DoorStop X 2.2 Security Suite for Leopard

Reviewed by Robert Pritchett

Developer: Alan Oppenheimer

Open Door Networks, Inc. 

110 S. Laurel St. 

Ashland, OR 97520 USA

541- 488-4127

info@opendoor.com

http://www.opendoor.com/security.html

Released: November 5, 2007 for Leopard

$79 individual or $259 for 5 licenses.

Free 30-day evaluation.

Requirements: Mac OS X 10.3.9 or later.

Strengths: Picks up where the Leopard Firewall leaves off.

Weaknesses: I wish all the components landed in the Utilities folder in the Applications folder instead of being elsewhere in the Applications folder. (Yes, they can be co-located in the Utilities folder…)

Security Blog: http://www.isfym.com

Previous macCompanion Review – January 2006.

Introduction

“Open Door Networks' security products include:

The DoorStop X Security Suite  A comprehensive approach to full Internet security. Fully updated for Leopard.

The DoorStop X Firewall  Allow and deny access on a service-by-service basis. Fully updated for Leopard.

The Who's There? Firewall Advisor  Understand and react to access attempts detected by your firewall. Fully updated for Leopard.

"Internet Security for Your Macintosh: A Guide for the Rest of Us"  Essential easy-to-understand Net security guide for any Mac user. Fully updated for Leopard.

"ISFYM.COM: A Blog for the Rest of Us" Keep up with the latest Macintosh Internet security issues.

Learn. The eBook edition of "Internet Security for Your Macintosh" is accessible from all products in the Suite. Whether you read it section-by-section or look up information on specific services or access attempts as you encounter them, the book helps you to achieve an invaluable knowledge of Internet security concepts and issues. The book's associated blog, ISFYM.COM, keeps you up to date with new issues as they develop and its Top 10 list provides a set of simple things you can do to better protect yourself on the Internet.

Protect. Open Door's flagship DoorStop X Firewall builds on our decade's worth of experience with Macintosh security products to provide you with an easy-to-use, reliable application that protects your Mac from outside attack. At the same time, through its integration with other Suite products, the DoorStop X Firewall also helps you to learn about and understand both the details and the broader context involved.

Understand. The Who's There? Firewall Advisor goes beyond protecting your Mac to helping you understand and react to security "events" as they occur. By working with both the book and the firewall, Who's There? ties together the Suite products into an integrated whole, worth even more than the sum of its parts.”

My Take

Do you feel naked when it comes to firewalling your Mac under Leopard? Does the firewall that comes with Leopard feel just a little lacking? Well, try the DoorstopX Security Suite and feel fully dressed again. You won’t feel like your computer-based pants are down around your ankles any longer and you won’t feel like you need to have a hardwired firewall device external to your Mac. In other words, if you are a road warrior you can relax just a tiny bit. If you are tied to a desk, then this extra precaution is really all the insurance you really need to feel safe and secure while using your Mac.

I personally think the included 413-page PDF book “Internet Security for your Mac” is still the best in the business. And I “found” the Index in the left column this time. There are 16 chapters covering literally everything you need to know, including how to secure iLife, 3^rd-party Internet services, how to properly respond to security threats, how to do FTPing without using FTP and how to handle home networks and wireless networking. I personally think the book is the main product and the Firewall app was thrown in for good measure, but I’m sure Alan Oppenheimer and Charles Whitaker would disagree.

No, the real meat is in the Firewall app itself – Doorstop X and of course the other tool in the kit – Who’s There? Firewall Advisor.

This latest version of Doorstop X was released to tackle Leopard-specific issues such as iChat Screen Sharing and Remote Management and combating port access attempts through use of the Firewall Advisor.

Conclusion

Not only is this the oldest firewall app for Apple computers, but it is still the best. $79 for this 3-in-1 security suite is cheap insurance compared to the eventual attempts by hackers and malware distributors to attack the Mac.

Perhaps some day this will be married to the ClamXav app and an Email spam filter system such as SpamSieve for a full-meal-deal in Mac-based security. You can start now to practice safe computing by getting a copy of DoorstopX Securty Suite.