What do you guys use in order to protect your PCs?

[TylerV]

I suggest some kind of sharing the experience:) What do you guys use in order to protect your PCs? As far as I know specialist recommend to use three basic means: firewall, anti-spyware and anti-virus. So what do you use? Please also add links. So, I think I'll be the first. So here is my recipe of 'total protection'

Firewall: Comodo(www.personalfirewall.comodo.com)

Anti-Spyware: Anti-Keylogger anti-keyloggers.com as permanent protection and Ad-Aware(www.lavasoftusa.com/) for scanning

Anti-Virus: NOD32(www.eset.com)

Waiting for your 'recipes':thumb:

[Rmus]

-{ Quote: "What do you guys use in order to protect your PCs?" }-See here:

What is your security setup these days?
http://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=111264


----
rich

[Rmus]

-{ Quote: " As far as I know specialist recommend to use three basic means: firewall, anti-spyware and anti-virus. " }-If you ask five "specialists" you will probably get five different recommendations of "basic means."

Without knowing a user's computing knowledge and habits, I can't see how a recommendation can be made from afar off.

----
rich

[gkweb]

Hello,

-{ Quote: "If you ask five "specialists" you will probably get five different recommendations of "basic means."" }-

Without debating about the meaning of "specialist" word, I agree. You can ask to ten people and have ten different answers. Personally, I've made two articles to help securing Windows, and in the last one (http://www.firewallleaktester.com/docs/Securing%20Windows%20-%20PART%202.pdf) anti-spyware is not considered basic at all (in fact I suggest you can use no anti-spyware).

It seems impossible anyway to give a basic setup fitting to everyone :)

Regards,
gkweb.

[ccsito]

Most security "specialists" probably say to use at least an AV and firewall and AS software since adware is becoming so prevalent. It's a shame that you have to "lock down" the Operating System in order to use your PC now. Back in the old BBS days, that wasn't much of a concern.:(

I think the first barrier of defense that I use now is my "magnifying glass" of what I encounter going online. I scrutinize all email and all websites/downloads that I come across first. Anything of suspicious origin is ignored.

[solcroft]

Sandboxie, ThreatFire, Windows Firewall, Returnil, Proxomitron. Happily clicking on every malicious link I can find with my copy of WinXP and IE6 which have gone unpatched for 4 years. I'm currently waiting for the new versions of GeSWall and SafeSpace to see if they can tempt me away from Sandboxie, as well as looking for a viable alternative to Proxomitron (unfortunately Proximodo looks as dead as a doornail as well).

[herbalist]

The core of my security package is Kerio 2.1.5, SSM free, and Proxomitron. The 3 combined enforce a default-deny security policy that has allowed me to browse where I please without any problems for over 2 years now. No AV, anti-spyware, anti-trojan, etc installed.
Rick

[zapjb]

Linux with Firestarter. That's it.

[djohn]

nod32/kerio firewall/spyblaster/windows Defender/

[the Tester]

It depends on your connection.I will be going to DSL later this month and I know that a router is strongly suggested.
In addition I will be keeping Online Armor free edition for the software firewall.
An antivirus is a good idea too.I am currently using Vba32 Personal.
I use WinPatrol Plus and SAS free,also A-Squared free scanner.
I sometimes use Sandboxie and almost never use IE as a browser.

[farmerlee]

Hardware firewall.
F-Prot.
Defensewall.

[gerardwil]

Router FW/NAT
OA Plus
LSP monitor
(that is the realtime things)

Gerard

[19monty64]

ThreatFire & AntiVir, that's it. Oh yea, a guard-dog too! Rough neighborhood and all....

[Kerodo]

Just using Avira Premium on a freshly reformatted system here.. Don't feel the need for anything else but that and the router...

[Arup]

Avira Premium on quad core and dual XEON PCs, nothing else.

[sukarof]

Limited account and Look´n´stop firewall.

[RCGuy]

-{ Quote: " I think the first barrier of defense that I use now is my "magnifying glass" of what I encounter going online. I scrutinize all email and all websites/downloads that I come across first. Anything of suspicious origin is ignored." }-

Ccsito, if you don't mind me asking, in what way do you first scrutinize your email and websites/downloads and is "magnifying glass" a name of some sort of program or are you just using that phrase generically?

