Sandboxing Newbies Questions

Hi

I have been searching the web trying to learn what I can about sandboxing. However, I am finding it all a bit confusing since there does not appear to be anyone who has put up any guidnce for beginners in sandboxing. Yes, I've learnt what sandboxing is and what it protects you from and why it is needed. I've also learnt that before testing any newly downloaded program particularly those you think may be dodgy it/they should be run in a sandbox. What I'm not finding is any advice on the practicalities of sandboxing programs and which of my existing programs should also be sandboxed, if any -- or is it a case of only trying new software in a sandbox. I use Firefox and Thunderbird and ocassionally Opera to go online but are they run in a sandbox as I understand Chrome to run in a sandbox? I've also reason to believe that Adobe Reader also runs in a sandbox.

As you can perhaps gather, I am a complete newby to sandboxing. I've found loads of info on sandboxing programs and one I've seen highly recommended is Shade Sandbox, which I believe to be a relative newcomer on the sandbox scene. Does anyone have any info on this program. I know that Sandboxie is an old favourite but are there any freeware sandboxing programs other than Shade Sandbox out there that are worth looking at.

Any help would be most appreciated. Tthank you.
Tracey

Over at Wilders is 190 pages about Sandboxie.
bo elam is an expert par excelence.
You may want to start about page 100 for stuff around 2016, but there are great posts in the earlier section
Sandboxie Acquired by Invincea | Page 100 | Wilders Security Forums
bo elam runs everything in a sandbox. Most people put potential internet facing applications.
If I find an old beginner summary I once saw, I'll post back.
Happy reading and good luck!
I believe there's also a Sandboxie forum.

TraceyW said:

What I'm not finding is any advice on the practicalities of sandboxing programs and which of my existing programs should also be sandboxed, if any -- or is it a case of only trying new software in a sandbox. I use Firefox and Thunderbird and ocassionally Opera to go online but are they run in a sandbox as I understand Chrome to run in a sandbox? I've also reason to believe that Adobe Reader also runs in a sandbox.

Hi Tracey, sandboxing all files and programs you run in your computers on a daily basis, thats really the way to go. Thats what I do to maximize protection. Whether you use Sandboxie or Shade, it doesn't really matter, it applies to both. You can take things step by step.

When I started, I started sandboxing Firefox. Sandboxing the browser is what people usually start protecting when they adopt sandboxing programs. Six months later, I begun sandboxing Outlook express in my old XP. And kept going, adding more programs to what I sandboxed. Eventually, I ended up sandboxing all files and programs that I run in a daily basis. The only time I am not using Sandboxie is when the computer is idle or I am doing updates. For me, if I am using the computer, I am using Sandboxie.

Regarding sandboxing programs that have their own sandbox, like Chrome or Opera. There are all kind of opinions about that. I am just going to tell you this. If you get hit by malware when you are browsing with one of those 2 browsers and you click accept, the malware will infect your computer. Or, if you use web mail, and get hit by ransomware, your computer will get infected. On the other hand, if you are using a sandbox program like SBIE, and you click to install, if the malware runs (most of the time it wont even run), the infection takes place in the sandboxed environment not touching your file system, registry, programs, nothing.

TraceyW said:

I know that Sandboxie is an old favourite but are there any freeware sandboxing programs other than Shade Sandbox out there that are worth looking at.

Sandboxie does have a free version. The basic difference between the paid and free version is that sandboxing is automatic in the paid version, and you can run programs in multiple sandboxes at the same time. With the free version, sandboxing programs is kind of manual. But still, is easy to get used to. And there are shortcuts that can be used to make things easier. Usually people learn how to make things easier as time goes on. And the license is pretty cheap.

TraceyW said:

I've also learnt that before testing any newly downloaded program particularly those you think may be dodgy it/they should be run in a sandbox.

Tracey, using Sandboxie to tell if a newly downloaded program is clean or not is the wrong way of using Sandboxie or sandboxing programs. A lot of people do it, even people who used Sandboixe for a long time. But is a bad practice. I tell you why. A lot of malware wont run in the sandbox. Some malware is sandbox aware and can tell if its running sandboxed, and when it realizes that is running sandboxed, it wont do nothing, to fool you into believing that the program is clean and can be installed outside the sandbox. And then when you run the installer outside the sandbox, you get hit.

Happy sandboxing

Bo

Thank you both very much for your replies. I've now got Sandboxie installed and am learning what I can and can't do with it. But I think you have both really helped a lot as I was looking for the practicalities of using a sandbox and what should be sandboxed. You've given me a lot to think about Bo and I shall be considering what you have said over the next few days - thank you very much.

All in all its looking promising and gain I thank you both for your input mto my question/s.

Tracey

TraceyW said:

I've now got Sandboxie installed and am learning what I can and can't do with it.

As your time using Sandboxie goes on, you ll come up with more activities or things you ll do with it. Sometimes people comes up with ways for using SBIE that I never thought about. So, what you do with SBIE, is really up to your imagination.

TraceyW said:

But I think you have both really helped a lot as I was looking for the practicalities of using a sandbox and what should be sandboxed. You've given me a lot to think about Bo and I shall be considering what you have said over the next few days - thank you very much.

You are very much welcome, Tracey. Let me add something about how practical is it to use a sandbox on a daily basis. In my personal case, the interaction between programs running in the sandboxed environment with the real system outside the sandbox is seamless. Personally, everything I do in the sandbox, I do it same way as if I was not using a sandbox. There is no difference on how I use programs when they run sandboxed as opposed as if I was not running them sandboxed. This "seamless interaction" is something I work on. How do I achieve it? Every time I create a new sandbox, when I set it up, to me personally, achieving a high level of usability is as important as securing it as much as possible. I try to achieve a balance between usability and security, so I set the sandbox as restricted and secure as possible but without losing any usability. And I achieve it every time.The key is finding the balance.

By the way, in Windows 10, you should be running latest beta. Its always works best for Windows 10. You can get the installer from the link below. You can run it over the top. Takes 15 seconds.

5.27 Beta Available USE THIS FOR WINDOWS 10 1809 [Latest version 5.27.2] - Sandboxie Support

Bo

Bo
I did upgrade to 1809 but for the purposes of this exercise I reverted back to 1803 since I wasn't prepared to try something which was in beta. After all its not a program that at the time I was familiar with and I preferred a stable version to work with in order to get to know what sandboxing was all about.

As I've already said, you've given me a lot to think about and now I need to work out what I want to do with Sandboxie and whether, like you, I want sandbox all my programs. In addition, by reverting to 1803 I have a stable version to work with. I may well have more questions in which case I shall be back to ask them. In the meantime I guess its a case of reading up what I can and just generally getting to know the program.

Again thanks very much for all your help.
Tracey