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Author Topic: Agnitum just sent me a newsletter...Outpost Pro 3.5 due in February  (Read 6571 times)

tinyvillager

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"opportunity for Outpost users to interact directly with the product’s
developers."-I hope this is true. :up:

Cut and paste...


OUTPOST FIREWALL PRO 3.5 – WHAT’S COMING NEXT?

Good news for Outpost Firewall Pro users! You can expect even better protection
against Internet threats with the new version 3.5, coming in February next
year. This next version will offer greater integration between the firewall and
anti-spyware functionality, tools to boost Outpost’s performance, and an
opportunity for Outpost users to interact directly with the product’s
developers. Here’s more:

Tighter Anti-Spyware and Firewall Integration
Users’ systems will be automatically and proactively scanned for spyware if the
firewall detects any suspicious Internet activity patterns, even if the
real-time spyware protection isn’t running. This will keep protection levels
high and minimize performance impact.

Log Exclusions
Users will be able to define log exclusions for a particular Internet or
network activity such as peer-to-peer sharing or NetBios communication. This
will keep Log Viewer data clear of clutter and may improve computer
performance.

Improved Feedback Loop
The new ImproveNet will enable Agnitum developers to collect and review users’
application Internet access configurations and program usage statistics,
including information that explicitly identifies an application by its
unique parameters, such as checksum and version data. This data in turn
enables the developers to expand the existing database of known
applications and make more automatic access rules available to users.

The new version will also feature distribution and automatic application of new
rules. After a new access rule has been received and ratified by Agnitum, it
will be automatically shared with other Outpost users, obviating the need to
manually create manual for Internet-accessing programs. The principle is the
same as for spyware definitions updates and will increase usability and lead to
fewer prompts.

Carol Haynes

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Re: Agnitum just sent me a newsletter...Outpost Pro 3.5 due in February
« Reply #1 on: December 19, 2005, 01:42 PM »
Yes I just got this - the thing that worried me slightly is the 'even tighter integration of antispyware' (or whatever it said). Trouble is it doesn't behave nicely with other antispy products ... looks like things can only get worse.

nudone

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Re: Agnitum just sent me a newsletter...Outpost Pro 3.5 due in February
« Reply #2 on: December 19, 2005, 02:04 PM »
anyone have any thoughts on the zone alarm security suite - they appear to love it in PC Pro (uk magazine)?

Carol Haynes

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Re: Agnitum just sent me a newsletter...Outpost Pro 3.5 due in February
« Reply #3 on: December 19, 2005, 04:03 PM »
Even more intrusive than Agnitum Outpost 3 - the firewall is pop up windows galore - you don't seem to be able to do anything without it blocking something and requesting user input.

Jibz

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Re: Agnitum just sent me a newsletter...Outpost Pro 3.5 due in February
« Reply #4 on: December 19, 2005, 04:14 PM »
The new ImproveNet will enable Agnitum developers to collect and review users’
application Internet access configurations and program usage statistics

So they are going for both spyware and anti-spyware integration? :mrgreen:

Carol Haynes

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Re: Agnitum just sent me a newsletter...Outpost Pro 3.5 due in February
« Reply #5 on: December 19, 2005, 04:23 PM »
Outpost currently has the option to turn it off. ZoneAlarm when I tried it seemed incredibly intrusive at all levels - not only does it try and deal with pests etc. it also tries to monitor you system and do all sorts of other clever things. This may be what you want, but for me I really want a firewall to be a firewall and nothing more, then I have a choice.

All these vendors now seem to want to lock you into their AntiVirus/AntiSpyware/System Monitoring and Firewall utilities to the exclusion of rival products.

If a company can produce a full security suite that

  • if effective in all areas, and
  • has a low system impact

then they will be on to a winner, unfortunately all who have tried seem to fail in some areas for both aspects - and in particular on system impact.

I'm not sure it is entirely the fault of Outpost but since I installed version 3 I have had 4 BSODs on my system - the first 4 ever since I built the machine a few years ago now.

Hirudin

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Re: Agnitum just sent me a newsletter...Outpost Pro 3.5 due in February
« Reply #6 on: December 19, 2005, 11:43 PM »
At work we install Norton on as many computers as we can (sorry, I know it sucks, the rest of us employees know it sucks, but the name sells... so...?). Norton wont install unless the previous versions are removed, you have to use a tool "SymNRT" (Symantic Norton Removal Tool) if norton was ever on the computer previously. You also have to uninstall McAfee.

I hate the fact that aparrently firewalls don't play nice together. I had Zone Alarm before I tried Outpost. When I installed Outpost it clamed that if I didn't uninstall ZA first it's possible neither would work...
Could this possibly be true?

nudone

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Re: Agnitum just sent me a newsletter...Outpost Pro 3.5 due in February
« Reply #7 on: December 20, 2005, 01:49 AM »
i'm probably not going to give zone alarm security suite a whirl then Carol - i should have known it was a pop up king nuisance.

Hirudin, i know exactly what you mean. i spend time each day doing the remove/install process for norton - the school i work at lets the pupils bring latops in to use on the network so i have to set them up (real exciting). when i first learnt what i had to do to get norton installed i thought it was a joke. okay, most of the time it's just a time waster job but i've had it were i've had to manually search and remove about 50 registry entries because an older version of norton wouldn't uninstall - all the bad mouthing about norton/symantec is thoroughly deserved from my view point.

mrainey

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Re: Agnitum just sent me a newsletter...Outpost Pro 3.5 due in February
« Reply #8 on: December 20, 2005, 04:22 AM »
I'm not sure it is entirely the fault of Outpost but since I installed version 3 I have had 4 BSODs on my system - the first 4 ever since I built the machine a few years ago now.

The version of ZoneAlarm Free prior to the current one did exactly that to my computer, along with my wife's.  I'm not used to seeing a BSOD with XP, suddenly began to see one or two every week.  The most-recent release of ZA made the problem go away.
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