[lucas1985]

-{ Quote: "as well as looking for a viable alternative to Proxomitron (unfortunately Proximodo looks as dead as a doornail as well)." }-
WebCleaner (http://webcleaner.sourceforge.net/) (?)
An UTM Linux/BSD distro using Squid/Dansguardian (?)
-{ Quote: "Ccsito, if you don't mind me asking, in what way do you first scrutinize your email and websites/downloads and is "magnifying glass" a name of some sort of program or are you just using that phrase generically?" }-
He's talking about common sense/safe hex ;)

[acr1965]

Anyone using WebCleaner?

[Long View]

What do you guys use in order to protect your PCs?

I keep mine chained to concrete blocks - there is a greater probability of them getting stolen than contaminated.

[feniks]

-{ Quote: "Hello,



Without debating about the meaning of "specialist" word, I agree. You can ask to ten people and have ten different answers. Personally, I've made two articles to help securing Windows, and in the last one (http://www.firewallleaktester.com/docs/Securing%20Windows%20-%20PART%202.pdf) anti-spyware is not considered basic at all (in fact I suggest you can use no anti-spyware).

It seems impossible anyway to give a basic setup fitting to everyone :)

Regards,
gkweb." }-

I just want to thank you for your article (part 1 also) I will recommend them to read for all my friends as base from which everybody interested in security should start. Before questions like - which firewall is the best etc. Thank you.

[jpcummins]

Realtime: Symantec AntiVirus Corporate, Trend Micro Anti-Spyware, Comodo BOClean, SpywareBlaster, SnoopFree.

On Demand: AVG Anti-Spyware, AVG Anti-Rootkit, RootkitRevealer.

Online: BitDefender, ESET.

I intend on in the future to replace Trend Micro Anti-Spyware with SuperAntiSpyware.

On Demand/Online scans are used alternately.

[Chuck57]

Had Blink until a few days ago, then felt the crazed need to try something else. Went to Webroot Desktop Firewall and it ran great until just a short time ago when I started getting the blue screen. Removed Webroot and everything is fine. I don't know the problem. It was great for a couple of days, and I bragged about it in another thread today.


So, I have Sandboxie covering my Netscape browser and Returnil engaged to handle all the rest. That might be overkill, but it's all working nicely. And, AVAST antivirus and a hardware firewall in my router and another firewall in our modem.

[Slovak]

Router+KAV, that's all I need. D-Link DGL-4500 gaming router and KAV 7. I never get infected, and neither does my son.

[OHM]

ThreatFire
Opera
Vista Firewall
Router (Hardware Firewall)
NOD32

a bit of an overkill, eh?

[Sisupoika]

I rely on a sort of unusual mix.
I use 99% of the time Windows XP Pro for work, and Linux not as much.

- LUA + software restriction policies
- my own scripts to use the LUA almost the same way I'd use an administrator account
- own IPSEC rules to restrict network communications (no 3rd party firewall other than the basic one integrated in my SpeedTouch router)
- OpenDNS set in the router to prevent from loading malicious websites (phishing etc); no phishing filters enabled in any browser
- as an addition to OpenDNS, own scripts to automatically update my HOSTS file with MVPS.org's
- antivirus: Avira free on demand, with auto scan of removable drives only and of downloads right after they have been completed by the browser
- custom "sandboxing" solution (LOL): I run my browsers with a user account ("NoChange") with read only permissions on all disks, as addition to the LUA.
- HashTab integrated in the shell to quickly check hashes when available
- Rollback Rx 8.1 to quickly "undo pc problems" as they state
- Windows Steady State to quickly manage additional accounts (girlfriend and guests)
- surf most websites with my own little browser which integrates for now only www.fastwebproxy.net (am working on a new proxy rotation system which I will implement in it asap) and automatically disables javascript, referer, etc.
I now use FF only for trusted unrestricted websites (but always with the read-only account in the LUA context)


Needless to say that I have never come across any problems at all and that my laptop is as fast as it can be, for there is nothing which slows it down. ;)

[ccsito]

-{ Quote: "Ccsito, if you don't mind me asking, in what way do you first scrutinize your email and websites/downloads and is "magnifying glass" a name of some sort of program or are you just using that phrase generically?" }-

There are email analyzer programs, but I am referring more to common sense. When you receive anything that you did not initiate first, that means the sender is trying to spam you (hoping you will be a new customer) or infect you. So communication of unclear origin is usually ignored and "trashed". At this point, I receive very little personal email online (I tend to ignore the chain mail forwarded messages from friends). And when I go to any website (even trusted ones), I try to be sure that nothing suspicious occurs when I access them.

