Someone reviewed v on Jul 5, 2022

Pros: 555

Cons: 555

Bottom Line: 555

Undesired Username reviewed v3.6.crh on Sep 12, 2008

LOL

uberfly reviewed v3.6.cra on Jun 19, 2008

Well I loved this back in the day, but this app is on the way out. Support for it ends in September. DO NOT BUY!

ballyhairs reviewed v3.6.cra on Jun 13, 2008

@FailedCRC
totally!!!

FailedCRC reviewed v3.6.cra on Jun 13, 2008

That screenshot is outstanding!

Diam0nd reviewed v3.6.cra on Jun 13, 2008

Excellent. Requires zero interaction while giving great protection and not killing the things that don't need to be killed.

ilev reviewed v3.6.cra on Jun 13, 2008

I am using BlackIce for years and find it excellent.
I have a router too, The best (Checkpoint's Sofaware), and still , some attempts break through.
Always use 2 firewalls, hardware and software as hardware firewalls don't block\check at the applications level.

Ilan.

-Lord- reviewed v3.6.cra on Jun 12, 2008

Some things never change. Like, why do I still keep trying this junk out. Stay clear. Get a router and protect yourself.

-Lord- reviewed v3.6.cqy on Apr 10, 2008

People still use this garbage? I gave this thing a whirl just to see if it's any better and, no, it's not. It's still a rag. In this day an age, people should be on broadband routers with NAT/Firewalling already. This thing was holier than the Pope when it came out, and I can't believe that people still use it. And they want $40 for it? Ridiculous.

Bobbitchin reviewed v3.6.cqy on Apr 9, 2008

OMG BlackICE is still around? I thought they went out of business in like 1998 or 99 after Steve Gibson proved their product to be worthless and even dangerous.

I'll give it a 2 because software firewalls in general are for people who think AOL is the internet.

ilev reviewed v3.6.cqy on Apr 9, 2008

I am using the program for years now. Pity IBM has decided to stop selling the FW.
i Would suggest to IBM to give it as a freeware for the remaining 5 months.

Diam0nd reviewed v3.6.cqy on Apr 9, 2008

Nice fw. Small, efficient.

jafo818 reviewed v3.6.cqx on Mar 18, 2008

I'm still using it and appreciate the constant updates. I wish they hadn't announced end of life support! It rocks.

Tao2005 reviewed v3.6.cqp on Nov 17, 2007

Well in my profession, any thing is better, then windows SP any thing. Think about it, if microsoft would have done any thing right, you wouldn't need SP1. And SP2 would end up as SP1. As far as it goes for internet security. Everybody should know of microsofts vullernabillity. It is said that WMP (windows mediaplayer) is a big spy trap, and IE is the same. The funny thing is that IE is used by hackers, as an access point to your PC. By entering these ports, they know that they are always open, and not monitored as much as other ports.

werwin reviewed v3.6.cqp on Nov 16, 2007

IBM Internet Security Systems has announced the End of Life for BlackICE PC Protection (formerly known as BlackICE Defender) and BlackICE Server Protection (formerly known as BlackICE Defender for Server). The End of Sale date for these products is September 19, 2007. We will update and support BlackICE products until September 29, 2008. These products will not be supported after September 29th, 2008.

boaz reviewed v3.6.cqn on Aug 24, 2007

Nice small, simple firewall. I do not use application protection option. It's better than the Windows XP SP2 built-in firewall. Been using it for a few years.

adamlau reviewed v3.6.cqc on Mar 15, 2007

I still remember BI from Network Wizards and mentions on the old Firewall Wizards boards. Strong lineage. Superb product with a straightforward install/deinstall (A deinstaller is offered by ISS in the event InstallShield uninstall files become corrupted - now that is attention to detail). Consumes minimal resources (vs ZAP and NOD32).

nick_greiner reviewed v3.6.cqa on Jan 10, 2007

http://labs.idefense.com...ties/display.php?id=403
...they also don't offer a product key to evaluate the software

c4p0ne reviewed v3.6.cqa on Jan 10, 2007

The documentation IS there. Yes the method of logging should be changed but there is a reason for BI logging and it's called RealSecure Agents which is a whole 'nother price range/category. They want to push that but since those agents (enginewise) are almost identical to BlackICE (if not completely identical), they have to screw some sh*t up to separate the product line and make the RealSecure suite of products more appealing.

