2 questions to Sygate firewall users

I believe the last officially released Sygate Pro version was 5.5.2710. So you appear to have it. There are various Pro 5.6 beta's and debug builds floating around and available if you're so inclined to experiment with them. You can find a few related posts on Wilders, along with download links:

Mine (personal firewall pro) is build 2637 with the same signature file

How long would it be "safe" to run Sygate when it is no longer being updated - program or signatures?

Louise

Is it free?

Thanks. I didn't know about this. Last beta-debug version from these links works well in WinXP SP2.

Sygate offers strong security as a firewall for most users. Keep updating antivirus and adaware software and you'll be safe. Sygate by default blocks all packets "nockig" to your computer so you are safe against present and future worms, hackers flying arount Internet. The other problem is with outgoing connections: decide wise when sygate asks for application permissions - without updated signatures you are sygate's signture brain by deciding which apps are bad or good. Sygate will learn from you if updated signatures are not available.

No.

Sygate does install system services which open Windows. This is a security breach, and shows, that they never read the documentation of Microsoft for developing system services, and that they're understanding nothing about security with Windows at all.

This is ridiculous.

What a b0rken concept. Don't you think, that the provider of security software should know MUCH MORE about security than the only one, who knows _completely_ _nothing_ in this game, the user?

Yours, VB.

I said for most users. I use sygate since long time and never have problems with it. I know about examples of code that auto clicks buttons on screen, but in real world such appliaction from Internet must pass firewall, antivirus and webrowser like firefox which do not use activex scripts. And such worm must support particular firewall. So separate version of worm should be for sygate, zone alarm, kerio, norton, outpost, tiny etc... And of course it must be manualy downloaded from website if web browser do not supports activex.

firewall+antivirus+adaware can keep box safe in general. The only ridiculus thing here is Windows which needs all this stuff to be usable on net. Using such software on Linux is ridiculous but definitly not on Windows. Blame Mr. Gates, not me, for system design.

If I was so aware like you I would never plug windows box on net. If windows do not obey standards why software written for it should?

I made rules for webbrowsers, e-mail client and said to user: click always NO. This is not so hard to learn.

Shell we really discuss on this level, "SPG"?

Yes, and most of the malware you're running never had problems, too ;-)

This has nothing to do with ActiveX.

No. My sample code runs with _any_ "Personal Firewall". And so will be every code.

No.

Understanding the problems and being careful can "keep box safe in general."

Oh, I do.

Standards? I'm referencing the documentation of MSDN.

Yours, VB.

Hi again Volker, Can you give some details on this? What does it mean? What OS? What services? Are there any workarounds? Thank you, Casey

Windows, of course. All NT-based versions, to be specific.

Sygate installs a system service which has (hidden) windows and may thus be vulnerable to shatter attacks.

Don't use Sygate.

cu

Please read

------------------------------------- snip --------------------------------- "Important: We strongly recommend that services do not run as interactive services if the services run in an elevated security context such as SYSTEM.

For the Windows user interface, the desktop is the security boundary. Any application that is running on the interactive desktop can interact with any window that is on the interactive desktop, even if that window is not displayed on the desktop. This behavior is true for every application, regardless of the security context of the application that creates the window and regardless of the security context of the application that is running on the desktop. The Windows message system does not allow an application to determine the source of a window message.

------------------------------------- snap ---------------------------------

Exactly this misbihaviour you can see with Sygate and with Outpost, for example.

Windows OSes, the NT based ones (Windows NT, Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows 2003).

The SYSTEM services, the "Personal Firewalls" are installing themselves.

Yes. You don't need a "Personal Firewall". Just use the Windows-Firewall.

Yours, VB.

Thank you both. Casey

No this is Pro, commercial version. Because this is discontinued product so can tell there is somwhere on the net keygen for it.