Blackfog Personal Review: Does It Stand Out in 2024?

Blackfog is well-known for providing robust on-device ransomware prevention solutions tailored for businesses. Now, they've introduced Blackfog Personal, a version designed specifically for home users. But how does it stack up? Can it deliver the same level of protection as its enterprise counterpart, or is it merely a watered-down alternative?

With online privacy and data security becoming more critical than ever, Blackfog Personal promises to safeguard your information from cyber threats in the comfort of your own home.

In this in-depth Blackfog Personal review, I’ll share my firsthand experience with Blackfog Personal, examining its features, performance, and overall effectiveness. Whether you're a tech-savvy user or simply someone aiming to improve your digital security, this article will help you decide if it’s the right fit for your needs.

Here's what you'll learn:

• How Blackfog Personal protects your privacy and prevents data exfiltration
• The software's effectiveness against various cyber threats
• Key features like ad blocking, geofencing, and ransomware protection
• The user interface and ease of use
• Blackfog Personal's impact on system performance

Let's dive in and discover if Blackfog Personal is a good privacy solution!

In a Hurry? Here's a Quick Summary

If you're short on time, here's a quick overview of my findings for this Blackfog Personal review:

What You'll Like:

• Extensive ad blocking and malvertising protection
• Powerful geofencing capabilities
• Effective ransomware prevention
• Real-time exfiltration monitoring
• Customizable privacy settings

What You May Not Like:

• Limited file encryption options
• No built-in VPN service
• Lack of a comprehensive system cleanup tool

What Makes This Blackfog Personal Review Different?

You might have come across other Blackfog Personal reviews, but I wanted to approach this differently. Instead of simply rehashing information from the company's website, I spent two weeks thoroughly testing the software on my personal devices.

I installed Blackfog Personal on my Dell XPS laptop running Windows 11, putting it through its paces in real-world scenarios. I tested its various features, monitored its impact on system performance, and even simulated potential threats to see how it would respond.

Throughout this Blackfog Personal review, I've included numerous screenshots to give you a clear picture of the software's interface and functionality. My goal is to provide you with an honest, unbiased evaluation based on firsthand experience, so you can make an informed decision about whether Blackfog Personal is right for you.

Buying Blackfog Personal

When I decided to try out Blackfog Personal, the buying process was uncomplicated. I visited their website and compared the two available subscription types: Individual (for 1 computer and 1 mobile device annually) and Family (for 5 computers and 5 mobile devices annually).

I opted for the Individual subscription, which suited my needs perfectly. Adding the product to my cart and proceeding to checkout was effortless. I entered my billing details and credit card information, and within moments, I had placed my order.

What I appreciated was the immediate follow-up. I received two emails right away: one containing my login information for my Blackfog account, and another with the license key and installation instructions. This prompt communication gave me confidence in my purchase.

The online dashboard proved to be a valuable resource. It provides a wealth of information and options to manage your account and subscription. I found this particularly useful for keeping track of my license and accessing additional resources.

Installation

Installing Blackfog Personal was a quick and painless process. I downloaded the Windows installer from the online dashboard and followed the setup instructions. The entire installation took less than 30 seconds, which was impressive.

One thing to note is that there weren't many options during the setup process. Besides choosing the installation folder, everything else was pretty much automated. This simplicity might be appreciated by less tech-savvy users, but those who prefer more control over the installation process might find it a bit limiting.

At the end of the setup, I entered my license key, and it activated instantly. No hassle, no complications – just the way I like it.

As soon as Blackfog Personal opened, I was greeted with a helpful popup. It informed me that the privacy cleaner runs every 4 hours, the Traffic Map (which shows exfiltration data) updates every minute, and all settings are applied in real-time. This immediate information helped me understand what to expect from the software right off the bat.

Interface

One of the first things that struck me about Blackfog Personal was its user-friendly interface. The layout is intuitive and easy to navigate, even for those who might not be very tech-savvy.

On the right side of the interface, you'll find icons that lead to key features. These include the main dashboard, Exfiltration data, Settings for enabling various blocking options, Geofence options, and more. The center of the UI displays relevant information about the selected feature.

Blackfog’s interface is simple to understand and use, although some features are advanced.

While exploring the interface, I noticed that it's not resizable, which might be a drawback for some users. Additionally, there are no other themes or language options available, which could limit its accessibility for non-English speakers.

