Sandboxie - A Virtual Protection
 

Sandboxie - http://www.sandboxie.com/ - is a virtual environment security program, unequalled by any.

It is extremely user-friendly, is simple to configure, operates hidden and gives no trouble whatsoever. You never know it is there, similar to an ordinary AV program, but without any heart wrenching pop-ups and alerts.

Any threats which develop are confined to the sandbox and cannot enter your PC system, unless you personally allow them out of the sandbox in some infected download, which you do not virus check before download or running. All threats within the sandbox are eliminated on browser closure.

Unlike every AV available, which rely on ever-increasing data bases and are always out-of-date at the moment of update, Sandboxie does not have a data base and therefore has no problem keeping up with the enthusiastic hackers. There are no updates excepting occasional program changes, which are infrequent.

An AV and FW are still needed to prevent external theft of data and for those infrequent occasions you have to access the web without using Sandboxie.

Whilst it is necessary at times to open my browser unsandboxed, I never surf, it is almost always to trusted sites for a specific purpose. There are no conflicting problems between Sandboxie and an AV or FW.

Do not be put off by the Sandboxie "30 days trial". After 30 days, Sandboxie reverts to a basic free version, which I have been using for many years now with great success.

For the home or personal user, Sandboxie is the ultimate security program. It deals with bugs just a few seconds old as well as older established bugs. They are all restricted to a virtual environment.

Perfection is an impossibility, but Sandboxie comes close and offers a confident means of web surfing without becoming neurotic about baddies and bugs infecting your computer or being nervous about visiting a site.

Over 10 years using Sandboxie and visiting all kinds of risky sites, I have been to Hell and back many times and never had a single serious infection. Sandboxie is impregnable and it is free.

---------- Post added at 21:28 ---------- Previous post was at 20:55 ----------

An additional benefit to me as a Windows XP user is that I have no use for those incessant MS updates that perpetually clogged up my disk space with 1 GB of rubbish. Sandboxie takes care of all the security I have ever needed.

I stopped MS automatic updates bombarding my XP in August 2013 and have never looked back. MS`s public execution of XP on 8 April 2014 meant absolutely nothing to me.

Re: Sandboxie - A Virtual Protection
 

If you believe this then you have little or no understanding of PC security whatsoever.

Sandboxie provides absolutely no security against most of the issues Windows Update fixes and I find it both ironic and hypocritical that their slogan is "Trust no program" yet they're expecting you to trust it.

And not only is it useless with anything other than web browsing in a glorified incognito mode, the claim of confining threats to the sandbox environment and restricting everything to a virtual environment is a load of rubbish. In a few minutes mucking around with it I've managed to create persistent drive mappings outside the sandbox from inside the 'protected' browser, share the PC's entire hard drive to the world, as well as access any and all personal data of the user running it. And I'm not even a hacker.

Any web browser's built-in sandboxing architecture is far better than this already. Snake oil IMO.

Re: Sandboxie - A Virtual Protection
 

Well chum, that is your useless opinion, which makes two of us who know nothing about anything according to your rant eh ? Your knowledge of what Sandboxie actually is and does amounts to a big fat zero. Hopefully some other posters will reply with a more rational view of computers. Your post is an irresponsible joke.

With replies like yours, it is a waste of my time even looking at this thread again, You can think what you like matey, but everything I said is perfectly valid.

Who the hell do you think you are throwing insulting remarks about that I know nothing about PC security, sounds like I know a sight more than you do. From your diatribe it does not seem as if you could half fill a postage stamp up with your self appreciated knowledge.

Re: Sandboxie - A Virtual Protection
 

Of course you can fiddle around on your little PC and create whatever you like outside the sandbox from inside. YOU are in the driving seat and have the key to the sandbox door. What a daft thing to say.

Try your blockbusting brilliance in devising a program which when sent to another sandboxed PC has the ability to independently exit the sandbox and reveal all those goodies you so proudly state to the world. Now it is your turn to talk more rubbish, because you cannot do it !

Send your stupid post to the Sandboxie Forum and let some really intelligent users enlighten you on how things work.

I have a good mind to copy your post and submit it to Sandboxie myself. It is the most irresponsible load of rubbish I have ever read on countless Forums and hundreds of posts concerning Sandboxie.

Good luck with your Snake Oil, hope it works for you, I think I will stick with Sandboxie.

