Portmaster
| Developer(s) | Safing ICS Technologies GmbH |
|---|---|
| Initial release | 2019 |
| Stable release | 0.8.7
/ March 2, 2022[1] |
| Repository | github |
| Written in | Go, shell |
| Engine | |
| Operating system | Linux, Windows |
| Available in | English |
| Type | Security, Privacy |
| License | GNU_Affero_General_Public_License |
| Website | safing |
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Portmaster ("Application firewall") is a software that allows the user to find and block all connections (be it Localhost, LAN, or the Internet) the system it is running creates. Individual settings can be made for global system-wide changes or on a per-app basis.
Technical Details
Introduction
Before diving into details, it is important to understand the big picture. The Portmaster Application has many parts and gears that have to work together; you can find the picture to the right showing the different components.
Portmaster Core Service
The Portmaster Core Service is where all the magic happens. It consistently runs in the background, keeping tabs on everything that is going in and out of the system. As a system service, it starts together with your device.
The Portmaster Core Service is divided into modules, which allow easy adaptation of the Portmaster Application to any preferences and threat models.
Fundamentals: Provides all the basic internals. Core: Integrates with the Operating System. Secure DNS: DNS over TLS. Privacy Filter: blocking unwanted connections. Safing Privacy Network: A powerful VPN alternative.
Portmaster User Interface
The Portmaster UI is the main way you interact with the Portmaster Application. It connects to the Portmaster Core Service, which is running in the background. Through the Portmaster UI, the user can easily monitor network activity on your device, block domains and connections, as well as configure settings and rules.
The Portmaster UI has no background activity in order to save computing resources. Background interaction is being taken care of by the Notifier.
Notifier
The Notifier is a small utility that lives in your system’s tray or menu bar. It continually signals the user the status of the Portmaster Core Service via colored status indicators in the icon. It also handles the notifier takes, relaying them to your operating system.
OS Integration / Kernel Extension
The Portmaster Core Service cannot do all this magic by itself. It works closely together with the Operating System’s Core – the Kernel.
On Windows, this even requires that one part of the Portmaster Application runs directly within the OS Kernel itself, making it very powerful.
Dive into how the Portmaster Application integrates with different Operating Systems.
History
Project
The Portmaster had its start back when the Edward Snowden leaks (2013) happened; back then, Daniel Hovie started thinking about tools required for individuals to protect themselves for Privacy.
Company
Ownership
Safing is fully owned by its founders.
Funding
- Safing got its first funding from Netidee [1] in 2016. Netidee only funds Open-source software; they continued to support Safing two more times [2] [3]
- The Austrian Research Promotion Agency currently is Safing's main funding; so far, they have been granted three "Basis Program" funding’s.
- The European Space Agency accepted them into their Business Incubation in 2018, which gave them access to space technologies and their alumni program [4] [5]
See Also
Books
- Portmaster has been recommended in Michael Bazzell's "Extreme Privacy" Book [2] on Page 28
Articles
German
Reviews
- [video] Techlore, May 2021
- [video] Windows Management July 2022
- itsfoss.com
- ghacks.net
- Podcast on FeedSpot
- Linux-Magazine.pl
- Sysadmin78.ru
Links to Safing Resources
References
- ↑ "Portmaster GitHub". Safing development team.
- ↑ Bazzell, Michael (2021). Extreme privacy : what it takes to disappear (Third ed.). ISBN 979-8-7294-1939-5. OCLC 1251936436. Search this book on
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