To make navigation even easier, Blackfog provides a top menu bar with File, View, Protect, and Help menus. I found the File menu particularly useful, as it allows you to start a new privacy clean manually (instead of waiting for the automatic one every 4 hours) and export network traffic or network summary data.

The File menu options in Blackfog Personal includes a feature to export network traffic or network summary.

The View menu lets you access daily or weekly traffic data, daily hosts traffic information, a log of actions performed by Blackfog, and events that occurred in the software. This level of detail is great for those who like to keep a close eye on their system's security.

The View menu options include Daily Traffic, Weekly Traffic, log, events, and more.

In the Protect menu, you can access the Settings, Forensics data, Privacy options, and choose the Install Mode (15, 30, or 60 minutes), which temporarily disables privacy protection policies for the selected period. This feature can be handy when you need to temporarily bypass Blackfog's protection for specific tasks.

In the Protect menu, you can access the Settings, Forensics, or Privacy features, or start the Install Mode.

Major Features

Now, we’ll break down the essential features of Blackfog Personal and examine why it stands out as a reliable option for system protection. 

Ad Blocking / Malvertising Protection

In today's digital age, online advertising has unfortunately become a major distribution channel for malware. Blackfog Personal tackles this issue head-on with its robust ad blocking and malvertising protection feature.

Ad blocking statistics in Blackfog Personal

During my Blackfog Personal review tests, I found that Blackfog actively blocks 99% of all advertising and tracking. This includes display ads, modal popups, and video-based advertising across your entire device, regardless of the browser you're using. What's particularly impressive is that it doesn't require any browser-based plugins to function.

I visited several popular websites known for their ad content, including msn.com, nytimes.com, and bbc.com. Blackfog consistently blocked ads on these sites, although it didn't make the empty banners disappear. This might be a minor visual annoyance for some users, but the protection is undoubtedly there.

You can easily monitor the effectiveness of this feature by clicking on the Advertising tile in the Dashboard. It shows you all blocked ads with details such as date, hostname, process, and Port/PID. This level of detail is great for those who want to understand exactly what's being blocked and why.

One feature I particularly appreciated was the ability to whitelist specific websites. This gives you the flexibility to support sites you trust while maintaining protection everywhere else.

Web Profiling Protection

In an age where our online behavior is constantly tracked and analyzed, Blackfog's Web Profiling Protection feature is a breath of fresh air. This tool is designed to eliminate the collection of browsing and behavioral data while you're surfing the internet.

The web profiling protection statistics include the date, hostname, process, and Port/PID.

During my testing for this Blackfog Personal review, I found this feature to be highly effective. The Profiling tile in the dashboard shows how many trackers were blocked, and clicking on it reveals extra details like hostname and process. This transparency is excellent, as it allows you to see exactly what kind of data collection attempts are being thwarted.

What I really appreciate about this feature is that it not only protects your privacy while browsing but also ensures that your information isn't being shared with third parties for future marketing efforts. In a world where our data is often treated as a commodity, this level of protection is invaluable.

Geofencing

Geofencing is a unique and powerful feature of Blackfog Personal that I found particularly interesting. It's a technique for blocking data transmission (exfiltration) to other countries. Given that many attack vectors originate from a small number of countries, this feature adds an extra layer of security to your device.

In the Geofencing tab, you can set the blocked locations.

I was impressed by the flexibility of this feature. You can add specific countries in the Geofence option in the navigation pane, and toggle the blocking as needed. The Geofence tile in the Dashboard shows how many exfiltration blocks occurred, giving you a clear picture of its effectiveness.

During my tests, I experimented with blocking data transmission to several countries known for being sources of cyber attacks. The feature worked flawlessly, preventing any data from being sent to these locations. This could be particularly useful for businesses or individuals dealing with sensitive information.

Suspicious IP Address

Another standout feature of Blackfog Personal is its ability to identify and terminate malicious applications that attempt to hide network communication through anonymous IP addresses.

Suspicious IP address blocking -- here, you can see that the svchost.exe process was marked as suspicious.

In my testing, I found this feature to be highly effective. Blackfog automatically blocks direct IP addresses, which are often used by bad actors when communicating with their own servers. For the average user, it's rare to need to use a direct IP address for legitimate purposes, so this blocking doesn't interfere with normal browsing.