Re: Sandboxie - A Virtual Protection
 

Actually, your post is an irresponsible joke. My knowledge of what Sandboxie does seems to be far greater than yours given that a) I am a qualified IT professional whose job involves securing the computer systems of large organisations and b) I broke it in ten minutes and c) Proved your claims false with a 5 minute Google search.

Clearly not.

You're making completely false and irresponsible statements that border on fraudulent claiming levels of protection that are impossible.

I already did. As have others:

http://www.bit-tech.net/news/bits/20...t-kernel-bug/1

Re: Sandboxie - A Virtual Protection
 

@ qasdfdsaq

Here you are chum, see what the Sandboxie guys think about your stupid and rather dangerous comments.

http://forums.sandboxie.com/phpBB3/v...hp?f=5&t=20827

Curt is on the Sandboxie staff and Bo-Elam is a Sandboxie expert. From their posts, they did not take long to measure you up for size.

Throw a few bricks at them and tell them their program is crap. Make their day.

Re: Sandboxie - A Virtual Protection
 

I'm surprised to see such a derogatory post about Sandboxie. Most articles and posts I've ever read about it say it's a good layer of security to use. Some of these writings being made by people who seem well-qualified to judge the program. Wilders Security Forums have much discussion about Sandboxie as of course does the Sandboxie forum.

I feel I have to say that, technical skills aside, qasdfdsaq's communication skills seem to leave a lot to be desired. There are polite ways of disagreeing without rubbishing a poster's opinions or character. An angry reaction could perhaps have been expected.

It would be good to see the points discussed on the other forums mentioned. Not to see the reactions but so that long-term Sandboxie users like me can assess the merits of what is said by various people.

Re: Sandboxie - A Virtual Protection
 

I have never in 12 years ever seen a derogatory script of any kind concerning Sandboxie. Every single post or article has been exceptionally complimentary.

OK nothing is perfect and that includes Sandboxie, but in terms of PC security there is nothing better available than Sandboxie. Compared to Sandboxie for PC infections, all other AV programs are a complete waste of time and in some paid cases, a waste of money.

Re: Sandboxie - A Virtual Protection
 

The only stupid and dangerous comments here are yours. If you think me stating the truth is dangerous then you're free to enjoy your security through obscurity but I'm not going to let you spread lies and misinformation around this forum unchallenged.

As for your 'chums', nice try. It's the credibility of your statements here that is in question. Of course the producers of any application is going to try and defend their product, whether it works or not, and will not beat an analysis by an independent third party.

As I stated earlier. I see no evidence any technical review site or competent security expert has ever performed an analysis that backs up your false and unreferenced opinions. Trusting an unproven application to do what it's not supposed to do based on the ignorant assumptions of an anonymous forum post is dangerous and stupid as you like to keep saying.

---------- Post added at 14:12 ---------- Previous post was at 14:00 ----------

There was nothing derogatory about Sandboxie until Wittmann made it that way to deflect his own incompetencies. If you re-read the first line of my first post you'll see it refers specifically to Wittmann's claim that Microsoft's security patches are useless and Sandboxie is an adequate substitute. It is not, and even their own website makes this clear. Sandboxie does not claim it is an 'ultimate security program' that substitutes for all software updates and antivirus. In fact, they specifically claims the exact opposite.

That would be because I'm autistic. Unfortunately the NHS is too broke to provide any useful support and my parents abandoned me as a baby so sorry I couldn't be the model citizen you were hoping for.

The points 'discussed' are Wittmann's false and grandiose claims at the top of this thread. I'm not sure where other forums come in to this. Sandboxie did not make those claims, Wittmann did. Sandboxie does what it claims to do.* It does not do what Wittmann claims it does.

Although they should really be a bit clearer about it's weaknesses, i.e. that it cannot protect against anything that's already on your computer, including the entirety of Windows itself

Re: Sandboxie - A Virtual Protection
 

Re: Sandboxie - A Virtual Protection
 

It seems to me that you don't think Sandboxie does what it claims to do, not to any degree.
Me? I'm just an end user who reads a lot and weighs up what people and articles say. That's what most of us end users do before installing and using security software I think. I'm possibly not going to understand explanations of how you put Sandboxie to the test.

That's where other forums come in. Since your own strongly felt opinions seem to go against popular opinion, it would be good to read a debate between many people regarding why you think Sandboxie is a poor security program. It could draw some flak but you seem up to the job. Also, I'm sure the Sandboxie developers would like to know about the vulnerabilities found and the way you found them. They could then say if they thought the test was valid or not and work on improvements if warranted.

