ProtectStar Releases Mobile Firewall Software For Pocket PC

[Jon Westfall]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.protectstar.com/englisch/products-overview.php' target='_blank'>http://www.protectstar.com/englisch...ts-overview.php</a><br /><br /></div><i>"German-based ProtectStar has released a mobile firewall software that enables users to secure a mobile device against unauthorised access, data theft and abuse. The software is targeted at Microsoft Windows Mobile, and also allows the secure integration of mobile devices into the IT infrastructure of a company. ProtectStar Mobile Firewall provides protection for Pocket PCs and Pocket PC Phone Edition devices, and it is optmised for GPRS and UMTS networks."</i><br /><br /><img src=http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/westfall-protectstarwinmobfirewall.jpg><br /><br />With the ability to lock-down every form of data transfer, from WiFi to Activesync, this looks like a security-conscious IT department's dream Pocket PC App. Anyone looking to deploy something like this in their organization?

[darkdestroyer]

My question before deploying is how much of a slowdown? How much ram usage? Is the slowdown + ram space worth it?

[joker]

i once had the airscanner mobile firewall installed on my ppcp.
i can't remember of any slowdowns, but it didn't rest on my ppcp for long anyway because it screwed up my connections.
you can read more of such comments on www.pocketpcfreewares.com but for me the firewall page there only shows blank. watch it through google's cache.

i don't know if the same goes for protectstar, too, but i also don't have the real motivation to test it.

[WorksForTurkeys]

While I applaud such software for PDAs because it legitimizes them as tools instead of toys (my employer officially classifies all PDAs as 'personal toys'; I guess the turkeys are in denial), but I rely on the protections unintentionally afforded me via T-Mobile's EDGE service: the service is so slow and intermittent in midtown that it's virtually impossible to maintain a continuous connection with adequate bandwidth sufficient for the attacks this software defends against, to succeed.

Hopefully this software will become useful and necessary for me once UTMS becomes widely available and affordable here.