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

Discussion in 'other security issues & news' started by TylerV, Nov 15, 2007.

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  1. Sisupoika

    Sisupoika Registered Member

    Joined:
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    Posts:
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    Location:
    London
    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. ;)
     
    Last edited: Nov 20, 2007
  2. ccsito

    ccsito Registered Member

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    Location:
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    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.
     
  3. Franklin

    Franklin Registered Member

    Joined:
    May 12, 2005
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    2,517
    Location:
    West Aussie
    Disregard all others as Mr Super Duper Pooper Scooper Expert is about to release his secrets for the ulimate security line up.:rolleyes:

    Hardware FW

    FF with Noscript/Adblockplus

    Sandboxie configured to stop outbounds

    Returnil

    Ghost Images
     
  4. trjam

    trjam Registered Member

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    Location:
    North Carolina USA
    Simplicity, thats all.;)
     
  5. ErikAlbert

    ErikAlbert Registered Member

    Joined:
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    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.
     
  6. Terror_Eyez

    Terror_Eyez Registered Member

    Joined:
    Nov 22, 2007
    Posts:
    23
    Location:
    Your moms bed...
    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! ;)
     
  7. Long View

    Long View Registered Member

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    Apr 30, 2004
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    Location:
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    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 ?
     
  8. Terror_Eyez

    Terror_Eyez Registered Member

    Joined:
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    Posts:
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    Location:
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    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 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!
     
  9. Long View

    Long View Registered Member

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    Location:
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    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.
     
  10. Mrkvonic

    Mrkvonic Linux Systems Expert

    Joined:
    May 9, 2005
    Posts:
    10,215
    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
     
  11. RCGuy

    RCGuy Registered Member

    Joined:
    Aug 7, 2005
    Posts:
    541
    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 :rolleyes: 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
     
  12. python134r

    python134r Registered Member

    Joined:
    Nov 11, 2004
    Posts:
    9
    Location:
    Sunny South Florida
    Hardware Router
    Eset Nod32 v2.7/Kaspersky 6.0 A/V 2 different computers
    SpywareBlaster
    CCleaner
    Spybot S&D
     
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