Incidentally, I'm running Sandboxie on a fully patched Windows 8.1 system. Since this is the case, might you have the opinion the program is not needed because patches negate the necessity for it? Sandboxie forms part of a layered security approach on my system but with the tirade I might get in saying what the other layers are, it's probably best to remain silent.

Sorry to learn of your autism. If that's what has made your approach to the topic abrasive, I'll try to understand. However, I have seen rudeness in a number of forums over the years, which is why I choose to read more than partake. It just seems to be the way people are anyway on forums sometimes.

Re: Sandboxie - A Virtual Protection
 

Well I apologize if it came out wrong. The "claims" I was referring to in that quote are specifically Wittmann's claims in the OP. Those are not Sandboxie's claims. Sandboxie is a sandbox application. One needs to understand it's scope and its limitations to understand how to use it correctly, rather than just believing some blabber about it being the 'ultimate security application' and 'impregnable'. It specifically mentions protecting web browsers as one of it's strengths on it's own website, which is correct. However, by erasing all changes after each session it is acting like incognito mode. It does not stop viruses exploiting your browser or getting on your computer. It just erases them when you close it down, assuming of course, those viruses don't also carry sandbox escape exploits like the one documented above. Web browsers incidentally do have their own sandboxing built in, and IMO that is more thoroughly tested than Sandboxie's, because they are subject to sustained and targeted attack by experienced experts such as at the pwn2own hacking contests. I haven't seen any such tests for Sandboxie to back up the OP's claims.

I never wanted to get too involved in this to begin with. The sandbox escape I found involves using proprietary, undocumented Microsoft APIs that Sandboxie does not claim to protect or prevent. Pretty much everything they claim is monitored and/or blocked is. But it'd be unreasonable to expect them to have covered every undocumented hole in Windows and that brings me back to the original point - Wittmann's claim that Sandboxie alone negates the need for windows updates or any other antivirus. That's the main problem here.

No, I'm not saying additional security is not needed on a fully patched system. The very nature of patches involves fixing issues that were not previously known before the patch was released. No system is perfect. Pwn2own 2014 proved even the latest fully patched versions of all major browsers and Windows 8.1 itself is still vulnerable. Additional security of your own choice is not a bad thing. Flagrantly boasting about running an OS that's been unpatched for several years claiming it's fully secure because Sandboxie protects against all bugs and threats, like the OP did, is a bad thing. He even later claims 'all other AV programs are a complete waste of time'. That is stupid, and dangerous.

Re: Sandboxie - A Virtual Protection
 

Yes OK ..but in saying that you thought using Sandboxie alone was dangerous, Sandboxie itself got rubbished along the way, when I and many others feel it is a valuable way of keeping malware off the system. Yes, malware might be in the sandbox but it is gone when the sandbox is emptied. A much easier operation than removing malware from the system when no sandbox has been used to browse the Internet, or run trial software in. Therefore, I would class Sandboxie as primary line of defence.

Sandboxie is a well-respected and trusted program. As computer users, we all have to put our trust in something ..or give the whole thing up. I trust Sandboxie but also realise no program is perfect, therefore other measures are in place just in case something is able to jump the sandbox.

How would I have phrased an answer to the OP? something like: I read that Sandboxie can provide a good degree of protection but really think it is best to patch the system and run other layers of security as well. In the unlikely event that the sandbox does get bypassed by malware, there will be other layers of security in place to hopefully catch it.

I don't know if this would have caused the same angry reaction but I hope it wouldn't ..and it gets the opinion across that I think you may mean. Same message but with less chance of an upset. Ah well, there's always chances of misunderstandings when you can't look the other fellow in the eye and qualify what's said as you go along.

Re: Sandboxie - A Virtual Protection
 

@ mart44

Give it up Mart, you are on a loser. Opt out of the argument, it is a waste of time. I have never in 12 years ever seen Sandboxie receive a single bad press, only stacks of praise.

This guy is simply on a one man crusade against the finest security available today on the web. Virtual security in terms of preventing PC infection is to ordinary AV`s what a Rolls Royce is to a one wheel bike. Why this vendetta ? Only he knows that, best to let it go.

Mart, unless your are enjoying your skirmish with this guy, use your Ignore option, I have.

Re: Sandboxie - A Virtual Protection
 

If it's so good, why don't all the major Corporates / institutions with tens of thousands of PCs use it, rather than messing about with weekly patches and expensive Anti-Virus Suites?

