Rate my setup

[Mrkvonic]

Hello,

Here it goes:

An XP SP2 machine with patches about 1 or 2 months behind.

Browsing and email:

Browser: Firefox, used heavily to surf porn sites and whatnot.
Email: only webmail.

Other:
Constantly downloading porn 24/7 using several P2P applications.
Gaming quite often, including running servers.
Instant-messaging once in a while.

Backup strategy:
Save a few important things to DVD once in a while.

Maintenance strategy:
Defrag once in a while.

Resident: Kerio firewall.
On-demand scanners: ClamAV, Bazooka, HJT.

Mrk

[Jarmo P]

An XP SP2 machine with patches about 1 or 2 months behind.

Propably OK, more frequent patches recommended.

Browser: Firefox, used heavily to surf porn sites and whatnot.
Email: only webmail.

Good web email like gmail is safer than running email clients for ISP emails in many cases, I agree. Enabling javascript not recommended, Noscript?
No sandboxing solutions?

Other:
Constantly downloading porn 24/7 using several P2P applications.
Gaming quite often, including running servers.
Instant-messaging once in a while.

Backup strategy:
Save a few important things to DVD once in a while.

Maintenance strategy:
Defrag once in a while.

Resident: Kerio firewall.
On-demand scanners: ClamAV, Bazooka, HJT.

My new system will be XP Pro, not Vista.
If Vista, for the moment I would run built in firewall instead Kerio 4, if it even runs on that.
With XP kerio 2.1.5 recommended and add a simple hips like processquard.
Does not hurt to run a light weight AV like Avira free, no offense to clamav, just is not upto current viruses.
No mention if you run your XP under limited user account?

[Old Monk]

Hi

Rate the set up ?

xxx-rated by the sounds of it

Seriously though, I don't understand the thread. You're a linux user through and through aren't you ?

Is this another test of the members response ?

[Mrkvonic]

Hello,

The little cogwheels are turning and turning...

I'm a comm.... linux user, true. I'm also using Windows. At work, I'm forced to use Windows. At home, I'm using both Linuxes and Windowses.

Mrk

[Franklin]

Run Sandboxie and PowerShadow.

Anything you want to save to a partition check at Virus Total or Jottis first.

Or better still - switch to Linux.

[MaB69]

Hi all,

I agree with Old Monk, it's a joke IMO

Do you think someone using crack is more safe than a person surfing and downloading Porn ?

MaB

Edit : i didn't see you answer
Questions : Why choosing no realtime security scanner (only a firewall)?

[Old Monk]

Originally Posted by Mrkvonic

I'm a comm.... linux user, true. I'm also using Windows. At work, I'm forced to use Windows. At home, I'm using both Linuxes and Windowses.

Mrk

Ah okay but again I'd say you're experienced enough to know yourself what constitutes a reasonably safe set up in Windows as well or am I wrong there ?

If a complete noob posted your set up there would be posts flying in from all sides saying Noooooo ! Do this, do that, get this , get that !

The little cogwheels are turning and turning...

No sorry too cryptic for me. Yours or mine ?

[BlueZannetti]

Well..., I hope you have a pair of nice large drives and a ~GB of RAM.

Maybe it's just me, but I'm not enamored with ClamAV, I'd replace it with one of the free commercial offerings.

I tend to save important things to an external HDD - it's a little quicker, and therefore presents a smaller barrier to get it done.

You have the tools/knowledge to monitor and manually correct things if needed and it doesn't sound like you use this machine for things like banking/commerce/holding sensitive personal information. Things you want retained are offline. Worst case scenario in the event of a problem you can't handle (unlikely given your technical knowledge based on posting content) is a clean install of the OS and a couple of applications and you're good to go.

For your purposes, line it out with quick big drives, RAM, and the best video that's affordable and consistent with your monitor and other desires and you're good to go. Lock down policies if you want to avoid a reinstall.

So, for you, the setup looks fine....

As for the question raised being a joke, I'd say not, more that it is to make a point that context is everything in discussing risk management (aka security).

Blue

[Jarmo P]

Yes, Mrk was having his fun.
Though I agree that real time security scanners besides an AV are a waste of time/resources for safe users.

[Mrkvonic]

Hello,

I was trying to be a cynic, which is becoming easier day by day.

Seriously now, I will now be serious:

Computer itself / OS is meaningless. Personal information is priceless. And not because of spyware or such might get it. Because electricity, earthquake or plain hard disk crash might.

Therefore:

All production computers have:

UPS.
Two hard disks - OS & Data on first HDD, Data backup on second HDD.
Weekly backup of certain folders from first to second HDD.
Monthly backup of data to second HDD of a second / third machine in LAN.
Monthly backup of data to external hard disk (encrypted with TrueCrypt).
Monthly backup to DVD, full, at least two copies, kept apart.

Additionally, for convenience ATI images for OSs (Win & Linux).

Additionally, all computer configuration CDs, including mobo drivers, OS disks, copied for backup.

Special tools: Knoppix, Helix, UBCD4WIN (with ATI)
Super Special tools: SystemRescueCD (with GParted, Partimage, TestDisk) and Super Grub Disk live CDs - used them often to help people with virtually completely dead systems.

Browser: Firefox for Windows, any which for Linux.

Everything else is for fun - choose a setup, you name it. Firewall, yes please. Anti-virus, if you insist.
Patches & updates, well ... okay ...

And so forth.

And that's the whole philosophy. I can always reinstall OS in less than hour and configure it to bleed in less than a day. But I can never restore 4 years of books I've written. These are the only thing that matters. Some stupid program? I'll download it again. My cookies are gone! Big deal! True Type fonts for my fax machine! Oh no!

