Protecting laptop

C_Ronaldo

Is it best i install the same protection on my laptop as i have on my pc,

chuckles1066

C_Ronaldo wrote: »

Is it best i install the same protection on my laptop as i have on my pc,

A BIOS password is what you need.

nealallen

Another member pointed me to this http://www.soft82.com/download/Windows/TrojanHunter

It's a great little tool. although it says, one month free trial, it gives you a year free. Here is some info on the Trojan Hunter...


TrojanHunter is a dedicated anti trojan with file memory and registry scanning. With an easy-to-use Scanner and a Guard that scans in the background TrojanHunter is a must-have complement to your virus scanner.

Features

- High-speed file scan engine capable of detecting modified trojans.

- Memory scanning for detecting any modified variant of a particular build of a trojan.

- Registry scanning for detecting traces of trojans in the registry.

- Inifile scanning for detecting traces of trojans in configuration files.

- Port scanning for detecting open trojan ports.

- The Advanced Trojan Analyzer, an exclusive feature of TrojanHunter, is able to find whole classes of trojans using advanced scanning techniques.

- TrojanHunter Guard for resident memory scanning - detect any trojans if they manage to start.

- LiveUpdate utility for effortless ruleset updating via the Internet.

- Process list giving details about every running process on the system, including the path to the actual executable file.

- Accurate removal of all detected trojans - even if they are running or if the trojan has injected itself into another process.

- Built-in netstat viewer.

- Extensive help files and FREE technical support via e-mail.

C_Ronaldo

chuckles1066 wrote: »

A BIOS password is what you need.

i take it that would mean a password have to be entered everytime the laptop is turned on

C_Ronaldo

nealallen

do you use the program yourself, you didnt answer my question either

chuckles1066

C_Ronaldo wrote: »

i take it that would mean a password have to be entered everytime the laptop is turned on

Yes, thats about as good as you can hope for.

There are backdoors to all systems, of course, but you can only do as much as you can do

C_Ronaldo

chuckles1066 wrote: »

Yes, thats about as good as you can hope for.

There are backdoors to all systems, of course, but you can only do as much as you can do

is it not as easy as resetting the bios password in a pc where you remove the battery and go in2 bios and change it

marksward

BIOS password does nothing. Take the drive out put it in another machine and either 1) rip all the data off it or 2) install an operating system giving you use of the laptop.If you want to make a laptop theft just (!) a hardware loss not a privacy/data loss then you need whole drive encryption.

If the losing of more than the hardware bothers you (IMHO it should!) then try free compusec from ce-infosys OR pay for whole drive encryption from pgpCorp. Both will require you to enter a password when you first switch on the laptop. Without the password the only thing anyone can do is reformat the whole lot. Its a secure as you can be. The data cannot be recovered. forget the password/phrase you are screwed (but thats the point).

Theres a service (trying to google now) that uses the same technology but gives you a USB dongle so you don't need to remember a complication password.

fwor

Is there anything specific wrong with using the Encrypting File System that comes with XP Pro and Vista? Would seem to be the easiest way to secure your data (assuming you have the right OS to do it).

C_Ronaldo

I use XP, ill look into that, therell only be pictures and possibly work on it,

marksward

Thats cool, you make your choice.

for me Windows leaves traces of all sorts of stuff around. My laptop is used for run of the mill stuff. But I like to know that if its nicked noone can use the cookies etc to go into my ebay, banking. forums accounts etc. I know you can remove cookies after each session, but its a pain to login each time. I like my spreadsheets, contact list and family photos to remain mine if possible!

Re the XP or Vista encryted file systems, I'm sure theres nothing wrong with it, I haven't tried it purely due to the 'all eggs in one basket' way of thinking I just prefer to use something outside the operating system supplier to secure things. Personally I use PGP from PGPCorp. Truecrypt (an open source supplier) is supposed to be releasing whole drive encryption early this year. I use their software for all my USB memory sticks. Free compusec has been installed on any pcs etc I set up for family/friends. Two of these have been stolen in burglaries, reasurring to know that its very, very unlikely the data will be accessible