticated browser sessions to be delivered to the wrong destination or intercepted while in transit.

? Application access control
The firewall controls which programs are allowed to access the Internet, proactively protecting your PC against both zero-day threats and malware attempts to “phone home”.

? Comprehensive coverage
Outpost Firewall Pro secures all types of connections (Ethernet, WiFi, DSL, cable, cellular, and dial-up), automatically applying the necessary security settings when the computer is connected to a new provider.

? Intrusion protection
The Attack Detection module automatically blocks known types of hacker attacks from entering your computer.

Privacy & Web Safety

? Unsafe web site access restriction
New! Outpost Firewall Pro can optionally alert and block access to potentially malicious or unwanted web sites based on a predefined list of URLs. This filtering ensures you won’t become a victim of inadvertent drive-by malware infection or phishing attacks that are looking to steal your passwords, login information and other sensitive data. The list of blocked sites is updated via the automatic anti-spyware updates and can be edited to reflect your preferences.

? Safe repository for personal data
Any confidential information ? for example, bank account numbers and passwords ? that you define using ID Block is blocked from leaving the confines of your PC through communication channels such as IM, web or email. ID Block protects you against identity theft and phishing attacks that target personal confidential information. Plus, it ensures that no-one else ? including other members of your household – can accidentally or deliberately disclose this information on the web.

? Ad-free, anonymous surfing
By managing cookies and external referral URLs, Outpost lets you maintain a high level of privacy when visiting shopping, entertainment or news sites while at the same time allowing trusted sites to collect only the information needed to personalize pages for you. Additionally, Outpost Firewall Pro lets you limit the elements displayed on web pages, providing cleaner and faster browsing. You can even define which sites are permitted/not permitted to display images, rotate advertising banners, execute external code such as ActiveX or Java scripts, or deliver pop-ups. New! The latest version of Outpost ensures compatibility with even the most complex and sophisticated websites, delivering smooth performance and heightened online safety.

Tracking & Control

? Network activity monitoring
Outpost’s Network Activity Monitor shows every connection your PC makes with other computers on the Internet or local network, so you can see what’s happening on your PC at all times and quickly close down any unauthorized connections.

? Password-protection, multiple configuration profiles
You can set passwords to protect your configuration from accidental or deliberate modification, as well as create and use multiple configuration profiles to suit your current risk exposure. For adcanced users, the ability to construct multiple restore points through the save/load configuration command is a big plus.

? Basic logging
New! Outpost’s old Log Viewer has been replaced by a plain-text log database format that makes it easier to import, process and maintain records of past activities.

Compatibility

? IPv6 support
The new network connection protocol extensively used in Windows Vista, IPv6, is fully recognized, filtered and its data protected. The protocol is the evolution of its predecessor, IPv4, and provides a number of scalability, automation and security improvements.

? Adaptive firewall rules
When traveling with your laptop, or changing ISP, you don’t need to manually adjust your security for new connection settings – Outpost handles it automatically by designating connection-specific parameters such as DNS or gateway server addresses as environment variables.

? Entertainment mode for uninterrupted gameplay and video viewing
While you play full-screen games or watch videos on your PC, Outpost’s Entertainment Mode ensures the program won’t interrupt you with alerts if it detects new activity. New activity notifications are handled in the background without sacrificing current protection levels. You can customize which applications will automatically trigger the switch to Entertainment Mode.

? Support for 64-bit Windows
Outpost Firewall Pro has been specifically designed to work with 64-bit Windows architecture, so that you can experience the benefits of 64-bit computing without worrying about security.

Convenience and Ease of Use

? Auto-learning mode
When Outpost is first started, it runs in a special “learning mode” where all alert notifications are suppressed. During this time, the program is silently learning your typical program activity and firewall-monitored connections. After the learning period is over, Outpost reverts to normal mode and will prompt for a response only when new activity is seen, dramatically reducing the number of alerts requiring your involvement.

? Automatic configuration
Rules for most programs that access the Internet are applied automatically, relieving you of the need to enter rules manually every time a new application accesses the Internet or interacts with another program. This means that for most of the time, you won’t need to deal with questions relating to Internet access, minimizing interruptions and minimizing risk exposure due to insecure configurations. Outpost includes a wide range of predefined access policies; these settings can be customized to your individual requirements at any time.

? ImproveNet delivers more ready-made configurations
ImproveNet is a voluntary system of program configuration aggregation and distribution. After being reviewed and approved by Agnitum engineers, rulesets submitted by Outpost users are distributed across the user base, providing you with the most secure and up-to-date rules for a wide range of activities and applications.

? SmartAdvisor – instant, context-sensitive help
If ImproveNet doesn’t have the answer, SmartAdvisor is always on hand to help you make the right decision when configuring access information for an application.

? Hands-free updates
Whenever an update to Outpost Firewall Pro is released during your license period, the update module automatically retrieves the latest version from the Agnitum server and applies it as soon as you authorize it to do so.
Requirements:

· 450 MHz or faster CPU(x-86/x-64/multi-core)
· 256Mb RAM
· 100MB free disk space

Limitations:

· 30 days trial
What’s New in This Release: [ read full changelog ]

Compatibility and stability:
· Issue with displaying running programs in the system tray after installing Outpost on Windows Vista;
· Issue with Outpost monitor load under Windows Vista 64-bit;
· Issues with antivirus engine initialization under Windows Vista 64-bit;
· Images were not displayed in help file;
· Search in help file did not work

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