Privatefirewall

Although Windows comes with its own security features, fortifying its firewall is always a good idea. There are all sorts of threats lurking on the Internet, which can easily make their way to your computer if the firewall is configured incorrectly. With its multi-layer security system, Privatefirewall can prevent virus, malware or spyware infections or hacker attacks. It provides a large array of features for detecting system and email anomalies, filtering IPs, protecting the Windows registry and much more. Additionally, configuring the software is not a challenging task, so it can be used even by inexperienced users.

Privatefirewall is offered completely free of charge. It provides support for Windows XP and later versions, up to Windows 8 and it works on various Server editions as well. The setup file is roughly 3 and a half MB and it takes less than a minute to install the program, but you will need to reboot your computer when the process is complete.

The software includes a main configurations menu, an applications monitor, a processes monitor, a port tracker and a firewall logging feature, which are presented on separate pages, on the main user interface. The main menu is where you can set higher or lower protection levels, for the Internet and network security features. It is also possible to add remote computers, entire networks or websites to "blocked" or "trusted" lists. You can use the same options, on the main menu, to make parallel configurations for home, office or remote profiles.

While running on your computer, Privatefirewall will monitor installed applications and running processes and it will prevent certain items from sending or receiving data over the Internet or a network. The applications and processes are displayed in separate lists and you can decide which ones to allow through the firewall. Depending on your settings, the software will block or allow an application automatically or it will ask for confirmation.

The firewall can be set to one of three states instantly, just by clicking the corresponding buttons, located in the upper right corner of the interface. You can turn it off entirely and allow anything to communicate over the Internet or network or set it to filter your traffic, according to your configurations. Additionally, you can set the firewall to locked mode, if you wish to block everything on your computer. Other useful options can be found in the general settings menu, where you can enable the program's system and email anomaly detection features, enable a training mode and much more.