User guide

Advanced Personal firewall setup... – Allows you to access the advanced firewall setup options.

4.2.1 Filtering modes

Four filtering modes are available for the ESET Smart Security Personal firewall. Filtering modes can be found in

Advanced setup (F5) by clicking Network > Personal firewall. The behavior of the firewall changes based on the

selected mode. Filtering modes also influence the level of user interaction required.

Filtering can be performed in one of four modes:

Automatic mode – The default mode. This mode is suitable for users who prefer easy and convenient use of the

firewall with no need to define rules. However, you can also add custom, user-defined rules. Automatic mode

allows all outbound traffic for the given system and blocks all new connections initiated from the network side.

Interactive mode – Allows you to build a custom configuration for your Personal firewall. When a communication is

detected and no existing rules apply to that communication, a dialog window reporting an unknown connection will

be displayed. The dialog window gives the option of allowing or denying the communication, and the decision to

allow or deny can be remembered as a new rule for the Personal firewall. If you choose to create a new rule at this

time, all future connections of this type will be allowed or blocked according to the rule.

Policy-based mode – Blocks all connections which are not defined by a specific rule that allows them. This mode

allows advanced users to define rules that permit only desired and secure connections. All other unspecified

connections will be blocked by the Personal firewall.

Learning mode – Automatically creates and saves rules; this mode is suitable for initial configuration of the Personal

firewall. No user interaction is required, because ESET Smart Security saves rules according to predefined

parameters. Learning mode is not secure, and should only be used until all rules for required communications have

been created.

Profiles are a tool to control the behavior of the ESET Smart Security Personal firewall.