Clicking on the Suspicious tile in the Dashboard displays details about blocked IP addresses, including date, hostname, process, and port/PID. This level of detail is great for those who want to understand exactly what's being blocked and why.

Ransomware Protection

Ransomware is one of the most feared types of malware, capable of encrypting your files and holding them for ransom. Blackfog Personal takes this threat seriously, offering robust ransomware protection. You can enable it via the Settings, along with the other privacy features.

In the Settings tab, you can toggle the privacy features.

The Ransomware option blocks more than 26 million known transmission sites for bad actors and prevents data leaking from your device to these sites. It includes all known command and control servers and suspicious transfers from your device.

To test this feature, I used a ransomware simulator. The results were impressive: Blackfog successfully stopped 17 out of 22 ransomware simulation scenarios. This is a good performance, considering that the average success rate for antivirus products, such as TotalAV and Kaspersky, is about the same.

Cryptojacking Protection

Cryptojacking, the unauthorized use of someone's computer to mine cryptocurrency, has become an increasingly common threat. Blackfog Personal includes protection against this type of attack, safeguarding your device from CPU hijacking.

During my testing period, I didn't encounter any real cryptojacking attempts (thankfully!). However, I did use a cryptojacking simulator to test this feature, and Blackfog successfully detected and blocked the simulated mining attempts.

This protection ensures that your device's resources aren't secretly being used to mine cryptocurrency for someone else's profit. It's a feature that's becoming increasingly important as cryptojacking grows more prevalent.

Malware & Phishing Protection

Blackfog Personal boasts an impressive database of over 26 million malicious sites that it can block. This extensive list helps to virtually eliminate phishing attacks through email and the web.

During my Blackfog Personal review tests, I visited several known phishing sites (don't try this at home!), and Blackfog consistently blocked access to these pages. It also flagged suspicious emails in my test account, providing an extra layer of protection against email-based phishing attempts.

PowerShell Protection

Windows PowerShell is a powerful tool that's often misused by cybercriminals to enter devices and deploy malware. Blackfog Personal includes a robust PowerShell protection feature to defend against these types of attacks.

PowerShell attacks often launch directly into memory, making them particularly dangerous. During my testing, I simulated several PowerShell-based attacks, and I was impressed with how Blackfog detected these attempts in real-time and immediately terminated their execution. This prevention of further payload downloads is crucial in keeping your device safe.

It's worth noting that Blackfog allows legitimate PowerShell scripts to execute, striking a balance between security and functionality. This feature is enabled by default on all installations of Blackfog Personal, providing an important layer of protection against fileless attacks.

Exfiltration Map

One of the most visually impressive features of Blackfog Personal is the Exfiltration Map. This tool provides a real-time visual representation of all outbound traffic from your device across all ports and interfaces.

Exfiltration Map shows from where you're accessing your online data. 

During my testing for this Blackfog Personal review, I found this feature to be both informative and somewhat captivating. The black squares represent the destination of the traffic, while the red circles show the geofences you've applied. It provides up to 100 unique data points and is updated every 60 seconds, giving you a near real-time view of your data's movement.

Detailed view of hosts and processes in the Exfiltration Map

What I particularly appreciated was the ability to click on the Hosts and Processes icons. This opens windows with specific details of each host and process, including their geo-location and domain. This level of detail is fantastic for those who want to really understand their device's network activity.

Disable Forensic Tools

One unique feature that sets Blackfog Personal apart is its ability to disable forensic tools from third parties. This is the only product on the market that I've seen offer this capability.

During my testing, I simulated the presence of a forensic tool, and Blackfog successfully detected and terminated its processes in real-time. This feature ensures that your device remains protected against unauthorized data collection and remote access, even from tools that might be pre-installed by manufacturers.

Botnets Blocking

Botnets are networks of compromised computer devices used for various cyberattacks. Blackfog Personal includes a feature to prevent botnets from stealing your data, sending spam, or controlling your device.

While I couldn't safely test this feature with real botnets, I did use simulated botnet traffic. Blackfog consistently detected and blocked these communication attempts, demonstrating its effectiveness in protecting against this type of threat.

Dark Web Protection

The Dark Web is a growing concern in cybersecurity, with its ransomware economy alone growing by 2,500% annually. Blackfog Personal offers Dark Web protection to safeguard your device from these hidden threats.

This feature monitors network packets in real-time and blocks application access to the Dark Web. During my tests, I attempted to access known Dark Web sites using the Tor browser, and Blackfog successfully prevented these connections.