Re: Sandboxie - A Virtual Protection
 

Come off it. Sandboxie is not designed for complex commercial use. It is slightly inconvenient and commercial pressures cannot tolerate any inconveniences or messing about. They have to be immediately responsive to a flow of demands. So they lose out on absolute security for convenience of operation.

Sandboxie is an ideal home and individual security system where there are no pressures of immediate response, queues of customers waiting or program manipulation etc.

And who cares about commercial concerns ? I and the other millions of Sandboxie home users don`t. We are concerned here with ordinary domestic users, not industry.

Re: Sandboxie - A Virtual Protection
 

"Lose out on absolute security for convenience of operation"?

Have you any idea the scale of inconvenience/disruption that would occur if a major corporate/institution had a breach of security, and their excuse to the auditors/ICO was that they didn't have the best security "for convenience of operation"?

Have you ever had to support / manage on a Corporate scale?

Re: Sandboxie - A Virtual Protection
 

What is all that supposed to mean ? I thought I had already explained the Sandboxie/commercial matter in my post 16.

To explain my comments in a nutshell - Sandboxie is not convenient for commercial purposes. Please read my post again it is quite precise.

Re: Sandboxie - A Virtual Protection
 

I wasn't arguing that point - I was pointing out the fallacy of your statement that corporates would

Re: Sandboxie - A Virtual Protection
 

Ah well, considering you are making your point like I made mine, I suppose we are now both both happy.

Re: Sandboxie - A Virtual Protection
 

I'm OK with it. It was more the way things were said rather than what was said that made me post ..but then this has been explained and people have their opinions. I always put mine as if the person was in the room with me. I think some people don't do that when posting.

I really don't mind what others think about the programs I use and mostly don't like to argue about them. I used to do that quite a bit but not so much now. I know Sandboxie is right for me and that's good enough. Been using it since 2006 and will continue to do so.

Re: Sandboxie - A Virtual Protection
 

OK Mart, if you wish to make this guys day by replying to his nonsense, then fine. I personally have better things to do.

"Sandboxie is right for me and that's good enough." No Mart, it is not good enough, Sandboxie is right for every private user and there is nobody that can seriously criticise the security of the program other than engage in mischievous technical nitpicking, which they have not the guts to do on the Sandboxie Forum.

Re: Sandboxie - A Virtual Protection
 

The fact they sell licenses in bundles of 100 would suggest it *is* designed for complex commercial use.

You also appear to have missed the point of Hugh's post.

In your first post, you appear to be suggesting that SandboxIE is a far better security option than keeping your machine up to date or using Anti virus/trojan programs. You even go so far as to say that you stopped patching your system as the patches were just clogging up the machine.

As such, you appear to be using SandboxIE as a replacement for any other security. This is bad, and from what I can gather is not what SandboxIE is intended for.

Hugh's point was that if this system is so perfect, why are enterprises not using it instead of spending (potentially) hundreds of thousands of pounds a year on other security systems? That is a valid question, whether you care about corporate use or not.

I don't think he phrased it well, but qasd does raise a valid point. OK, so he used an undocumented API that sandboxie does not apparently protect, but if he was able to use that API, the Malware authors are able to use it as well, and I dare say they will. It also appears to offer little or no protection against attacks where a virus infects another machine on the network, then starts scanning that network for other machines it can infect. All they need is a network share with bad security and the ability to create processes on a remote machine. Both things that SandboxIE probably will not protect against, and therefore would be unable to sandbox the virus.

If you are advising people to use SandboxIE in addition to other security products/practices including patching, I think that is good advice. If you are advising people to use it as a replacement for other security products/practices, I think that is highly irresponsible.

Re: Sandboxie - A Virtual Protection
 

Once again your claims directly contradict what Sandboxie say on their own homepage:

MOD EDIT - Image too large, added it as an attachment instead


---------- Post added at 13:31 ---------- Previous post was at 13:26 ----------

Homeopathic "doctors" could benefit from a (diluted) dose of your marketing prowess.

Based on Hugh's statement above, if it's right for every private user, why do no consumer computing stores sell it? Why do no consumer laptop manufacturers preload it? Why does any laptop a "private user" buys come preinstalled with <insert any major antivirus here> and not Sandboxie?

Seems you can't stand your grandiose delusions about your favourite application being questioned. All you've done is tried to insult me several times but so far you've failed to substantiate a single one of your claims.

A bit hypocritical don't you think? Seeing as you've not got the guts to defend any of your claims right here, where you made them?

