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> There's never any guarantee on either desktop or web unless you have very specific counter-measures in place (firewalls, airgapping, ...). Windows Firewall c
by justin66 5y ago
> There's never any guarantee on either desktop or web unless you have very specific counter-measures in place (firewalls, airgapping, ...).
Windows Firewall commonly serves this purpose even among users who are not familiar with terms like “countermeasures.” The only problem with their system is, the warnings are so common that clicking through them becomes a reflex action.
- teawrecks 5y agoAlso, how many times have you launched an app for the first time on windows, use it flawlessly online for hours, and then close it only to find out that there was a firewall access request in the background the whole time. Failing to allow the app didn't make any difference at all.
- pjerem 5y agoAh this ! I always wondered what this window is asking me to authorize when the app is already downloading tons of things. I can’t imagine it’s just so flawed because it’s been like that for years. There must be another reason I don’t get.
- zamadatix 5y agoYou get a Windows Firewall prompt when an app wants to allow inbound connections, not outbound. This can include p2p technologies, most commonly things trying to register their own local discovery mechanism. If you don't use such inbound-initiated functionality it won't affect your outbound-initiated download requests.
- pjerem 5y agoThank you for the explanation. TIL !
- zamadatix 5y agoIt's a rare breed that runs Windows Firewall (or any firewall) in default deny outbound mode, I can't see more than 0.01% of users (i.e. no more than 1 in 10,000) being protected from this scenario with their current Windows Firewall setup.