Virtual Sandbox 2.0

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New to Version 2.0

• More convenient intrusion prevention and privacy protection
• Browse the Internet knowing your personal information is safe without changing your normal usage practice including saving favorites and bookmarks
• Supports IE, Firefox, Opera, Mozilla, Avant, AOL, and Netscape browsers
• More flexible handling of any downloaded programs; either block execution, isolate execution in a synthetic virtual environment, or prompt the user for more options
• Improved intelligent user prompting; respond to warnings when it is convenient; easily view secure digital signatures
• Provides easy elective persistent storage of downloaded files
• Password protect all discretionary security options

At a glance

• Supports Windows 2000 and XP
• Allows you to safely open email attachments
• Applications running in a Virtual Sandbox have no access to My Documents, My Pictures, My Music or any personal data
• Eliminates threat of viruses and spyware
• Each program can run in its very own isolated virtual sandbox
• Any programs downloaded from Internet explorer run in a Virtual Sandbox isolated from your personal files
• File and registry changes are discarded when the virtual sandbox is destroyed
• Easily identify sandboxed programs
• Prevent unknown programs from running
• Automatically logs all applications launched in a Virtual Sandbox
• Supports drag and drop for adding trusted and blocked applications
• Any modifications to files or registry keys don’t actually change any real files on the disk, and are discarded when the Virtual Sandbox is destroyed
• Every program that is downloaded and run will execute only in an isolated environment with its own stripped down and detached view of files and registry keys

Virtual Sandbox™ 2.0
FAQ

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What does it mean for a program to run in a Virtual Sandbox?

Running in a sandbox means that a program is isolated in a secure environment with a synthetic view of a user configurable subset of files and the registry, the operations upon which will all be discarded when the sandbox is closed. By default, programs running in a sandbox are not allowed to make any actual modifications to real files or registry keys on a system, but can only make changes visible inside of the sandbox.

Programs running in a sandbox appear on the Windows desktop alongside other applications. By default, programs running in a sandbox have a view of files and the registry similar to a freshly installed Windows base system with a single user account called SyntheticUser.FGVS.x, no personal files, and no local network.

Can programs running in a sandbox erase my files?

No. Programs running in a sandbox do not have actual access to any real files. If a program in a sandbox attempts to erase a file, then the file will be removed from inside the sandbox only and the real file will be unaffected.

Can programs running in a sandbox access my personal files?

No. Virtual Sandbox creates a fake synthetic user profile with an empty My Documents folder. Programs running in a virtual sandbox cannot access the name of the conventionally logged on user or any of the real users’ folders in Documents and Settings.

Can programs running in a sandbox overwrite files?

No. Programs running in a sandbox do not have actual access to any real files. If a program in a sandbox attempts to overwrite a file then the file will only appear to be overwritten inside the sandbox. The real file will be unaffected.

Can programs running in a sandbox set themselves to auto-start the next time that Windows boots?

No. Any change that a program running in a sandbox would make would be discarded when the sandbox is closed. If a program running in a sandbox added itself to the run key in the registry, for example, this addition would only take place in a synthetic copy of the registry that will be discarded when the sandbox is closed.

Can programs running in a sandbox add or remove icons from my desktop?

No. Programs running in a sandbox only have access to a fake synthetic initially empty desktop folder.

Can programs running inside a sandbox install programs on my computer?

Any programs that are installed in a sandbox are only available inside the sandbox and are discarded when the sandbox is closed.

Can programs running in a sandbox save files permanently anywhere on the disk?

Yes. By default, starting with version 2.0 Virtual Sandbox maps a folder called My Virtual Sandbox Downloads from the user’s real My Documents folder into the synthetic user profile visible in a sandbox. Any files saved here will persist after the sandbox is closed.

In both versions 1.0 and 2.0, the user can elect to make any folder a destination for persistent storage for a sandbox. This feature is exposed through the Permanent Writable Files and Directories sandbox property available by selecting Configure Sandbox Properties under the Options menu.

This feature should be used with caution as it opens full access to the selected folders for all programs running otherwise isolated in a sandbox.

How can Virtual Sandbox be configured to block any downloaded program from running?

Under the Options menu there is an Unknown Programs item where the treatment of unknown programs can be selected. By default Virtual Sandbox prompts the user when an unknown program is encountered. Through this prompt, the user is given the option to run the program isolated in a sandbox, run it normally on the machine (as if Virtual Sandbox were not installed), or block it from running. By selecting “Block” from the Unknown Programs menu item, the user will not be prompted for a treatment option when an unknown program is encountered. Unknown programs will simply not be allowed to run.