---------- Post added at 13:36 ---------- Previous post was at 13:31 ----------

Indeed, the fact that reality is the exact opposite of what the OP claims shouldn't come as a surprise at this point ;)

Corporates almost always choose to lose out on convenience of operation in the pursuit of absolute security. Not that such a thing as "absolute" security exists.

Re: Sandboxie - A Virtual Protection
 

@ Stuart

Stuart, your post is a reasonable one, but it is not up to me to say what Sandboxie can or cannot do in glorious technicolour. I am just a mere user who has had 10 years of brilliant, flawless and highly efficient service from the program.

If you wish to go into intimate detail concerning Sandboxie`s capabilities and limitations or have some criticisms to make, I am not the person to satisfy your curiosity. I suggest you put your comments and queries etc. direct to the Sandboxie experts, either by joining their Forum or by direct contact.

The Forum is - http://forums.sandboxie.com/phpBB3/ and you will find an abundance of enthusiasm to answer your questions in ex[licit detail.

Re: Sandboxie - A Virtual Protection
 

Yes that's a bit odd isn't it. :confused:

Re: Sandboxie - A Virtual Protection
 

Like I said in my post 25, if you have a specific grouse, then take it up with Sandboxie not me and their comments over-ride anything I have said.

Re: Sandboxie - A Virtual Protection
 

The specific grouse is your misinformation about what Sandboxie does. As I've stated several times, your claims contradict what Sandboxie say about themselves, so it is entirely up to you to defend them.

Re: Sandboxie - A Virtual Protection
 

I'd say that's fair. :tu:

Re: Sandboxie - A Virtual Protection
 

I have read all this and looked at the Sandboxie site.

The inaccurate claims our members are disputing are yours rather than those put forward by the developers of Sandboxie when they advertise what it was designed to do. You were the one to make inaccurate claims so why would our members need to visit a site that they have no argument with?

Re: Sandboxie - A Virtual Protection
 

The OP's comments about qasdfdsaq on the Sandboxie forum e.g. here make unpleasant reading. Challenging an opinion of a piece of software does not merit this language.

Re: Sandboxie - A Virtual Protection
 

:tu:

Re: Sandboxie - A Virtual Protection
 

As a new boy on the CF block the OP should be a little more circumspect. Until you know a bit about the members and their expertise it's better to keep your gob shut.

Re: Sandboxie - A Virtual Protection
 

Whatever I have said I stand by and I did not make any inaccurate claims.

If you feel that my OP and following posts are a load of rubbish, then fine if it makes you happy.

I am more than happy with Sandboxie. I am not going to be pilloried for anything I have said and will no longer argue these irrelevant issues. If you do not like Sandboxie, then carry on with your outdated AV programs.

My thread was to portray the benefits of Sandboxie as I see it and from my own 10 years experience, albeit in my own words and to the best of my knowledge, not to become embroiled in some personal fracas.

Read my OP +, read what Sandboxie says, make your own judgement, then take it or leave it and let the personal aggravation drop.

Re: Sandboxie - A Virtual Protection
 

I don''t see that post as making anyone's day. Just saying that although I use Sandboxie, I don't feel the need to be on a crusade over it. I have promoted its use where possible in the past but there has always been little uptake of it as a result. So these days I don't push it as much. You can come through the other side of wanting to do that in the end.

Anyway, I've seconded Sandboxie being a good program that I use myself (but not the only security program installed) and that will have to do I'm afraid. This is the most I've written about anything for ages. I can't stand being serious for too long and I feel I must lighten up now. Sorry for any bad feeling that may have been down to me.

Re: Sandboxie - A Virtual Protection
 

There is no personal aggravation on my part. I have done as you say and, as a result, formed my own opinion of your level of knowledge and integrity from your own posts here and your inaccurate posts about this thread on the Sandboxie forum. Your over exaggerations about a product versus the opinions of those members on here who are far more experienced in security issues leaves me in no doubt as to whose opinions I would trust on matters of computer security.

Re: Sandboxie - A Virtual Protection
 

Very commendable - well done !

Re: Sandboxie - A Virtual Protection
 

This is a very good point that I missed. Even if Sandboxie's protection of your own machine were 100% perfect, allowing web browsing through it by nature depends on allowing applications to send and receive network data. In addition to your example, they could also use remote code execution exploits against other machines on your network, not necessarily even PCs. They could infect your phones, tablets, consoles, and so forth, all from within the sandbox. And any virus out to steal your data could easily do so, and send that data back to it's creator, well before you close down the sandbox. Sandboxie could potentially block that by blocking local network access, but that's not it's job, that's the job of a firewall or IDS.

