How to Control the Windows Firewall

How to Control the Windows Firewall

The Windows firewall can be your friend. Here’s how to get along with it.

The Windows firewall is around to protect you against malicious apps and other content from the Internet aimed at infecting your PC. Assuming you’re not running a third-party security program with its own firewall, then the Windows Firewall should be active on your machine, looking out for threats. A firewall doesn’t just block malicious applications from hitting your computer but prevents potentially malicious content from being sent from your computer. But the firewall sometimes gets in your way, blocking legitimate content that you want to run and use. You can tweak and fine-tune the firewall so it filters out real dangers while allowing safe content to pass through. Let’s check out the Windows Firewall to see how you can use it and control it.

In this article, I use Windows 10 as my client, but the examples you’ll see with Windows firewall works the same in Windows 10, 8.1, and 7. The only differences you’ll see are in the wording of certain features and settings. The Windows firewall supports private networks, such as your home network, as well as public networks, such as ones in a library, coffee shop, or airport.

Okay, time to check out the Windows firewall. Open Control Panel in icon view and click on the icon for Windows Firewall. The Windows firewall settings page pops up.

In Windows 10, you can also click on the Start button, scroll down the list of apps, and then click on the shortcut for Windows Defender Security Center. At the Security Center page, click on the entry for Firewall & network protection. From there, you can manage and tweak most of the firewall settings. But we’ll stick with the Windows Firewall settings accessible through Control Panel.

The firewall should automatically be turned on unless you’re using a third-party firewall. But if for some reason, the Windows firewall isn’t active, your first task is to turn it on. To do this, click on the button for Use Recommended Settings. Windows turns on the firewall for both private and public networks and applies the default settings.

You can now review a couple of the default settings for the firewall. Click on the link to Change notification settings or Turn Windows Firewall on or off (they both lead to the same page). The Customize Settings page shows you certain settings both for private and public networks. You’ll want to keep the firewall turned on, so stay away from the option to turn it off. The setting to Block all incoming connections, including those in the list of allowed apps should normally remain turned off. Turning this setting on could interfere with your ability to use certain Windows features that rely on incoming Internet connections. You might choose to turn it on if you’re using your computer on an unsecure public network and want to be fully safe and secure from any potential online threats. In that event, you can turn it on for Public network settings and turn it off when you’re back on a secure network.

The setting to Notify me when Windows Firewall blocks a new app should remain enabled. This setting allows you to receive an alert if a program is blocked by the firewall, giving you the ability to add it to the list of allowed apps. Click OK on this page if you made any changes; otherwise click on the back arrow to return to the main firewall page.

Next, click on the link to Allow an app or feature through Windows Firewall. This page shows you a list of all Windows apps and features that are managed by the firewall. The apps and features with checkmarks next to them are the ones currently active. In most cases, you should leave the default settings alone. But if you need to change the settings for a specific app or feature, click on the Change settings button.

You can now modify the settings. Click on a feature that is not checked and check it for either private networks, public networks, or both. For most features, you can also click on the Details button to learn more about it. Again, this shouldn’t typically be necessary since the default settings should suffice. But if you’re having trouble with a particular app or feature receiving connections from the Internet or you receive tech support instructions to enable a certain app to communicate through the firewall, you can change the settings here.

You can also uncheck an app or feature if you want to temporarily disable it. In some cases, you can also remove an app from the list so it’s no longer blocked or managed by the firewall. But as with modifying an existing entry, disabling or removing an app is something you generally wouldn’t need to do unless you’re troubleshooting a specific problem or are instructed to do so by a tech support person.

More likely, if you try to run an app that requires access through the firewall and it’s blocked, you’ll see a message telling you that “Windows Firewall has blocked some features of this app.” The message displays the name and path of the executable file and will have a checkmark for private networks and possibly public networks. In this case, click the Allow access button. The application should now open and work properly as Windows adds it to the list of apps allowed through the firewall.

If you have modified or added any apps or features to the firewall list, stay away from the Restore default settings link. Clicking on that link erases any changes you made and reverts the list back to the Windows default.

Finally, click on the Advanced settings link to view the Windows firewall rules in the local Group Policy editor. You can click on the entries for Inbound Rules and Outbound Rules to view the current settings. You can then double-click on a specific rule to view it or modify it. From the Advanced settings, you can create new rules, allow or block specific ports, and get even more granular with the firewall rules. But in most cases, you should find the basic settings sufficient to control and use the Windows firewall.

Ask @WinObs: How Secure Are My OneDrive files?

Q. When I store things on my hard drive, I feel secure — I can make sure that drive and the computer it’s associated with are disconnected from a network. But with things stored in the cloud — Windows Live Folders, Windows Live SkyDrive, SkyDrive, and OneDrive? Where’s the assurance that my files are secure?

A. Before I answer that question, let’s take a quick trip down memory lane. Microsoft’s cloud based file sharing and syncing service, now known as OneDrive, is available to anyone with a Microsoft Account, and typically provides 5GB of cloud based storage. (The only exceptions:You have an Office 365 subscription or you have been grandfathered as storage allowances changed over the past few years.)

I was recently asked just how secure are the files which users store in OneDrive and I can answer this questions from a couple of perspectives.

First let’s talk about the physical security of your files on OneDrive.

To answer this part let me quote something from Microsoft about access to their data centers where your OneDrive files reside in the cloud:

“Microsoft’s datacenter personnel must pass a background check. All access to our datacenters is strictly regulated and every entry and exit are monitored. Within these datacenters, the critical Azure AD services that store customer data are located in special locked racks—their physical access is highly restricted and camera-monitored 24 hours a day. Furthermore, if one of these servers is decommissioned, all disks are logically and physically destroyed to avoid data leakage.”

So that covers your data in the cloud. The other physical location for your OneDrive files is your own device(s). You’re on your own for how you secure those.

Obviously you want to protect the device from theft by not leaving it in your car, or opened and unattended in your local coffee shop. (You would be amazed how many people do not do these basic things.) You also want to be using a good password along with your Microsoft Account to help prevent unauthorized local access to your files. If you are running Windows 10 and your device supports it, you can also use Windows Hello for biometric authentication to help protect your account even further by logging in with your fingerprint or facial recognition.

If your devices hard drive can be encrypted using something like BitLocker in Windows 10 Pro, which is also available on Windows 8 Pro by the way, then you can use that and prevent forced access. This will keep your data protected from someone who might remove the drive and try to access the files directly from the disk.

There are also methods for you to share content from your OneDrive cloud storage but that is in your control and requires access to your Microsoft account. By default, every file/folder you store in OneDrive is marked private.

If you share a file/folder by sending a link to someone, be aware that could easily share that same link with someone else, and then they would also have access to your files/folders.

As an alternative you can invite others to access your OneDrive files by a specific invite that only they can use — they can’t forward it to someone else. This is one additional level of security for your files if you are concerned about shared links getting out in the wild.

One last area that I will cover when it comes to the security of your OneDrive files is related to privacy and the OneDrive service. Microsoft has an extensive privacy policy relating to their services, and you can learn there how they approach the privacy and security of your personal information that is part of OneDrive.

In closing: The biggest element of protection for the security of your OneDrive files is the physical security of your hardware and having a robust password for your Microsoft Account along with Two-Factor Authentication turned on.

By following these guidelines your data should remain safe and protected.