Outpost 2.5 - what to expect

[Paranoid2000]

Outpost 2.5 adds several new changes and a number of fixes to known problems. It is strongly recommended that everyone upgrade if possible.

What's New:

1. Better performance in stopping leaktests (see FirewallLeaktester.com for an updated comparison table);
2. Component Control - Components can be specified as "shared" which means Outpost will only prompt for them once, not once per program. This is especially useful for drivers (mouse, touchpad) and general Windows utilities. If you mistakenly mark a component as shared, you can remove it from the list via Options/Application/Components/Edit list.
3. Log viewer - This now automatically refreshes giving you a constantly updating view of online activity;
4. Logging - Can now be disabled (Tools/Enable Logging) without having to rename files;
5. Rules Processing - New Actions have been added: Ignore Component Control (useful for applications with constantly changing DLLs) and Mark Rule as High Priority (for Global rules only, this gives them precedence over Application rules - useful for creating a universal Block rule);
6. Rules Processing - Any local proxy software (e.g. Proxomitron, Mailwasher, some anti-virus email scanners) will now need an additional rule to permit incoming traffic from local applications on 127.0.0.1 (which themselves need a rule to access the proxy if the default global "Allow Loopback" rule has been disabled). Add the following rule to the proxy's ruleset to allow such traffic:

   Incoming <application> Traffic : Protocol TCP, Incoming, Remote Address 127.0.0.1, Allow

   If possible, add a Local Port restriction also (many proxies allow you to specify which port to use - check their documentation for details). This feature provides greater security in that it prevents a proxy from being hijacked by malware without Outpost intervening - see the (long!) Proxomitron default ruleset question thread for a discussion of this potential exploit;
7. Active Content - Referers can now be set on a per-site basis;
8. Attack Detection- Properties are now all changeable via the GUI - no more need to modify the protect.lst file;
9. DNS Cache - individual sites can be excluded allowing for those domains that change address frequently.

What's Fixed:

1. XP SP2 - Outpost should now be recognised by the Security Center (you may need to shut it down and restart it - disconnect from the Internet first if you try this!) and should also work with the Data Execution Protection feature on Athlon64/Itanium systems;
2. Hyperthreading - further fixes have been added;
3. Active Content - some sites were only viewable with Javascript disabled. This should now be resolved.
4. Ad Filter - the Trusted sites feature should now work.

(note: these lists are not complete but try to highlight the most significant issues reported - please check Agnitum's website for more details).

Upgrading:

Via Agnitum Update
This is the easiest option, but updates are restricted in number to avoid server overload. If you receive a message that you already have the latest version (and your version number as supplied in Help/About Outpost Firewall... is earlier than that shown in the Current Build in the top-right) then either retry later or download a copy of Outpost 2.5 from the Agnitum website. Note that plugins for 2.1 will not work with 2.5 - the best option is to uninstall these and check the appropriate plugin forum for news of any updates.

By Direct Download
Outpost 2.5 is now available from Agnitum's website (there may be a delay before resellers have it on their sites also - if in doubt use the main Agnitum site). To use your existing configuration, take the following steps:

1. Make a backup copy of the configuration .ini and .cfg files first (to another folder, to be safe). If you have customised other files (like the preset.lst rules preset file), then take a copy of those too;
2. Disconnect from the Internet;
3. Uninstall your existing copy of Outpost and any plugins using Add/Remove Programs in the Control Panel (remove the plugins first);
4. Reboot your system when prompted;
5. Pre-Install Preparation: To minimise the chances of problems arising from an Outpost 2.5 installation, check that your system is clear of malware (see the AumHa Parasite Fight! page for instructions and links), close all running programs and disable any background virus scanners. If you are running any software that restricts application activity or software installation (e.g. Process Guard, Abtrusion Protector, System Safety Monitor) please note that the Outpost install will add a service and make registry changes - ensure that these actions are permitted for the Outpost 2.5 installation;
6. Install the downloaded copy of Outpost 2.5 - do not install any plugins for 2.1 at this stage, 2.5 will need new plugin versions so you should consult the appropriate plugin forum for updates, if available;
7. Copy your saved configuration files into the Outpost program folder and load them using the File/Load Configuration option;
8. Check your configuration to ensure that everything appears normal;
9. Reconnect to the Internet.

Known Issues:

1. Firefox - The Firefox browser attempts to connect to localhost 127.0.0.1 on startup. While this could be blocked in Outpost 2.1 and earlier with no ill-effect, in Outpost 2.5 Firefox may need a rule permitting incoming connections from 127.0.0.1 (as per the note about proxies in part 6 of What's New).
2. Process Modification - Some security programs (System Safety Monitor and SpySweeper being two examples) attempt to gain write access on processes which results in Outpost 2.5 blocking them from subsequent network access. To continue using such programs, either disable the Open Process Control feature in Outpost (Options/Application/Components/Open Process Control - this will however reduce Outpost's ability to block leaktests or malware using similar techniques) or use Process Guard to "protect" programs needing Internet access (the free version should suffice for this).
3. DNS Cache plugin - there have been cases reported of network connection problems with this plugin running. If any loss of connectivity is experienced, please try disabling this plugin (right-click on the DNS Cache heading in the Outpost main window and select the "Enable DNS caching" option to remove the checkmark beside it).