Re: Sandboxie - A Virtual Protection
 

I haven't asked any questions. I have also not expressed any concerns about sandboxie's capabilities, nor do I have any to express. I outlined one possible infection method (one that I have experienced myself, but a combination of security on my shares and a good antivirus detected the virus and stopped it infecting my machine) that it seems sandboxie would not protect the user against, and I suspect it's not intended to.

I have concerns about your apparent belief that sandboxie is a replacement for good security practice (which should *always* include running up to date software) rather than an addition to good security practice. No security tool I know of is intended to be a total solution to security problems on a PC and I suspect such a tool is not possible.

---------- Post added at 19:24 ---------- Previous post was at 18:55 ----------

That's just it. What you have said directly contradicts claims made on their own website. Either you are wrong, or they are. If they are wrong, they are mis selling the product, an act which is illegal under the sale of goods act.

I don't believe they are wrong, and I don't believe that sandboxie is intended as a replacement for good AV, patching or a good firewall.

Re: Sandboxie - A Virtual Protection
 

A quick look at the FAQ section of the Sandboxie website:

Quote:

Do I need other solutions if I use Sandboxie? Sandboxie may be your first line of defense, but it should certainly be complemented by the more traditional anti-virus and anti-malware solutions. These solutions can let you know if your system does become infected in any way. Typically, those other solutions employ various forms of pattern matching to discover malicious software and other threats. Sandboxie, on the other hand, quite simply does not trust any software code enough to let it out of the sandbox. The combination of the two approaches should keep malicious software -- which is serving the interest of other unknown parties -- out of your computer.

Just reading the sandboxie FAQ's helped me make my mind up on the validity of the OP's comments.

Cheers

Grim

Re: Sandboxie - A Virtual Protection
 

Is it just me or do most Internet Security Packages now offer Sandbox environments to?

Im using Kaspersky Internet Security 2015 which offers a Sandbox Environment.

Re: Sandboxie - A Virtual Protection
 

IMPORTANT - Sandboxie encloses the entire browser, plus any other programs or browsers you have on your PC by individual selection, even Email.

The sandboxes that other programs have are contained within either the program or within the browser.

No comparison whatsoever.

Re: Sandboxie - A Virtual Protection
 

Wrong. Advanced antivirus programs sandbox Windows itself.

Re: Sandboxie - A Virtual Protection
 

Sandboxes are included within some AV programs. This at least shows that it must be thought a worthwhile layer of security. Where it's difficult for signature databases to keep up with new malware, sandboxing becomes useful. No detection necessary. They just don't trust anything. True there are circumstances where a sandbox won't help but for the average home user like me, a good security measure to have.

It took quite a long time for AV programs to include sandboxing I believe, whereas Sandboxie has been around for a lot longer. I don't know about the popular AV programs' sandboxes but I tried Avast's and Kaspersy's a while back and thought them not as good as Sandboxie. Maybe they are better now.

I tried Comodo's Virtual Kiosk (version 6 I think) this seemed to work well but I had to turn off the automatic sandboxing because it would sandbox trusted files or programs without asking. Stopped using Comodo for another reason in the end but might soon give the latest version a try.

One sandbox that I think can give Sandboxie some competition comes from Qihoo. Their 'Total Security' and 'Internet Security' programs both include a sandbox. It's easy to use and runs any designated program in the sandbox (including browsers). Programs can be made to start automatically sandboxed.

However, since the mentioned sandboxes haven't been around for the number of years that Sandboxie has, I wonder if they are as good. After using Qihoo's sandbox for a while, I have come back to Sandboxie. I'm still more inclined to trust this one as being the best. Certainly easy to use with its multiple sandbox option. Also, it automatically offers to save a download to the system once it has completed in the sandbox. Qihoo doesn't do that.

You can tell I'm a bit into sandboxing can't you? :)

Re: Sandboxie - A Virtual Protection
 

So it seems the OP isn't using the product according to its creator's own instructions then. If so, his computer could already be infected with something couldn't it?




---------- Post added at 08:55 ---------- Previous post was at 08:54 ----------

A legacy of happy childhood playtime I reckon... ;)

Re: Sandboxie - A Virtual Protection
 

Instead of making ridiculous statements, I suggest an easy outlet for you. Just forget Sandboxie and carry on with your constantly outdated AV. nobody minds, we can all be happy. And to even more astound you, the OP has used Sandboxie for 10 years exactly to the creators instructions and never had a serious infection in all that time.