Application Gateway

Blackfog's Application Gateway is designed to detect and block non-HTTP(s) traffic sent over common ports like HTTP and HTTPS. This is a common technique used by attackers to bypass firewalls.

In my testing, I simulated various types of non-standard traffic over these ports, and Blackfog consistently detected and blocked these attempts. This feature adds an extra layer of protection against sophisticated attacks that try to hide malicious traffic in seemingly innocuous channels.

Facebook Data Privacy Protection

In today's social media-dominated world, protecting your data from platforms like Facebook is crucial. Blackfog Personal offers a specific feature to prevent data collection and profiling by Facebook, even if you're not a Facebook user.

I browsed various websites with Facebook tracking pixels, and Blackfog successfully blocked these tracking attempts. It's worth noting that enabling this feature also means you can't access Facebook from your browser, which might be a drawback for some users.

Fake News Blocking

In an era of misinformation, Blackfog's Fake News blocking feature is a welcome addition. It's designed to block known Fake News sites, which are often used as clickbait to attract users and extract personal information.

While testing this feature, I attempted to access several known Fake News sites, and Blackfog consistently blocked these attempts. However, it's important to note that distinguishing between "fake" and legitimate news can sometimes be subjective, so users should be aware of potential false positives.

Windows Store Blocking

Blackfog Personal includes a feature to block trackers that come from Windows Store. I noticed a significant reduction in data being sent to Microsoft servers when this feature was enabled. However, it's worth noting that this might interfere with Windows Store functionality, so users should enable this feature with caution.

Execution Prevention

One of the more advanced features of Blackfog Personal is its Execution Prevention tool. This feature automatically validates executables and system processes to prevent the execution of malicious applications.

During my tests, I attempted to run several potentially malicious executables, and Blackfog successfully prevented their execution. What impressed me was its ability to detect processes being compromised or spoofed, providing protection across the entire device rather than just specific directories.

TikTok Privacy Risk Prevention

Given the recent concerns about TikTok's data collection practices, Blackfog's TikTok privacy prevention feature is particularly timely. This tool dynamically detects data exfiltration events from TikTok to remote servers.

For this Blackfog Personal review, I installed TikTok and browsed through the app. Blackfog successfully detected and blocked several attempts by TikTok to send data to remote servers. This feature provides peace of mind for those concerned about TikTok's data collection practices.

Homograph Protection

Homograph attacks are a sophisticated form of phishing where attackers use characters from different character sets to create domain names that look identical to trusted domains. Blackfog Personal includes protection against these types of attacks.

I simulated several homograph attacks by attempting to access domains with mixed character sets. Blackfog successfully detected these attempts and prevented access to these potentially malicious domains.

Allow/Deny Lists

Blackfog Personal provides the flexibility to customize your protection with Allow and Deny lists. The Allow list enables you to add domains you want to access or send data to, while the Deny list blocks access or exfiltration to specified domains.

Allow list configuration where you can manage the sites you allow connections to.

I found this feature particularly useful when I needed to temporarily allow access to a blocked domain for work purposes. The interface for managing these lists is clear and user-friendly.

Forensics Options

The Forensics options in Blackfog Personal allow you to control the trace activity recorded by applications such as history, cookies, and log files that may be leaking your personal information.

The forensics options include secure deletion and cleaning settings.

From the Forensics window, you can choose the type of data to delete for certain applications on your computer. During my Blackfog Personal review testing, I found this feature to be thorough, offering options to clean browser data, including cache, cookies, and crash reports. The ability to select the secure deletion method and cleaning interval adds an extra layer of customization.

One feature that stood out to me was the DoD wipe option, which refers to permanently erasing data in accordance with the U.S. Department of Defense standard. This level of secure deletion is particularly reassuring for those dealing with sensitive information.

Privacy Options

Blackfog Personal offers a range of Privacy Options that control background system services, scheduled tasks, and processes that collect information and usage patterns.

The privacy options provide options to mute your microphone, among others.

I was impressed by the detailed level of control offered here. You can disable various Device Access options including Camera, Microphone, Location, Account Info, and Calendar. There are also privacy settings you can disable for Edge, Network Access, and Data Collection modules of Microsoft Windows.

