What Security do you use?

jazzeeeee5

Easy!

- For firewall: ZoneAlarm Pro (the only thing I found I need to pay for - for the added extras).

- For Anti-virus: AVG from Grisoft, FREE edition.

- Microsoft AntiSpyware For anti-Spyware / system clean (Also Free to download, from http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/software/default.mspx) - this is a nice, really easy to use programme.

- And finally, I use Mailwasher - so that I can read / bounce and delete emails before they arrive on my PC and so relieve me of any potential damge!!

All were FREE downloads. I have 2 teenage sons too, so u can imagine the cra* my system would have otherwse - and I have had no probs, ever. Each one compliments the other and between them have never missed a thing.

Mr_Skint_2

Sygate
AVG
Webroot Window Cleaner
Adaware

Did have Microsoft Anti Spyware but removed it as I thought it was poop.

jezza1O1

jazzeeeee5 wrote:

between them have never missed a thing.

By definition, if it was missed you wouldnt know it! There could be a tojan spying on you right now!



hehe im only joking, I think that sounds like a healthy suite of security products !

bbb_uk

Well I use:-

Firewall: ZoneAlarm Pro
AntiVirus: NOD32
Spyware/AdWare: Ad-Aware, Webroot Windows Cleaner and a modified 'hosts' file.
Other: PeerGuardian 2

jam

I "use" the NATness of a routing netgear adsl modem and nothing else.
I have an expired symantec on the laptop, and a frequently updated f-secure on my gf's PC, but nothing else.

I'm not trying to troll, just making the thread show the balance, some people hardly do anything, and still stay virus free.

charlieheard

jam wrote:

I "use" the NATness of a routing netgear adsl modem and nothing else.
I have an expired symantec on the laptop, and a frequently updated f-secure on my gf's PC, but nothing else.

I'm not trying to troll, just making the thread show the balance, some people hardly do anything, and still stay virus free.

How do you know you are virus-free? Your expired symantec will not pick up any of the latest trojans or worms. If you're on broadband, your machine could be sending out spam emails without you knowing it.

In the latest trials, an unprotected PCs lasted less than 10 minutes before being infected when connected to the internet.

I'm afraid this comment is right up there with "I've smoked all my life and its never hurt me..."

catch22

I have Spybot-Adaware SE Personal-AVG-Avast-Netgear Firewall.

Do I need both AVG and Avast though as I'm sure one of them makes my computer slower at times?

jam

charlieheard wrote:

In the latest trials, an unprotected PCs lasted less than 10 minutes before being infected when connected to the internet.

I guess this is kinda my point, none of the PCs i'm considering here, in fact none of the PCs i use at all have a direct connection to the internet, they all connect to local networks which i have configured to allow some internet resources to be available from.

In other news I can't tell that the machines aren't infected, and I do frequently think i should get round to getting zone alarm installed so i'll see a compromise.
As to the sending out emails part, I'm pretty sure it's not doing that, how would it manage? (As in where would it send them?)

clayts

catch22 wrote:

I have Spybot-Adaware SE Personal-AVG-Avast-Netgear Firewall.

Do I need both AVG and Avast though as I'm sure one of them makes my computer slower at times?

Not a good idea to run two AV programs as they will conflict. Try running one only.

I'd also run a software firewall too - whilst the router will block incoming stuff, it won't block outgoing stuff (eg dodgy spyware programs you've downloaded accidentally with other programs) - even the XP Firewall is better than nothing.

charlieheard

jam wrote:

As to the sending out emails part, I'm pretty sure it's not doing that, how would it manage? (As in where would it send them?)

Jam, I was being slightly facetious, but there is a serious point. Any PC which can reach the interent can also be reached from the internet. This means that unscrupluous hackers could use worms or trojans to access your PC and install backdoors. These can then be opened at will and they can then install keyloggers to harvest finacial data or they can use your machine as a zombie to do all sorts of things such as bulk mail spam or run a DDOS (Distributed Denial of Service) attack.

Firewalls and AV software will help, but they are continually working out new ways around these. Clever networking arrangements may make it not worth the effort, but unless you know precisely how they hack into machines, you're shooting in the dark.

This is all worst-case stuff, but how much do you value the integrity and data on your PC?