What Security do you use?

Mercenary

codger wrote: »

http://windowssecrets.com/2007/09/06/01-Unpatched-software-abounds-on-user-systems

I'm a Windows Secrets subscriber (before that, it was Fred Langa's LangaList) and time and again, the weekly newsletter has proved invaluable.

The above link relates to an invitation WS subscribers received last month to have their PCs scanned to establish just how good our basic "housekeeping" is.

The results are surprising. . . and I'm as guilty as many another WS subscriber, because though it's all right, banging on about this or that security software, that doesn't excuse being lazy when it comes to critical patches.

Hopefully no-one else here has been as daft as me in leaving at least one door partly open when I thought it was firmly locked. . .

I think Secunia is still offering the free "sweep": any MSErs out there who'd like more info, just follow the above link.

Codger

Secunia also offer a free (beta) version of Personal Software Inspector to download and run to monitor your system if you don't want to use the online scan frequently.

I was also quite surprised to find some of my software was unpatched/not upgraded as I'm usually fairly on the ball with it....but you can't always remember to check everything you've got, can you? :cool:

ourfear

Personally i hate Windows updates and generally have them turned off!! I find them to cause more trouble then it's worth. I know some of them can be helpful like Windows defender updates or WM player updates (especially in the light of recent security holes!!) but i always decline the others, especially the ever present Hot Fixes or Xp/Security updates.

I made the mistake not long ago by taking a holiday, some other team member went on the server and allowed the updates to install 2 days it took to get the network back up, i have no idea which of the updates it was, but i had to remove them one at a time and try again...NIGHTMARE!!!!

superscaper

ourfear wrote: »

Personally i hate Windows updates and generally have them turned off!! I find them to cause more trouble then it's worth.

Great, I'm going to have to get me one of these then:
http://www.wayodd.com/zombie-survival-kit/v/4746/

ourfear

superscaper wrote: »

Great, I'm going to have to get me one of these then:
http://www.wayodd.com/zombie-survival-kit/v/4746/

ROFLMAO firstly that is the coolest thing i have ever seen and I want one!!!!! :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

Secondly, im all good, Windows Defender, Zone Alarm, AVG, Ad-aware 2007, Spy-blaster....a plethora of anti zombieness on this dudes PC's!! lol

Have you seen this though, this is really scary:
http://blogs.zdnet.com/security/?p=493

superscaper

ourfear wrote: »

Secondly, im all good, Windows Defender, Zone Alarm, AVG, Ad-aware 2007, Spy-blaster....a plethora of anti zombieness on this dudes PC's!! lol

Have you seen this though, this is really scary:
http://blogs.zdnet.com/security/?p=493

I guess it's the people who don't update windows AND don't know what they're doing we should worry about.

ourfear

My girlfriends PC was a joke when i first moved in with her. 386 Ad-aware hits, and only half of which where IE (spits on floor) tracking cookies!! Never seen such a colourfull assortment of malware!! lol Her reasoning: Norton looks after it....my response.....your trial run out 6 months ago!!! lol

Scary though that a Botnet could get to the 1-10mil level!! Thats a hell of a lot of processing power at their fingertips!!

superscaper

ourfear wrote: »

Scary though that a Botnet could get to the 1-10mil level!! Thats a hell of a lot of processing power at their fingertips!!

I'm impressed and I'm imagining all the wonderful things you could do with it and I bet not one of them is on the Criminal Master's list. The thought that they could probably use it to take out any major site with a DNOS attack on a whim is very scary and that's just a mundane use for it.

ourfear

superscaper wrote: »

I'm impressed and I'm imagining all the wonderful things you could do with it and I bet not one of them is on the Criminal Master's list. The thought that they could probably use it to take out any major site with a DNOS attack on a whim is very scary and that's just a mundane use for it.

I know!! Talk about what to do when you get bored!! Today i think ill google partridge and hijack the first url that comes up! lol or ill just produce a 64gb rainbow table (considering a 610 MB table takes 3 days to make on a P4 and only cracks 5 character passwords...) and see what servers i can trick into PwDump! God...... I want a 10mil botnet!!!!!! Wanna be my firt zombie? lol

SiobhanG_3

I use AVG for viruses, and Spybot Search and Destroy for spyware. They're both free to download, and really good, so long as you keep up with updates.. I also only browse with Firefox, since it blocks most pop-ups.

superscaper

SiobhanG wrote: »

I use AVG for viruses, and Spybot Search and Destroy for spyware. They're both free to download, and really good, so long as you keep up with updates.. I also only browse with Firefox, since it blocks most pop-ups.

Although every current browser I know of has a pop up blocker built in. I wouldn't rely solely on Spybot for spyware either, maybe incombination with superantispyware or adaware and/or others.