Doorstop X a sweet suite for security

Posted by Don Foy Jan 11, 2006 at 1:36am

Security is a big deal for most computer users, especially those not using Macs. But should Mac users be complacent?

No. Every Mac comes with the built-in Unix firewall, which can be controlled by the Sharing System Preference pane. But does the average user know the best way to set up the firewall to keep bad guys from hijacking your computer or your information? I don’t think so. And Apple’s documentation on the matter is a little sketchy.

There are a number of Internet and computer security companies that sell software that either installs a third-party firewall or helps you configure your built-in firewall. But most of them are written by experts who have a little trouble explaining the features and dangers of misconfiguring their systems to those of us who don’t speak either Unix or security languages.

Enter DoorStop X, a security suite from Open Door Networks. The suite includes DoorStop X (version 1.1), a firewall application; Who’s There (version 2.0), a firewall advisor; and Internet Security for Your Macintosh: A Guide for the Rest of Us, Second Edition, an e-book that explains the basics of security in language you and I can understand without a college degree.
So, why should you buy something that replaces something you’ve already paid for? For one thing, OS X 10.4 Tiger logs only unsuccessful attempts to break through the firewall. If one gets through, Tiger doesn’t log it, according to Open Door’’ web site.

Also, DoorStop makes it easy to open a service, such as personal file sharing, to only specific IP addresses or specific networks, like your home network, but not allowing those on your work network to share.

The Who’s There Firewall Advisor interprets attempts to defeat the firewall, whether Doorstop or the Apple firewall (or just about any other firewall that will run on your Mac and that supports certain log formats).

One of the weaknesses of the Apple firewall is that you have to go to the command line, or to the Console application just to find the logs, and once you find them, you still have to figure out what it means.

That’s what Who’s There does. It tells you where the request came from and what it tried to do in plain language.

But the crown jewel in the trio is the e-book. The title is too long, so for future reference, we’ll call it the guide.

And as impressive as the guide is, even more impressive is the integration of the guide into the two other programs. Have a question about something in either DoorStop or Who’s There? In either program there is a Book menu which will take you directly to whatever chapter you want in the guide.

And the guide is impressive. It covers everything you and I need to know to keep our Macs safe. It is comprehensive. It it is detailed. And it is written in language you and I can understand.

Recommendation. I love the suite, and I’m very leery of being critical of the cost of software (as an untrained and frustrated programmer wannabe, I’ve written one very simple program with the help of many other folks, so I know this stuff doesn’t just pop up on the Internet), but I can’t help wondering if the price is a little too high here for the basic user to afford.

But each of those items is available separately, so you can buy what you want. DoorStop X is $49. Who’s There is $29. The e-book is $9.

If you are on a tight budget, get the e-book and use what you learn there to set up your built-in firewall. But if you want a comprehensive solution, the US$69 suite could be for you.

What I really wish would happen is that Apple would buy the guide from Open Door and include it with every copy of the Mac operating system it sells.

Macsimum rating: 8 out of 10 for the suite, 10 out of 10 for the guide alone.

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