# How to make decisions for which Apps to use?

**URL:** https://discuss.privacyguides.net/t/how-to-make-decisions-for-which-apps-to-use/19099
**Category:** Questions
**Tags:** book, video, guide, software
**Created:** 2024-06-25T01:59:30Z
**Posts:** 12
**Showing post:** 7 of 12

## Post 7 by @Average_Joe — 2024-07-02T02:46:06Z

> [@anon73250778](#):
>
> Your firewall app is useless because it is on top of the OS. [Apple tunnels their internal ecosystem undee their system firewall, so due to the proprietary nature of MS as well, we may not know easily if they do the same.](https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2020/11/apple-lets-some-big-sur-network-traffic-bypass-firewalls/)
> 
> You can use a firewall appliance like pfsense that sits outside the OS and filters things in the network itself but that involves learning something new.

I appreciate your reply!

I used to think dedicated firewall devices like just don’t see how a firewall appliance like pfSense or a Linux distro can make a difference when it only takes one single app on a Windows PC to have a backdoor built into it that transmits data back to someone on the Internet…

I mention it more over here in the opening post:

_I’ve been researching this topic for a long, long time and I still haven’t been able to find a good answer. I’ve read all about people using old PC’s to install a “Firewall Linux Distro” and this sounds great in theory but how is this helpful if a Windows PC on the network has installed an App that has a trojan attached with it that can send information about the Windows user like every keystroke that the user enters to the trojan’s author online?_

> [@Software Firewall for Windows?](https://discuss.privacyguides.net/t/software-firewall-for-windows/13859):
>
> Good morning, I’ve been researching this topic for a long, long time and I still haven’t been able to find a good answer. I’ve read all about people using old PC’s to install a “Firewall Linux Distro” and this sounds great in theory but how is this helpful if a Windows PC on the network has installed an App that has a trojan attached with it that can send information about the Windows user like every keystroke that the user enters to the trojan’s author online? It seems like so much work to bu…

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