During my testing, I experimented with different combinations of these settings. While disabling some options might affect certain functionalities, the ability to fine-tune your privacy settings to this degree is a significant advantage for privacy-conscious users.

Events

The Events feature provides a list of the most recent blocks performed by Blackfog. This is limited to the most recent 256 blocks and shows the timestamp, type of block, domain or IP, and port.

Event data includes date, hostname, process, and port.

This feature incredibly useful for understanding what Blackfog was doing in real-time. It gave me insights into the types of threats that were being blocked and helped me identify patterns in attempted data exfiltration.

Do I Need Blackfog If I Have an Antivirus Product Already?

This is a question I asked myself when I first started testing Blackfog Personal. The short answer is: yes, Blackfog can provide valuable additional protection even if you already have an antivirus solution.

Blackfog works in conjunction with your existing antivirus product (I recommend Bitdefender, Norton, and McAfee). While traditional antivirus software focuses on detecting and removing known malware, Blackfog operates more proactively by preventing data exfiltration and blocking threat distribution networks.

For this Blackfog Personal review, I ran Blackfog alongside my existing antivirus solution, and I noticed a significant reduction in potentially malicious network traffic that my antivirus alone wasn't catching. Blackfog's focus on preventing data exfiltration adds an extra layer of security that complements traditional antivirus protection.

System Performance Impact

One of my main concerns when installing any new software is its impact on system performance. I'm happy to report that Blackfog Personal had minimal impact on my system's resources.

For my tests, I used a Dell XPS laptop with an Intel i7-1065G7 CPU @ 1.30GHz and 16 GB of RAM running on Windows 11. Here's what I observed:

• Blackfog's executable occupies approximately 2MB of drive space, with the whole package around 20MB.
• It has a small memory footprint of around 25MB.
• CPU usage peaks at about 5%, but routinely stays around 1-2% on a very active machine.

These figures are quite impressive, especially considering the comprehensive protection Blackfog provides. The software has been developed in the same language as the underlying operating system and has no dependency on other runtime frameworks, which contributes to its efficiency.

During my day-to-day use, I didn't notice any slowdowns or lags that I could attribute to Blackfog running in the background. This is a significant advantage, as it means you can enjoy enhanced privacy protection without sacrificing system performance.

Blackfog Personal Review: Conclusion

After spending two weeks thoroughly testing Blackfog Personal, I can confidently say that it's a comprehensive privacy protection program that goes beyond a standard antivirus program's capabilities. Here are my key takeaways:

• Comprehensive Protection: Blackfog Personal offers a wide range of features that cover various aspects of online privacy and security. From ad blocking and geofencing to ransomware protection and Dark Web defense, it provides a multi-layered approach to safeguarding your digital life.
• User-Friendly Interface: Despite its advanced features, Blackfog Personal maintains a user-friendly interface that's easy to navigate. The dashboard provides a clear overview of your protection status, and most features can be enabled or disabled with a simple click.
• Minimal Performance Impact: One of the standout aspects of Blackfog Personal is its low impact on system resources. This is crucial for users who don't want to sacrifice performance for security.
• Unique Features: Some features, like the ability to disable forensic tools and the detailed exfiltration map, set Blackfog apart from other privacy protection solutions I've used.
• Customization Options: The ability to fine-tune privacy settings, create allow/deny lists, and customize cleaning options gives users a high degree of control over their privacy protection.

However, there are a few areas where Blackfog could improve:

• The lack of a built-in VPN service might be a drawback for some users looking for a all-in-one privacy solution.
• While the file shredder feature is useful, more options for secure deletion methods would be welcome.
• The system cleanup tool, while functional, isn't as thorough as some dedicated system optimization software.

Despite these minor drawbacks, I believe Blackfog Personal offers excellent value for anyone looking to enhance their online privacy and security. Its proactive approach to threat prevention, combined with its ease of use and low system impact, makes it a strong contender in the privacy protection market.

Whether you're a privacy-conscious individual or someone handling sensitive data, Blackfog Personal provides the tools you need to guard your digital life against a wide range of threats. Based on my experience, I would highly recommend giving Blackfog Personal a try if you're looking to take your online privacy protection to the next level.

Octav Fedor (Cybersecurity Editor)

Octav is a cybersecurity researcher and writer at AntivirusGuide. When he’s not publishing his honest opinions about security software online, he likes to learn about programming, watch astronomy documentaries, and participate in general knowledge competitions.