What Security do you use?

Fran

Can we keep this thread only to what security people use? In that way people can scan through and get an overview of what other people use without being taken off topic. (If you want to discuss any aspect of security please start a new thread or add to one that already exists - see FAQ's/Internet Security.)

Thanks.

wolfman

Draytek Vigor 2600 (Inbuilt port blocker)
Kerio Personal Firewall
NOD32 Antivirus
PestPatrol (for removing spyware)

I find Kerio to be very light and efficient of all the firewalls. It's aimed more at slightly more advanced users though. And it's FREE.

NOD32 again uses little system resources and very efficient, although I've often read that Kaspersky is the best.

PestPatrol, in my opinion by far the best anti-spyware app. Runs in realtime.

clarkeyi

I use Checkpoint Firewall with a pix using a 2 tier security design. But this is for work.
WinXP SP2 Firewall is hard to hack so that is good. Microsoft ISA 2004 is getting good ratings so this might be very big soon.
Any training needed please contact me - £50 per hour!!

dag_2

It's useful to know what security people use on their computers - however, it helps us get it into context if we know what you actually need to protect. For example, are you a small business, who keeps information about customer contacts on your computer? Or credit limits? Is any of the information on your computer confidential? How important is it that your computer stays operational?

Or are you merely a domestic user, who could do without your computer and any of the information on it, at a pinch? How much have you spent on software?

And what about other members of the family? Do you need to protect against the possibility that they might undo some of your security settings? Do you have user profiles with passwords for different members of the family? Does your use of the computer justify this? How much to you guide other family members on security? Do you train them on security? Or do you just not let them use the computer at all? And how do you stop them? Or - do you tell them they can do what they like with the computers?

As for me - I'm living on my own, and security on my computer is very slack. It doesn't need to be particularly tight. I would be bothered if the operating system and Office software vanished, but I figure I'd soon replace it at a local computer fair - and meanwhile, I'd make do with the computers at my local library.

Admittedly I've got passwords for internet bank accounts stored in plain text files on my hard disk - but I find it impossible to remember them all. Writing them on paper would probably be better.

I'm using Windows 98SE, I use Kerio firewall. I don't have up-to-date anti-virus - PCCillin. Some time ago, I found a package of freeware Windows command line utilities including "ps" and "kill" - they emulate the similar functions on linux. I use these every now and then to find out if there are any nasties running on my computer. So if a trojan like SubSeven or BackOrifice was running as a separate process, I'd probably notice it - but it might slip past me if it alters the executables I'm expecting to see.

I don't use peer-to-peer software, and I very rarely use Internet Explorer or Outlook Express. Mozilla is simply a better browser, in my opinion.

I tend to be a bit defensive about other people using my computer. I'd prefer not to be - and that would be my main reason for improving security. The thought of burglars cleaning out my bank accounts bothers me a bit - but I try to reduce the risk of being burgled by choosing where to live on the basis of government deprivation statistics - and so far, there's never been a problem.

Quonous

Admittedly I've got passwords for internet bank accounts stored in plain text files on my hard disk - but I find it impossible to remember them all. Writing them on paper would probably be better.

Sweet tap dancing christ, that's awful. You maybe using Kerio but any half awake hacker could be through that easily. They tell you not to write them down for a reason.

Anyhoo, I use:

Hardware Firewall (in router)
Hardware Firewall 2 (Built into the nForce 3 250GB Gigabit LAN chip on my Motherboard's chipset)
Windows Firewall (So I can see if anything's trying to get out)
Firefox
Adaware Personal
Spybot Search and Destroy
Spyware Blaster
AVG Anti virus 7
Win XP Pro Service Pack 2

Aside from tracking cookies, I have yet to see ANY spyware in the last three years.

Chippy_Minton

td wrote:

Why don't you use Internet Explorer?

Because there are far better and more secure browsers such as Firefox. The main risk with IE comes from programs called ActiveX controls which IE can run within web pages. Depending on your IE security settings, these controls may get downloaded to your computer and run automatically or you'll be warned and prompted.

You can protect against bad ActiveX controls (including rogue diallers) by running the Immunize option in Spybot Search & Destroy. SpywareBlaster also prevents dodgy ActiveX controls from being installed.

My security consists of:

Hardware firewall - Netgear DG834G

Trend Micro PC-cillin Internet Security 2005

Check for updates and run weekly:
Spybot S & D
SpywareBlaster
Adaware SE Pro
MS AntiSpyware
HijackThis

There's lots of good advice about anti-virus and spyware protection and firewalls at Secure XP
and optimizing XP performance at Optimize XP. Most of the stuff is common to both pages.

Chippy_Minton

dag wrote:

Admittedly I've got passwords for internet bank accounts stored in plain text files on my hard disk - but I find it impossible to remember them all. Writing them on paper would probably be better.

:eek: That's asking for trouble.

I use KeyNote for storing passwords and tons of other confidential information like PINs, login IDs, email addresses, account numbers etc. It's all encrypted and there's just one password or passphrase to remember.

Fran

Chippy_Minton wrote:

:eek: That's asking for trouble.

I use KeyNote for storing passwords and tons of other confidential information like PINs, login IDs, email addresses, account numbers etc. It's all encrypted and there's just one password or passphrase to remember.

Passwords have been discussed on these threads:-

Remembering Passwords/Usernames and Get your Mother's Maiden Name wrong!

charlieheard

dag wrote:

... security on my computer is very slack. It doesn't need to be particularly tight...

Admittedly I've got passwords for internet bank accounts stored in plain text files on my hard disk - but I find it impossible to remember them all. Writing them on paper would probably be better.

... I use Kerio firewall. I don't have up-to-date anti-virus - PCCillin. Some time ago, I found a package of freeware Windows command line utilities including "ps" and "kill" - they emulate the similar functions on linux. I use these every now and then to find out if there are any nasties running on my computer...

I tend to be a bit defensive about other people using my computer. I'd prefer not to be...

Without proper security, people will be using your computer without you even knowing it. Where do you think all this spam email comes from? An unprotected PC now lasts less than 5 minutes online before it is infected (just look at silicon.com)

And thinking you can find malware by an occasional look at the running processes :eek:

And as for storing financial information unencoded - what a Numpty :mad: Use any package - I use HandySafe which syncs with my smartphone so I've always got them with me

FWIW I use:

• Norton AV, updated daily
• Winpatrol, which monitors changes to key areas of windows and asks if you really want changes to be made
• Spybot-SD, which does much the same
• I used to use Zonealarm, but it started playing up. I then moved to Sygate, but the latest release freezes my PC, so I'm on an older release (Looking at the Sygate forums, lots of people have the same problem but Sygate still don't seem to have a solution - maybe not a good firewall for the future)
• Windows firewall, but that's not really a strong solution, is it?
• A key area are the security settings on the PC itself - how sure are you about all the websited you visit?
• Weekly I run Spybot and Adaware, but I'll try the Microshaft one based on the feedback here
• Last, but not least, regular backups, so that if something does go wrong, you can recover to a safe checkpoint - I use WinRescue which backups up key windows files and your own files. It's got me out of a few sticky situations when my hardware has failed and when software updates caused a problem

bridiej

I am now using:

AVG antivirus
Zone Alarm firewall (in addition to normal XP firewall)
MS Antispyware
Spybot

Thanks to this forum for the MS link!