Advice Request Why sandbox is important

[JM Safe]

Sometimes I see configurations that lack of sandbox layer. Sandbox concept is very important against malware, especially when browsing the web, Sandboxie (avalaible also for free) is my favourite sandbox software, basically with our browser sandboxed even if we accidentally visit a malicious URL that downloads a malicious payload then our real OS is protected from it. Browser security and security extensions can fail and miss a malicious URL. Sandbox software are also good to test new software, now it is avalaible also Windows Sandbox which for me is also good. The browser must be the first line of defense; unfortunately sandbox layer doesn't protect us from phishing sites, for this we have security extensions and common sense.

 

[jetman]

I'm trying out Sandboxie (free edition).

Are there any other decent sandboxes available ? I've heard about Comodo but as I use a different AV suite with its own firewall I don't think it would be compatible with my system.

 

[bribon77]

I've been using Sandboxie for years. God knows how many times he's saved me.

 

[jetman]

I just wish Sandboxie had lifetime licences !

I don't see any viable alternatives out there. I run Kaspersky and that includes "safemoney" which runs your browser in a protected form which may or may not be a full sandbox which offers the same protection as Sandboxie.- I just cant tell ?

I've also tried out Browser in the Box which is quite innovative- not a sandbox, but it runs a browser in a linux virtual machine.
Desktop Security

 

[Deleted member 178]

I'm trying out Sandboxie (free edition).

Are there any other decent sandboxes available ?

ReHIPS, better than sandboxie.

 

[Deleted member 178]

@JM Security sandboxes aren't important or necessary, they are just useful.

You can achieve excellent security without sandbox.

 

[Weebarra]

I've never used anything like this, i suppose i have been lucky to never to have been affected by anything malicious. At the moment i am using FSecure and it offers browsing protection ............. is this the same thing or should i be using a sandbox of some sort ?

 

[Deleted member 178]

@Weebarra you don't need one. Dont succumb to the latent paranoia instilled by security forums.

About your question, i don't use F-Secure but I don't think it is similar to a sandbox.

 

[bribon77]

I've never used anything like this, i suppose i have been lucky to never to have been affected by anything malicious. At the moment i am using FSecure and it offers browsing protection ............. is this the same thing or should i be using a sandbox of some sort ?

It's not the same as a sandbox. With a sanbox everything you do is virtual.
If your antivirus is compatible I recommend it.

 

[Weebarra]

About your question, i don't use F-Secure but I don't think it is similar to a sandbox.

Thanks for the clarification
I often wonder when i see the configs etc on here that i should up my game a bit but so far i have kept things to a minimum with no real problems. As i say, i may just have been lucky but i don't do anything risky online so i think my security alone with a few extensions is probably enough for me.

It's not the same as a sandbox. With a sanbox everything you do is virtual.
If your antivirus is compatible I recommend it.

Don't confuse me @bribon77, i've just talked myself out of it, lol.

 

[brod56]

In my opinion, sandboxing a browser is overkill. The chances of all these components failing is like 0.1%:

1. User's common sense (don't click on suspicious email links, don't go looking for illegal software/content, etc)
2. Browser's own filter (Google Safe Browsing, Smartscreen, etc)
3. Dedicated extension (EBS, WDBP, etc) or DNS (Neustar, Quad9, etc...)
4. Antivirus or default-deny

A sandboxing solution is useful, but far from necessary.

 

[dinosaur07]

ReHIPS, better than sandboxie.

True. I am using it. It can be tweaked more than Sandboxie but i feel it is for advanced security knowledge users.

 

[stefanos]

Because always i am back to 360TS or Avast pro (both have sandbox)and I have been using them for many years, I've learned to feel safe with sandbox. For me it is necessary

 

[plat]

In a nutshell, if you've gone this long without Sandboxie, you might as well not bother, especially if you're on fully updated Windows 10, don't have chronic malware/adware issues and already have a comprehensive antivirus like Kaspersky IS. If you still use Internet Explorer with flash player a lot, definitely. Is the writing on the wall for Sbie? I use the pd version out of habit and placebo effect, it's a staple on here. But its hey-day seems to be in the past.

 

[shmu26]

If you are a diplomat on an upatched version of Internet Explorer, then you need sandboxing.
As for the rest of us... sandboxing your updated and modern browser is a really cool tweak, but don't fool yourself. It is not necessary.

If you have no AV or other security, then Sandboxie can be used to prevent your downloads from infecting the system. With paid SBIE you can protect your whole system, if you know how. But it's a pain.

 

[Andy Ful]

Sandboxing is an important part of the security, but nowadays, most web browsers have in-built sandboxes, already. Using something like ReHIPS or Sandboxie can be useful, especially when the people have to (or want to) use the popular & vulnerable software, or applications which use popular & vulnerable open source libraries, or unsafe applications (cracks, pirated soft).
Generally ReHIPS is more compatible with Windows, but Sandboxie sandbox can be more restrictive. For example, Sandboxie sandbox (paid version) can be set to block any executable (also dropped by malware) in the c:\Users folder, except some whitelisted applications which are allowed to run sandboxed (kind of SRP).

 

[tonibalas]

The only sandbox i would use it would be Rehips do to it's mechanisms.
Until though it gets policed i use Shadow defender when i think there is a reason to do it.
But generally i don't use a sandbox.
I want my system to be as light as possible.

 

[128BPM]

I don't know if a sandbox is important, but I know that it is useful. The sandbox could be useful for example to install software without touching the windows registry. If that program is no longer necessary, only deletes the sandbox. This will prevent uninstall and leftovers.

It can also be useful for privacy. If you always browse inside the sandbox, all the browsing history will be deleted when closing the sandbox.

 

[shmu26]

It can also be useful for privacy. If you always browse inside the sandbox, all the browsing history will be deleted when closing the sandbox.

That really depends on the sandboxing software you are using, and how you use it.
With Sandboxie, you can manually delete when you finish browsing, or even set it up to do that automatically, if you wish. But with ReHIPS, it will maintain browsing history from session to session. There is no special mechanism to delete it, at least, not in the current version of ReHIPS. I think they are working on it, though.

 

[128BPM]

That really depends on the sandboxing software you are using, and how you use it.
With Sandboxie, you can manually delete when you finish browsing, or even set it up to do that automatically, if you wish. But with ReHIPS, it will maintain browsing history from session to session. There is no special mechanism to delete it, at least, not in the current version of ReHIPS. I think they are working on it, though.

Sorry, you are right. I was referring to Sandboxie.