best anti hack and virus protection

[Newt]

If you are the only user, you can leave the operating system security settings as they are. If there are others, you probably want to set the system up so that you can do whatever but the other users cannot install software or do much that affects other than their workspace. Let me know how you want to proceed on that.

 

I also recommend you download the following

- spywareblaster offers passive protection against around 3000+ bits of malware. They simply never get on your system. Install it, update protections, close it. Then update it once a month or so.

- Spybot Search & Destroy offers both passive protection (called 'immunize') and active scans for any baddies that have gotten past other protections. I suggest updating and running it once a week at first and after a while of nothing being found, cut back to every other week.

- Ad-aware is another spyware finder/remover but without some of the passive protections. Good to have and to run since no one of the spyware removers can find everything and I always run the pair.

 

The antivirus and firewall suggestions in previous posts are good. I would not personally allow McAfee on any PC in my home. Had too many problems with it over the years. I was a Norton fan but lately and especially with XP, it has gotten as bad as McAfee.

 

If you plan to run firefox as your browser, that's about it. If you plan to run Internet Explorer there are some other things you'll want to do.

[Steve Burke]

gonefishing:

i use zonealarm pro...no AV software (in about a decade)...good habits and regular patching negate 99.9999999% of virii behind a good firewall like ZApro..AV programs have a habit of slowing your machine down, needing constant updates and renewal and generally being a pain in the arse.

 

www.trendmicro.com has an online free virus scanner should you ever get something suspiscious.

Yes, but without an AV program there's an increased risk. If you do get a virus you may well pass it on to others and create aggo for them. In fact, for many who aren't good with computers this would be a very serious problem indeed!

 

For this reason it has been suggested that no computer should be allowed to be sold without an AV program.

 

What do Forum members think? Sensible or draconian?

[Newt]

Steve - great idea but wouldn't help most of us since the folks who happily run unprotected and spew out copies of virus infections they get would be the same folks who would never bother to update their virus ref files or who would remove the protection

- cause I don't need it

- cause it takes up valuable space

- cause it slows me down

[gonefishing]

Steve, your right that if you dont have an AV program you could pass stuff on and there is an increased risk, but despite this, in a decade i've had two virii (and those came from a dodgy disk and a port hack)... despite owning a room full of 10-15 machines every year in that time. Since that attack 5 years ago i've adopted better practices. One of the virii would have been stopped by a scan that would have had to been set to scan every file on the system that was opened, because of the way it was embedded and the OS it was vulnerable on....the other one got through firewalls and AV scanners anyway.

 

1)never open an attachment from someone you dont recognise, in fact i check every header of any emails that i dont recognise the sender of.

 

2)never open an attachment that isnt for any purpose (like .exe's sent from your mates)

 

3)always run a good firewall (that removes the trojan threat) and steaths any vulnerable ports

 

4)always update OS patches

 

5)dont download dodgy stuff from websites (unless you can tell what it is)

 

anything vaguely suspicious gets scanned by trendmicro.com .

 

As far as your suggestion, it would only work if every machine updated its definitions everyday...because a lot of people buy a machine these days but the AV license expires or they dont download new definitions...so people think theyre safe, when they're not...which is a bit like finding a condom down the back of the sofa and not checking the date or for holes...more dangerous that being without