What happens when a program running in a sandbox launches another program?

Programs running in a sandbox can only launch other programs that will run in that same sandbox. There is no way for a program running in a sandbox to launch a program that runs outside of the sandbox.

When does Virtual Sandbox discard changes?

Any changes that are made by programs running in a sandbox are only visible inside the sandbox, or through the Virtual Sandbox Explorer. All changes are discarded when a sandbox is closed. By user election, Virtual Sandbox can be set up to close a sandbox automatically at one of three times: 1) when the user logs off (this is the default), 2) when the machine reboots, or 3) when the last process in a sandbox terminates. A sandbox can also be closed at anytime through the Virtual Sandbox Explorer or the command line utility.

How can Virtual Sandbox be configured to allow access to the local network?

By default Virtual Sandbox strips all isolated processes of network credentials and further prevents access to any remote shared file resources through other methods. This feature can be turned off by enabling the Network Credentials property through the Configure Sandbox Properties item under the Options menu.

Once I determine an email attachment is safe, how can I launch it without it being isolated in a sandbox?

Any attachments launched from an email client application configured to isolate attachments will always run in a sandbox. The attachments must be copied to some area outside of the email client to launch normally. Executables that come in as email attachments will need further verification still to launch outside of a sandbox.

I accidentally blocked a program and selected remember this decision. How can I run the program again?

Once “Remember this decision” is selected from the Virtual Sandbox Security Alert, there will be an entry in the Virtual Sandbox Program List indicating the selected option to remember. Simply open the Virtual Sandbox Configuration Interface, double click on the program and chose the desired treatment option (either Start Normally, Do not Allow to Start, Prompt the User, or Launch in Default Sandbox). Alternately the program can be deleted from the program list and receive the treatment specified through Unknown Programs in the Options menu.

What happens to processes running in a sandbox when I kill the sandbox?

Before the sandbox is closed and changes are discarded, all processes running in the sandbox are destroyed. This is an orderly and certain termination of the processes. The processes are halted and removed from memory.

Can programs running in a sandbox load device drivers?

No. Programs running in a sandbox cannot load device drivers or install system services.

How can I block programs running in a sandbox from sending information over the internet?

By default programs running in a sandbox have access to the Internet. This feature can be turned off by disabling the Internet Access property through the Configure Sandbox Properties item under the Options menu.

How does Virtual Sandbox know to isolate email attachments?

During installation Virtual Sandbox makes a note of all registered email client applications for special treatment. These applications are placed on a special internal “Blue List”. All programs on this blue list run normally and outside of a sandbox. Any processes that are launched by a blue list program, however, are automatically isolated in a sandbox without prompting the user and without regard to how they may be classified in the program list or to the content of their secure digital signature.

What is the difference between the Virtual Sandbox free version and the for sale version?

The free version is actually version 1.0 of the for sale version. We give it away for free because we think it creates value for people and would otherwise just sit idle. The for sale version has a more modern interface, auto-configures some convenience features, allows consistent functioning of browser favorites inside and outside of a sandbox, provides more information regarding secure digital signatures, and can be centrally managed on a network through our Central Control Version 6.

What is Least Privilege mode?

Some users of Windows logon regularly to an account that is a member of the Domain Administrators Group or the Local Administrators Group, a practice not recommended, but that is frequently necessary for running particular applications.

When Least Privilege Mode is enabled, Virtual Sandbox will strip the administrative credentials from each process that is running in a sandbox. This option is not necessary for proper security, but can be useful for testing how applications will run without administrative credentials and for other esoteric purposes requested by beta testers. Least Privilege Mode only applies to applications launched with the credentials of some user that is a member of one of the administrative groups.

Does Virtual Sandbox use Windows Job Objects?

The user can elect to isolate processes in Job Objects through Virtual Sandbox. This feature is disabled by default but can be configured as a sandbox property under the Options menu.

How does Virtual Sandbox work?

Virtual Sandbox creates a synthetic file system and registry that is based on a subset of the installed operating system components. All operations attempted by programs running in a Virtual Sandbox affect only the synthetic system which is discarded when the sandbox is closed. Virtual Sandbox is built on technology that has been in commercial use for more than five years in other products and that is running on over one hundred thousand computers.

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