This is sort of like Microsoft not ever planning a DirecX v10.0 in XP claiming "architectural infeasabilities" when in fact it's to STRONG-ARM helpless gamers into buying the ultra-expensive Vista.

Anyway, no use comparing MS to ISS, because ISS is actually a great company with great products and a great track-record (other then the awful pwn4g3 by eEye digital security's boys a wile back). And that was fixed promptly.

All in all, BlackICE is developed by some of the actual programmers that created the patented name "sniffer" (NAI anyone?). Many of those men were network gods. Full 7 layer analysis. VERY strong IDS/IPS. Probably among the top 3 in the world (whatever they may be).

Drawback: No outbound blocking. But remember people, IPS is IPS!

dazed reviewed v3.6.cov on Jan 2, 2006

This is the only IDS worth mentioning when it comes to private use. Note that it is not just a firewall, it is indeed one of the few IDS that exist and is usable *on a home PC* (Snort combined with different blocking system is way out of manys reach)

Unfortunately ISS seem to want to kill this app... The logfile format is diabolic, since it changes data in existing records instead of writing a new line, making it extremly difficult to write your own log analyzer, just tailing a file like this takes +100 lines of code. This may explain why the GUI of BI has never(!) worked correctly since ISS bought this product.

Also documentation is still very much not there.

Yet I rate it a strong four, simply because there is no single product for home usage that I know of that has this deep analysis and still manage a 300 mbps on a decent PC. You will have to write your own log analyzer though if you wish to get statistics in real time.

pyridox reviewed v3.6.com on Aug 12, 2005

We use this at work, we have a small site license. It works pretty well, and seems to have a relatively small memory footprint.

The only beef I have, the reason for the 4 rating, is there is a small problem on some machines when upgrading. Apparently, if asian fonts are installed, the setup window hangs after the upgrade. Although it upgrades successfully, you have to kill the hanging setup window with task manager! I would have thought they would have fixed this by now, it's been about a year now!

Luckily, this only happens on a few machines that use the Asian fonts for certain projects. This was one of the least memory hogging firewalls we tested.

LuigiM reviewed v3.6.cob on Mar 16, 2005

Version 3.6.cob

It works fine on my w2k machines. I have however a serious bone to pick with ISS: they keep refusing to send notices of new versions to their paying subscribers. Last year, a 2-day delay in finding out there was a new version made my system vulnerable to the BlackIce-targeted Witty virus, and I lost several hundred MBs of data.

steve2470 reviewed v3.6.cnj on Jun 28, 2004

you gotta be kidding...shareware ? You have to have a key to run the program

Pizda reviewed v3.6.cnj on Jun 24, 2004

Well, the product worked well on my windows 2000 machine until it was hacked. I guess it's better than nothing. Constantly crashed my windows XP machine, so I had to remove it. Installed Sygate, haven't been disappointed yet. Black Ice died when Network Ice were bought out. Rest in peace!

boboki reviewed v3.6.cbd on Oct 12, 2003

Besides not being beta at all, I have a few large problems with this software.
It monitors all nics on the give machine. This means that if you are running a dual nic system, the internal network will be translated as well. Their solution for this is to set the internal network in trusted (or each individual client machine). Call me crazy, but if I was going to make attacks on a machine, I probably would try to spoof an internal ip anyways, so why even bother installing this firewall?
Besides that one flaw, and the fact its shareware, not beta, its not half bad.

ssb reviewed v3.6.cbd on Aug 30, 2003

Far better than ZA & ZA Pro. Stable, small footprint and excellent blocking features.

lilmegz reviewed v3.6.cbd on Aug 20, 2003

BlackICE Defender is a better one instead of BlackICE PC Protection.

RiceLakeWiGuy reviewed v3.6.cbd on May 24, 2003

To Install You need a proof of purchase Code.Beta News do not waste my time.