[Franklin]

Disregard all others as Mr Super Duper Pooper Scooper Expert is about to release his secrets for the ulimate security line up.::)

Hardware FW

FF with Noscript/Adblockplus

Sandboxie configured to stop outbounds

Returnil

Ghost Images

[trjam]

Simplicity, thats all.;)

[ErikAlbert]

-{ Quote: "What do you guys use in order to protect your PCs?" }-
I always reboot in the same system.
Between two reboots, Windows Firewall + Anti-Executable + DefenseWall try to stop the installation/execution of malware as much as possible to save the day. If they miss something, it will be removed during reboot.

[Terror_Eyez]

I only use one piece of software, and only one and that is the godly Sandboxie! Hasn't failed me for 2.5 years straight after downloading 7 gigs of data per day! ;)

[Long View]

could you clarify ? do you mean that sandboxie has stopped nasties getting on your pc ? or that nothing has gotten on your pc in the last 2.5 years ?

I don't use Sandboxie. I can see how it might stop bad things getting on to the pc but how would I know ?

[Terror_Eyez]

-{ Quote: "could you clarify ? do you mean that sandboxie has stopped nasties getting on your pc ? or that nothing has gotten on your pc in the last 2.5 years ?" }-
Well actually both! See before I used to use a bunch of "layers" on my pc to stay safe, yet somehow something always got through and then I'd have to just re-format again. Well after using Sandboxie I haven't had to format once. I haven't formatted my pc in 2 and half years and its still blazing. Because Sandboxie not just keeps nasties off my HD, but it also keeps all kinds of junk off my PC (such as all the junk left behind by browsers that can't be cleaned when you clean the cache, or junk files created just by simply running a program, etc..) So it keeps my HD from getting cluttered, and the only thing that does stay on my PC is the stuff in the sandbox that I decide to keep, which keeps my OS running fast in the end! You should try out Sandboxie (http://sandboxie.com) if you get the time.;) It's really small, light, fast and pretty damn easy to use! Plus to make it easier, the developer released the "new" Sandboxie so since v3.20, everything is now done through the GUI which makes it alot easier and faster to configure as well as use the program!

[Long View]

Thanks Terror_Eyez

I did briefly try Sandboxie some time ago - it annoyed me because it took that little bit longer to load Firefox ( which is slower than IE anyway). I also lack a bit of motivation as I have never been infected ( as far as I know) and I use Reurnil
or deepfreeze to keep my systems fixed.

still I like the idea of Sandoxie and provided I can run with no performance hit will give it a go.

[Mrkvonic]

Hello,

I have several setups:

1. Linux - either nothing or just firewall.
2. Windows 1: Firewall + Firefox /w Noscript.
3. Windows 2: Firewall + anti-virus + Firefox /w Noscript.
4. Windows 3: Firewall + Group policies + Firefox /w Noscript.

5. Testing Windows platforms: anything goes.

But this is just a GUIwrapper for what I normally use - a bit of caution, common sense so to speak, trying to separate junk from funk, and generally adherring to deny first ask later.

I will usually not do the following:

1. Execute an unknown file without checking thoroughly what it is, including possibly online scan and checking it on scapegoat machine or virtual machine.
2. Open emails titled RE: hi and such and view stupid attachments, even if they come from the few friends I still have left.
3. Follow links to enticing places.
4. Install new things without backing up personal data and imaging OS.

In general, I like to work with scripts off, be it browser or pdf or whatever. I also like it plain and simple, reading documents in plain text.

And if possible, I'll use non-MS app to do anything, open-source if possible.

All this said, I do everything that is considered dangerous, surfing to pron, downloading via p2p, instant messaging, online gaming etc. It's just that I try to separate between what I want and what others want.

In other words - all my base are belong to me.

Mrk

[RCGuy]

-{ Quote: "There are email analyzer programs, but I am referring more to common sense. When you receive anything that you did not initiate first, that means the sender is trying to spam you (hoping you will be a new customer) or infect you. So communication of unclear origin is usually ignored and "trashed". " }-

Ah yes. Good point. And unfortunately at times, common sense can be ignored or "trashed" as demonstrated by this faux pas of mine in this thread: Youtube Virus (http://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=183975) ::) BTW, just for the record, and I don't think that I mentioned this in the "Youtube Virus" thread, but I was aware that I had a very good anti-virus program running on my computer and of course I was suspicous of the Youtube email that was in my Spam folder, therefore, my 'ignoring' of my common sense was coupled with an awareness of my AV program running on my computer. ;D

[python134r]

Hardware Router
Eset Nod32 v2.7/Kaspersky 6.0 A/V 2 different computers
SpywareBlaster
CCleaner
Spybot S&D