Please don`t make silly speculations about my PC being infected. My PC is absolutely clean and has been for a very long time, thanks to Sandboxie.

Just for your personal education, I would point out as you obviously do not understand the first principles of virtual protection, that Sandboxie is the best stopper on the market to prevent incoming infections to your PC. Sandboxie does not prevent outgoing threats and that is why you back it up with an AV. Also for the occasions you have to access the web unsandboxed.

To tax your brain even further, do you know why a parachutist wears a reserve ?
Probably not but I will explain - to use in case the main parachute malfunctions.

Re: Sandboxie - A Virtual Protection
 

I dunno Wittmann, Osem could be right. I'm old enough to be in my second childhood now with the distinct prospect of becoming uploaded to the cloud. Uninstalled a bit sooner than I'd like to be. Another session on the flatbed scanner will tell one way or the other. :) However, 'playing', as he refers to it, has always been an interest. Backed up with a couple of disk images, I'm happy to try more or less anything. Sort of thing I do enjoy truth be told.

---------- Post added at 10:54 ---------- Previous post was at 09:39 ----------

Wittmann, you advised me not to post a while back. Can I offer the same advice? I feel it's become pointless now. People have their views and nobody on either side will change their minds. I don't think Sandboxie, or perhaps even sandboxing in general, will be taken up. Not even with other measures in place.

I do like to try various softwares but even so, you can perhaps imagine the time that went into being able to say at least something about those programs that include sandboxes. When a post about them gets treated with sarcasm (taken to be that because of the wink) it kind of lets a person know it's time to stop.

Re: Sandboxie - A Virtual Protection
 

You do like calling people names don't you. Very mature I must say.

As an ordinary PC user I posed a very simple and logical question that if you're not using the product you have so much faith in according to the maker's own instructions (i.e. with no other AV or updates) then how would you know your PC isn't infected with something lying there in the background? Now if I've misinterpreted your previous comments, please feel free to educate us all rather than blurting out insults.

Perhaps you could address yourself to the genuine questions people are raising in response to your OP rather than name calling. Thus far all you've done is refer people to another site and claimed a lack of technical knowledge when pressed for answers.

It's ironic that you talk about reserve parachutes but claimed you don't need one because Sandboxie does all.
As for the old 'I've never had a serious infection blah, blah,...' well neither have I since I first started using the internet via Win 98. Not bad for someone who clearly knows nothing and has stupidly only relied upon free AV, firewalls etc. over all those years eh?

Re: Sandboxie - A Virtual Protection
 

Hah! I've had a serious infection. Of influenza. But yeah, there's a logical fallacy about claiming you're safe against something simply because it hasn't happened yet - I can't name it though. But to illustrate, I've never died yet. Does that mean I'm 100% safe against ever dying?

---------- Post added at 11:47 ---------- Previous post was at 11:45 ----------

As mentioned earlier, advanced antivirus suites are already taking up sandboxing, including sandboxing the entire OS. It's not yet common, and comes with quite a lot of disadvantages, which is why it's currently only taken up by the most security-conscious of corporations.

---------- Post added at 11:49 ---------- Previous post was at 11:47 ----------

Except in your case you've claimed the main parachute is a waste of time and haven't worn it for 3 years.

Re: Sandboxie - A Virtual Protection
 

Some questions to be answered.

---------- Post added at 12:06 ---------- Previous post was at 11:55 ----------

Course not, but I trust that when you finally depart to meet your maker you'll be buried in a sandbox. :)

Re: Sandboxie - A Virtual Protection
 

To set a point straight before signing off from the thread. I now realise that Osem was joking rather than being sarcastic. I misinterpreted the intention because of general feeling in the thread. Apologies to him for that.

Mart

Re: Sandboxie - A Virtual Protection
 

Reverse Slippery Slope Fallacy....

Re: Sandboxie - A Virtual Protection
 

Some interesting posts have been added to the Sandboxie thread, the last on page 1 made me chuckle.

http://forums.sandboxie.com/phpBB3/v...hp?f=5&t=20827

It'd be great if we could arrive at some form of consensus regarding this programme and how helpful it might be.

Re: Sandboxie - A Virtual Protection
 

Having come across the SBIE forum earlier it seems our erstwhile OP learned something from this thread as he's now using AV in addition to Sandboxie. A good result for CF I'd say. :tu:

Re: Sandboxie - A Virtual Protection
 

Heh I missed this, first time round, the whole thing made me chuckle tbh.

