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PCMag UK

Tiny Personal Firewall 2.0

Neil J. Rubenking
 & Neil J. Rubenking Principal Writer, Security

Our team tests, rates, and reviews more than 1,500 products each year to help you make better buying decisions and get more from technology.

Our Expert
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65 EXPERTS
43 YEARS
41,500+ REVIEWS
- Tiny Personal Firewall 2.0
3.0 Average

Pros & Cons

Though Tiny Personal Firewall 2.0's main window is indeed tiny, you'll know it's on your system from the barrage of warnings. The program has potential, but at this point, its interface lacks polish, and its complete lack of help disappoints us.

When we installed the firewall and restarted our test machine, the program popped up six alerts and a dialog box even before log-on. The flurry of pop-up messages diminishes with time as the firewall automatically creates rules based on your responses. Rules can precisely specify the application, protocol, and port for which access should be allowed or denied.

Tiny Personal Firewall's uncomplicated main window holds a slider for the three security levels, a button for advanced configuration, and a tab with miscellaneous settings. The Don't bother me level asks no questions and allows all traffic that isn't prohibited by rules that you or the program set. The Cut me off level blocks all network access. At the normal Ask me first level, all the filter rules apply, and the program will ask how to handle traffic that's not yet covered by rules.

The Advanced Firewall Configuration dialog provides full access to rules and lets you define new ones. The Microsoft Networking tab lets you permit or block file or printer sharing, and the program can log network activity to a local file or to a central log server. Surprisingly, the program has no integrated help system.

The Firewall Status window is completely separate from the main administration window and accessible only from the tray icon. This window shows all active local connection nodes, whether they're connected out, connected in, or just listening. Each node entry specifies an application, a protocol, and a port, along with a welter of detail that's probably beyond the typical user's grasp.

The Tiny firewall uses an MD5 digest to verify that a trusted program has not changed. This feature fails, however, when the trusted program resides on a network share.

We found the program's division into two parts (Main and Status) awkward, and the absence of an integrated help system a big drawback. This firewall has potential, and we look forward to the next version.

Final Thoughts

- Tiny Personal Firewall 2.0

Tiny Personal Firewall 2.0

3.0 Average

About Our Expert

Neil J. Rubenking

Neil J. Rubenking

Principal Writer, Security

My Experience

When the IBM PC was new, I served as the president of the San Francisco PC User Group for three years. That’s how I met PCMag’s editorial team, who brought me on board in 1986. In the years since that fateful meeting, I’ve become PCMag’s expert on security, privacy, and identity protection, putting antivirus tools, security suites, and all kinds of security software through their paces.

Before my current security gig, I supplied PCMag readers with tips and solutions on using popular applications, operating systems, and programming languages in my "User to User" and "Ask Neil" columns, which began in 1990 and ran for almost 20 years. Along the way, I wrote more than 40 utility articles, as well as Delphi Programming for Dummies and six other books covering DOS, Windows, and programming. I also reviewed thousands of products of all kinds, ranging from early Sierra Online adventure games to AOL’s precursor Q-Link.

In the early 2000s, I turned my focus to security and the growing antivirus industry. After years of working with antivirus, I’m known throughout the security industry as an expert on evaluating antivirus tools. I serve as an advisory board member for the Anti-Malware Testing Standards Organization (AMTSO), an international nonprofit group dedicated to coordinating and improving testing of anti-malware solutions.

The Technology I Use

Much of the testing I do, particularly testing with real-world ransomware, is just plain dangerous. To perform such tests safely, I sequester them inside virtual machines managed by VMWare Workstation. For cross-platform testing, I use a MacBook Air, a Google Pixel 4, and a 6th-generation iPad.

I rely on my Delphi coding skills to create and maintain small applications. These include programs to check whether an antivirus correctly handled the malware it detected, launch dangerous URLs and record the security program’s reaction, and analyze the malware that I collect for use in testing. I also wrote a tiny browser and text editor for use in testing security apps that have predefined reactions for known products.

I do my writing and research on a Dell OptiPlex desktop, relying on Microsoft Word (my fingers know all the shortcuts). Many of my articles include charts and analysis; Excel is my go-to for those. When work hours end, though, I escape the bounds of Microsoft and Windows. There’s an iPhone in my pocket, I relax with my oversized iPad, and my Kindle Oasis is always loaded with the best science fiction and fantasy.

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