yes, the expected "safe" software would be allowed to access the net. SO, to be doubly sure, disconnect the net connection, switch on the program/software and check in your firewall if that software was allowed to access the net, without asking your permissin, as it belongs to the "deemed" safe ones like ad0be. Now start blocking those that you don't want o access the net one by one.
This process - though significantly more time taking is the safer route.