HE started the thread in the first place, made a poor choice of statement then spent the rest of the thread refusing to accept it - still made an amusing 10 mins reading it.

Re: Sandboxie - A Virtual Protection
 

Probably one of the best techs versus wannabee threads in a long time.. Sandboxie standalone devotees are just fooling themselves.

Re: Sandboxie - A Virtual Protection
 

Oh wow, this thread. Oh the memories. :luv::hugs:

---------- Post added at 19:44 ---------- Previous post was at 19:32 ----------

Hah, just had a look at the thread over on SBIE's forums. I'd place even less faith in the product now given the lead developer seems to prefer siding with ignorant egomaniacs while being unaware of some pretty major features of competitors in his target market.

Trusting a security application whose lead developer doesn't know how other leading security applications work? No thanks.

Re: Sandboxie - A Virtual Protection
 

Looks like there was enough interest in Sandboxie to go back and have another read about it. As quite rightly said, it is best to use Sandboxie in conjunction with other measures. I think what happened back in March set a poor opinion about Sandboxie. A little research outside of opinions on the forum may or may not dispel that. Perhaps research using the term 'sandboxie good bad'.

Sandboxie doesn't always run without a hitch. Work sometimes has to be done and updates issued as new operating systems, programs and browser versions are released. Also, the programs Sandboxie users want to run in sandboxes are so numerous that I think there will always be work needed to keep up with it. I'm not sure the developers need to have detailed knowledge of the workings of other programs but I think what does matter is that, when a problem is reported, it is actively worked on. This does look to be what happens.

I've been using Sandboxie for about 9 years. It has been necessary to stop using it when a browser or operating system update has temporarily broken it. However, I always return when the problem has been overcome. This being because I place a fair amount of faith in the program and the particular way it works.

I don't use Sandboxie to its full capabilities but just for browsing the Internet. Certainly my first line of defence against zero day threats and drive-by malware. If Sandboxie was to fail however, other layers of security are in place to hopefully deal with it. I have always run Sandboxie as part of a layered approach to security. Other Sandboxie users probably have too.

I don't want to enter into a lengthy 'It is good - No it isn't' debate since opinions are set but the fact that the program is now treated with ridicule here does go a bit against the grain, hence this post. I don't believe the program deserves it. Opinions about Sandboxie seem mostly positive elsewhere. I have to say that I take no notice either way. Sandboxie has indeed saved the day on a few occasions over the years and this is why I continue to use it.

Re: Sandboxie - A Virtual Protection
 

The trouble with this area is that for ordinary people like me, it's really quite confusing. Of course I'd love a simple, all encompassing security product but there clearly isn't one. I believe this is the main reason why quite a lot of people don't seem to use AV at all whether that be on their computers or phones and tablets. Equally I feel it's understandable why people with little detailed knowledge might be unintentionally lulled into believing that one product or another is all they need. It's a nice comforting thought after all. I have no 'allegiance' to any product, if someone could give me a better, simpler, all in one solution tomorrow I'd take it. Given that there are so many people out there whose main purpose in life is to come up with ways to exploit, undermine or negate security software I don't see that happening any time soon.

:)

Re: Sandboxie - A Virtual Protection
 

Nail. Head. Hit.

And we've only got the hackers malicious security crackers to blame for that. It's not much different to home security. Thanks to the ingenuity stupidity of criminals, there's no one-size-fits-all solution to all problems.

Re: Sandboxie - A Virtual Protection
 

I seem to recall a saying something along the lines of "Computer security takes a genius months to set up and a fool seconds to defeat"

Given the genius to fool ratio in the population a layered approach makes perfect sense.

Re: Sandboxie - A Virtual Protection
 

Sandboxie can be useful but as part of a security solution and in some circumstances but you don't run it instead of antivirus or other products. It's far from perfect and programs can and do get out of the Sandboxie sandbox. An exploit would normally move from being contained in the sandboxie container to getting in to the memory space of a program outside of the container and then executed, using whichever technique is feasible at the time. A lot of malware droppers do checks to see if they are being run in a virtual machine or sandbox and either decide not to run or to use methods known to them to bypass it.

You also have to remember that every time you introduce another product/layer of security, you are also adding in another attack vector. There have been plenty of exploits that infect your system via vulnerabilities in firewall software, most antivirus programs and Sandboxie will likely be no different, even ignoring the kernel level issues it can't contain.

Running a 20kb keygen using sandboxie is something you should feel safe about...yet never say never :)