TESTS

AWFT must score 10 (100%) with the Windows Firewall, but according to impartial results none of the popular firewalls passes all AWFT tests without some tweaking.
You must test within 32-bit Operating Systems with AWFT 32-bit and within 64-bit Operating Systems with AWFT 64-bit.

Tests:

One:

Attempts to load a copy of the default browser and patch it in memory before it executes. Defeats the weakest PFs.

Two:

Creates a thread on a loaded copy of the default browser. Old trick, but most firewalls still fail.

Three:

Creates a thread on Windows Explorer. Another old trick, but almost every firewall still fail.

Four:

Attempts to load a copy of the default browser from within Windows Explorer and patch it in memory before execution. Defeats PFs which require authorization for an application to load another one (succeeding on Technique 1) - Windows Explorer is normally authorized. This test usually succeeds, unless the default browser is blocked from accessing the Internet.

Five:

Performs an heuristic search for proxies and other running software authorized to access the Internet, loads a copy and patches it in memory before execution from within a thread on Windows Explorer. Very difficult test for PFWs!

Six:

Performs an heuristic search for proxies and other running software authorized to access the Internet, requests the user to select one of them, then creates a thread on the select process. Another difficult nut to crack for PFWs!

Firewall Tester (Free)

Freeware starting with Release 5.1

Most people rely on their Personal Firewall software to the point of feeling absolutely safe against all sorts of network perils.

While experience dictates that the majority of Personal Firewall software brands offer a degree of protection against attacks from the outside World, this is not the greatest challenge.

Are you sure your Personal Firewall software is offering adequate protection against this kind of malware?

The major concern nowadays is related to pieces of software installed in your computer which may contact and exchange information with the outside World without being authorizated and noticed by you.
Odds are that your machine is open wide. Some piece of software you have installed in your computer may be sending private and confidential data to some place in the World without your knowledge.
AWFT probes the protection provided by your Personal Firewall software using six different tests. Each test uses a different technique for gaining access to the outside World.

Techniques are differently rated, according to their sophistication, and your Personal Firewall is doing a great job if is able to score 10 points in total.
If your Personal Fireall scored less than 10 points you may be able to adjust some settings to improve its performance. Do it and repeat the AWFT tests until you are happy. If you remain unhappy with your Personal Firewall you may, of course, try a different one.

Click to zoom

Remember, if AWFT can contact the outside World without being stopped, some trojan horse would be able to do that as well.

While AWFT is here for good, the trojan horses mission is steal and destroy.
We will not endorse any particular brand of PFW. Some of them can be configured to succeed in more than 50% of the tests but this has a cost in terms of usability, you have to judge by yourself and decide how much you are ready to sacrifice in exchange for more security.
Of course, a few PFW brands will not improve at all no matter how you configure them.