Updates 1/20/14 - Sandboxie

Sanboxie has been acquired by Invincea, and Sanboxie's developer Ronen Tsur (aka "tsuk") is leaving (has left?) the company.   As such, we need to be very careful in considering future updates to this security product.

Good point, ky.

I'm happy to report that I could internally update all my systems to this latest version without any glitches, which would seem to indicate a commitment on Invincea's part to continue developing and supporting SBIE.

However, I note the following:

1) SBIE has discontinued the lifetime license for a one-time fee, in favor of an annual renewal fee. I have only 1 lifetime license which I purchased several years ago for my XP system, and it appears to still be in effect. I'm probably grand-fathered in there, but new users should be aware of this before they purchase it. Personally, I don't feel that SBIE is worth purchasing on Win 7 and later systems.

2) I'm not sure that new users can still get the free version. The SBIE website makes no mention of  it that I could see. Previously, the full trial version would revert to the free version after 30 days. (My free versions on Win 7 updated OK, and presumably will continue to work).

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Re 1:  Sandboxie's new licensing policy, which went into effect on 9 October 2013, the following was copied/pasted from http://www.sandboxie.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=16676

"To ensure future growth of Sandboxie, the licensing model shifts today from a lifetime licensing model to an annual licensing model.

Licenses issued in the past which did not include an expiration date will remain without expiration date, and may be used on more than one computer, per past licensing terms.

All new licenses issued starting today will expire in one year after initial activation of the product key, and are limited to one computer per one product key."

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Re 2:  I'm assuming,  IF  the current version is no longer free, that users will still be able to download/use an older version, which presumably IS still free (after the 30-day trial).   Old versions (e.g., 4.0.6) can be downloaded either directly from Sandboxie:  http://www.sandboxie.com/index.php?AllVersions

or from FileHippo:  http://filehippo.com/download_sandboxie

Given that XP will lose Microsoft's support this April, having (a free) Sandboxie around will be a valuable tool in "hardening" one's XP system [for those who opt/insist on keeping their XP systems alive after April].

"I agree with your assessment on the value of  SBIE to those intending to keep XP online come April. I'm not convinced it will prove sufficient".

I am not asserting that Sandboxie, either by itself or in conjunction with other security tools, will prove to be 100% effective in "plugging the holes" in XP after April.   (But surely it helps.)   Anyone who continues to use XP after April must be prepared to accept the risks!

Because of hardware limitations --- it doesn't pay to upgrade an 8 year-old XP system --- I intend to keep around my XP system as a secondary computer, for as long as it continues to physically run (or until I realize it's been compromised beyond repair).   I *will* however, make some changes in how I'll be using it:

I will perform all my important/confidential work only on my newer Win7 system.   As such, the XP will be relegated to less sensitive matters, such as e-mail and Facebook.   My e-mail and FB passwords have no resemblance to any of my other passwords, so if either gets hacked, knowledge thereof will not assist anyone in getting into my banking/brokerage/credit-card accounts.   I will use Sanboxie regularly (as opposed to rarely), and switch my default browser to the current FF (from IE8).   I will continue to use/update the remaining security programs as noted in my signature, including avast resident anti-virus, MBAM PRO resident anti-malware, EMET+MBAE for anti-exploit (*), OpenDNS Family Shield, WOT, & MVPS HOSTS to block sites, and WinPatrol to catch anything that tries to add itself to my startup.   And of course, surf safely. 

Additionally, I have made an effort to remove any confidential documents that I had stored on that system.   I used CCleaner to "multiply over-write" and delete them, as well as over-write all "white space" on my drive.   I will defrag and optimize at least weekly, which will further move around and re-write areas on the disk.

Will even all this be enough?   I can't say definitively.   But I look forward to finding out... for better, or worse.

(*) It will be especially interesting to see how the anti-exploit programs --- which say they offer protection against yet-unknown 0-day exploits --- will fare under continued XP usage.   HOWEVER:   MBAE and Sandboxie are NOT currently compatible... hmm... what to do...

Licenses issued in the past which did not include an expiration date will remain without expiration date, and may be used on more than one computer, per past licensing terms.

Hey, thanks for that info, ky! I had forgotten the terms of my original paid EULA from several years ago.

I have subsequently upgraded (using the original key) to the paid version of  SBIE on my Win 7 systems at no cost, and was granted  lifetime licenses for them as well. Sweet! That is little consolation to new users, of course, reflecting the new business approach of  SBIE. I still advise that no security program charging an annual fee is worth the cost.

It appears the free version of 4.08  was added yesterday for download from Filehippo:
http://www.filehippo.com/download_sandboxie/tech/

I confirmed the free version was still available from the SBIE website, but only after getting a couple of condescending terse replies in their forum. Just click "download" at the top of the forum. Don't worry that it does not indicate it is freeware.
I would snag it while it's still available.

Apart from a brief nag to upgrade to the paid version, I used the free version with no problems for several years, and still recommend it

I agree with your assessment on the value of  SBIE to those intending to keep XP online come April. I'm not convinced it will prove sufficient.

as expected, tzuk has confirmed his departure from Sandboxie, effective today 22 Jan 2014  http://www.sandboxie.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=17930