Never knew ice could defend your computer from hackers? Well, not just ordinary ice, but BlackICE Defender. This popular software, now at version 2.1, sets up a firewall to protect your computer while it is connected to the Internet.
Network ICE 's BlackICE Defender is designed to be a next-generation dynamic firewall. In addition to using a traditional firewall component that relies on a fixed set of criteria to decide which traffic to block or pass, BlackICE includes a smart intrusion-detection system that scans incoming traffic for suspicious activity. When it spots an unusual pattern, it logs and analyses it to see if it matches any known intrusion activity (the current version includes more than 400 of these). If the pattern matches, the program blacklists the sender and refuses its transmissions, putting an end to the attack.
The benefit of BlackICE's approach is that after you set up the program, you can, for the most part, forget about it. Because the program targets only communications that fit an intruder profile, it runs quietly in the background. For example, it was the only program we tested that allowed us to share an Internet connection across a LAN without any special tweaking. In fact, the program is so unobtrusive, it can even work with other firewall software in place, allowing you to use BlackICE to supplement other security programs. And it produces no noticeable impact on the response time of programs relying on heavy Internet traffic, such as online games.
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BlackICE has four security levels: Trusting, Cautious, Nervous, and Paranoid. The more stringent the setting, the more incoming ports it protects. You can also edit the list of IP addresses to trust or to block manually, and you can disable or enable Internet file sharing. Though this approach makes setting up the software simple, the program lacks some of the flexibility of more traditional rule-based firewalls. And it does not permit traffic filtering on a per-application basis.
The program places great emphasis on documenting suspicious events. When a possible intrusion is detected, the program uses back-tracing techniques to provide as much information about the intruder as possible, and stores the raw data sent by the intruder in an evidence file. It sorts and displays intrusion information by attack or intruder, and even provides a graph of intruder activity.
BlackICE Defender works well as a primary firewall or as an intrusion specialist working in conjunction with other firewall software. BlackICE's strength lies in its ability to recognise many different types of attacks, and it needs to be updated frequently as hackers invent news ways to gain access to your system daily. Updates are free for a year, with an annual fee thereafter.
BlackIce Defender
Company:Macmillansoftware
Price:US$39.95 plus US$40.05 International Delevery, Subscription 1yr US$19.95
Purchase Online:BlackIce defender
Please Note:Purchase price includes one-year subscription to BlackIce Defender's security updates.
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