Firewall
Firewall controls all network traffic to and from the system by allowing or denying individual network connections based on specified filtering rules. It provides protection against attacks from remote computers and enables blocking of some services.
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To modify firewall settings, open Application Preferences by using cmd+, or click ESET Cyber Security in the macOS menu bar and select Settings (Preferences). Navigate to row Protections > Firewall. For more detailed information and tips about firewall settings visit our Knowledgebase article. Knowledgebase articles are not available in all languages. |
Firewall Rules
Filtering rules allow you to set the action applied to the traffic generated by individual applications or background services within trusted zones and the internet. All connections are blocked if no rule is specified for the Firewall.
When you enable the Block all connections option, all inbound and outbound communication is blocked by the firewall. Use this option only if you suspect critical security risks that require the system being disconnected from the network.
The option to Enable stealth mode provides extra security by making your computer or network less visible to potential attackers. This setting shouldn't be confused with features like VPN or private browsing.
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Toggle Allow connections for ESET applications is always enabled. ESET applications require network connectivity to ESET servers to provide optimal protection. This setting can't be changed by the user. |
Application Rules
In the Application Rules section you can specify firewall filtering conditions for each application separately. Clicking on Application Rules opens a new window where you can add applications and set firewall rules. Applications can be added using drag & drop feature or by clicking on the plus 
button which opens standard system file browser. The minus 
button is used to remove an application's firewall rule. For each application you can choose to allow or block inbound and outbound connections. If application rule is defined for a specific application, this rule is used instead of other firewall rules except for Block all connections and Enable stealth mode rules.
Firewall actions for applications can be defined in the applications section within tools in main ESET Cyber Security menu, as well as through the Finder context menu. In order to view the context menu open Finder, go to Applications, select any application and Control+click (or right-click) on the selected application. The bottom four items of the context menu are ESET Cyber Security firewall options that let you Block or Allow all connections using ESET Firewall, Block only inbound connections or Allow outbound and trusted inbound connections using ESET firewall.
Fallback Rules
This functionality is described in a separate chapter Fallback Rules.
Firewall Logging
The logging option allows you to define the granularity of traffic logs generated by the Firewall. We recommend using this option with caution because logging all traffic can lead to a very large log file. You can choose to Log all network traffic or Log only traffic blocked by Firewall.