Online Armor Firewall sold to Emsisoft

Joe,

I know there's been a "recent" debate about the need for [and wisdom of] outbound firewalls.   Here's another article I've just come across questioning Matousec's rating system:

http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/matousec-personal-firewall-tests-analyzed.htm

Note:  I have not yet had the time to read it.   But I'm taking for granted you'll find it iteresting.

Thanks ky. That was an interesting article.

But for the "average Joe" (that would include me) I have come to a stage where I freely admit I no longer understand the relevence of Matousec's testing in the real world. I do not doubt the validity of these tests, performed by professionals, under very controlled lab conditions, in isolation from other layers of protection.

And at the end of the day, it comes down to what does the average user do when confronted with a firewall alert, which one may or may not understand. And does it even matter, if one's system is already compromised?

My reviews of various firewalls in the past have focussed more on user-friendliness & compatability since I have no expertise on leak-testing. (Indeed, my attempts to download and run Matousec's tests were met with so many blocks from my various security programs, that I abandoned the project).

And to be frank, I have some concerns about the commercial aspects of Matousec's tests and recommendations. I am no longer convinced they are entirely independent of financial gain in their recommendations. I could well be wrong here.

Despite all this, I have not changed my opinion on which free 3rd party firewalls are user-friendly, and I still do not see the need to buy any paid versions. Better to invest in the one-time expense of a NAT router.
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For those interested in the controversy over Matousec's firewall tests, see this thread, with some relevent links:
The value of leak-testing of personal firewalls