Managing Windows Firewall with VBScript

 Executive Summary:

You can prevent Windows Vista from creating default rules in the new Windows Firewall: Simply create your own secure rules before running the application. Our VBScript scripts help you add rules and enable and disable the firewall. Enabling and disabling the firewall are particularly helpful when you're deploying a new application. Another useful feature of the new Windows Firewall is the MMC Windows Firewall with Advanced Security snap-in, which provides a convenient interface for examining firewall rules. Learn how to launch the snap-in, as well as how to produce a filtered view.

Windows Vista includes a completely redesigned software firewall, Windows Firewall with Advanced Security, which is notable for its improved manageability—first, because of its powerful scripting interface, and second, because of its new UI, the Microsoft Management Console (MMC) Windows Firewall with Advanced Security snap-in. I'll discuss the scripting interface and examine three sample scripts you can download to help you better manage this new firewall. Then I'll walk you through the Windows Firewall with Advanced Security snap-in to show you how you can examine and manipulate firewall rules in a variety of ways. . . .