As to RAM, my two best machines, a total of 860GB HDD space + 4 DVD drives and just 3GB RAM, although one's got a 64x dual core processor, which just loves SUSE.

Mrk

[cprtech]

Oh cynical one

I like Opera over Firefox, but no big deal.

Also, did I miss something? Why not use Acronis or Ghost to image your drive and/or create incremental backups in addition to backing up important data to h/drive or dvd? That's what I do because I can restore my images far quicker than having to re-load Windows along with all the updates, programs, personal settings, e-mail, etc, etc...

I'm also a little surprised you don't have a resident av scanner, but, what the heck, you know something the majority of us don't

[Pedro]

So XP is as safe as GNU/Linux?

You're prepared for data loss, but are you prepared for data theft? (forgeting for the moment that it's you we're talking about; normal user will download other things you can't remember and visit sites you'll never visit- internet being a big place)

For you, i guess it's ok. You control things for yourself, by knowing what's going on, and how to look for things.

[Mrkvonic]

Hello,

Data theft is exaggerated. And it happens mainly in USA where privacy is not well defined. SSN is a bit of a plague, if you ask me.

It's pumped in the news because people are very sensitive about privacy and exposure of their data. Think about it. If you do not have a single important document in your computer, do you care if you get a trojan there? Apart from the slowdown, does it matter?

One more thing, if your pc contains non-English material, the exposure goes down by 90%, as most of the vectors are aimed where the money is - USA.

XP is not as safe as Linux. But that's not the point. The point is that MS practices are wrong. Even in Windows, 90% of apps I run are open-source stuff that you use on a Linux system anyway.

Linux offers better general security - but even more than that, it offers openness, fairness, better productivity, higher compatibility and standards compliance, and more. Security is a tiny aspect. And a very simple thing for home users. We're not talking securing huge databases. We're taking email and surfing.

And as Linux user, you get an OS that's not trying to undermine your integrity as a sucker who actually paid for the software.

Mrk

[Pedro]

Good point, as always! But not everyone uses the home pc just for browsing.
But your point is good.

Originally Posted by Mrkvonic

And as Linux user, you get an OS that's not trying to undermine your integrity as a sucker who actually paid for the software.

[Kees1958]

Originally Posted by Mrkvonic

Hello,

I was trying to be a cynic, which is becoming easier day by day.

Seriously now, I will now be serious:

Computer itself / OS is meaningless. Personal information is priceless. And not because of spyware or such might get it. Because electricity, earthquake or plain hard disk crash might.

Therefore:

All production computers have:

UPS.
Two hard disks - OS & Data on first HDD, Data backup on second HDD.
Weekly backup of certain folders from first to second HDD.
Monthly backup of data to second HDD of a second / third machine in LAN.
Monthly backup of data to external hard disk (encrypted with TrueCrypt).
Monthly backup to DVD, full, at least two copies, kept apart.

Additionally, for convenience ATI images for OSs (Win & Linux).

Additionally, all computer configuration CDs, including mobo drivers, OS disks, copied for backup.

Special tools: Knoppix, Helix, UBCD4WIN (with ATI)
Super Special tools: SystemRescueCD (with GParted, Partimage, TestDisk) and Super Grub Disk live CDs - used them often to help people with virtually completely dead systems.

Browser: Firefox for Windows, any which for Linux.

Everything else is for fun - choose a setup, you name it. Firewall, yes please. Anti-virus, if you insist.
Patches & updates, well ... okay ...

And so forth.

And that's the whole philosophy. I can always reinstall OS in less than hour and configure it to bleed in less than a day. But I can never restore 4 years of books I've written. These are the only thing that matters. Some stupid program? I'll download it again. My cookies are gone! Big deal! True Type fonts for my fax machine! Oh no!

As to RAM, my two best machines, a total of 860GB HDD space + 4 DVD drives and just 3GB RAM, although one's got a 64x dual core processor, which just loves SUSE.

Mrk

Mark,

That is why I did not respond. You know, you have a good setup. Have fun teasing forum members

Regards K

[Mrkvonic]

Hello,
I'm not Mark...
Mrk

[Peter2150]

Hello yourself MRK

I love your posts, and you have indeed made me rethink my security setup.

I run a home business on my two machines. I not only image every couple of days, I refresh FDISR archives daily as another form of backup, and finally all business software is exactly duplicated on both machines, and I sync all the data, between the two, so if one should go down, I not only don't lose data, I don't have down time.

I do have a security setup, but if I know I am going dodgy on surfing, my final protection is an image restore.

Pete

[Kees1958]

Originally Posted by Mrkvonic

Hello,
I'm not Mark...
Mrk

Sorry Mrk, thought it was an abbreviation, won't happen again.

[Kees1958]

Originally Posted by Peter2150

I do have a security setup, my final protection is an image restore.

Pete

Me to, first recovery is image restore with Partition Manager from harddisk when Windows is still working, second recovery a boot up from a BartXP CD with DriveImageXML to copy the image back. I always make my external harddisk image copy a little smaller (0,5MB) than the one on the C-drive, because the freeware DriveImageXML once gave a error message on a image copy when the sizes were axactly", stating the target was smaller than the original.

Regards

[Peter2150]

Originally Posted by Kees1958

Me to, first recovery is image restore with Partition Manager from harddisk when Windows is still working, second recovery a boot up from a BartXP CD with DriveImageXML to copy the image back. I always make my external harddisk image copy a little smaller (0,5MB) than the one on the C-drive, because the freeware DriveImageXML once gave a error message on a image copy when the sizes were axactly", stating the target was smaller than the original.

Regards

ShadowProtect handles that neatly. First you delete the volume, and then SP repartitions, based on the partition in the image itself. That way it doesns't really matter what was on the disk.