What is your security setup these days?

Well I certainly don't get it. I don't do anything special to protection my machines nor do I go looking for trouble and when I load up scans to check they find nothing. I do get false positives but that is as exciting as it gets. what exactly do some people do to get infected ? can it be as simple as opening attachments from unknown sources ? or downloading "free" versions of expensive commercial software ? I know that in theory my bank or credit card company could infect me but they haven't done so far. Perhaps one day I will get it but so far I have found nothing that any security program would have protected me from.

 

Well in Drew99GT's example, his dad is one who is click-happy. He is not exactly trying to stay safe; and theres probably other people like him.

 

Ok like most I was also starting to get high CPU usage with OA. I installed new Nvidia drivers last night and the install hung for awhile then a pop up came from OA. Sometimes my icons disappear on boot up. I am back to this.

NOD32 3.0
Comodo 3.0

 

router (with hardware firewall)

realtime:
SandboxIE with Opera v9.50 (javascript disabled)
Avira AntiVir PE Premium
Comodo Firewall Pro with D+ (Custom Policy Mode, Paranoid Mode)
Winpatrol Free

on demand:
SuperAntySpyware Free Editon
GMER

various sysinternals tools

works great

 

Windows Firewall
ThreatFire Pro
Prevx 2.0
Linkscanner Pro

 

Online Armor dropped in exchange for DefenseWall.

Gone back yet again to Kerio 2.15, can't seem to find a better lighter firewall that continues to stand the test of time as this one. DefenseWall is matured to the point i can't pass it up any longer, it's improvements have accellerated and it's fully stable with the rest of my security applications. OA wasn't and over time exhibited a noticable drain on my system. No complaints or negative regard, just results i experienced that encouraged another switch.

 

You just switched back cause you seen I was trying it out.

New trial set up

Running Real Time:
Dr Web 4.44
Defencewall

Windows firewall and router.

 

Easter just wondering what is it that makes you like Kerio so much? because it doesn't do very well in leak tests. http://www.matousec.com/projects/wi...ysis/leak-tests-results.php#firewalls-ratings have you tried comodo or outpost pro?

 

Look'n'Stop
Avira AntiVir
SandBoxie
MalwareBytes AntiMalware
WinPatrol

 

Perhaps the simplified UI, low footprint, and high speed is attractive to some... I still use it on Win9x boxes as it does a better job than most with systems on low resources...

 

Forget those leaktests. Kerio 2.15 in tandem with EQS passes leaktests, at least the greater majority of them. And remember that they are just leaktests, i have had nothing whatsover penetrate thru since exchanging windows 98 for XP pro and that was my fault since i not yet had the firewall configured yet.

I have tried them all, and IMO none of them equal Kerio 2.15 when supported by a solid HIPS.

 

100% agree EASTER. I also tried every Firewall available and always come back to Kerio 2.1.5 Together with EQS, DefenseWall and Avira free as On demand only and my system is flying and well protected.

 

Just to get back on topic...

Here is my setup for those interested:

Comodo 3.0 + D+ (I mostly use it to monitor changes to any files on my system)
NOD32 3.0
Prevx 2.0
Prevx CSI Registered (Although I got suckered into buying it).
Sandboxie
Secunia PSI (Do yourself a great big favor and use this thing)
AVG anti Spyware (Installed Although I never really use it as nothing gets through the other stuff I use)

Browsing: (Usually within Sandboxie)
Firefox
NoScript
Linkscanner Pro
McAfee Siteadvisor

I also use a lot of "Cleanup" tools like Runscanner, Autoruns, PressessXP, PressessMON GMer and System Engineer, ACW2, CCleaner...

Although these days for the pleasure of cleaning infections on my system, I need to build a special "OS" on a dedicated Hard disk I go around and infect on purpose to keep my cleaning skills up... also helps with boredom between clients...

 

Ok now here is my set up.

NOD32 3.0
Comodo 3.0
Sandboxie 3.23.04

I feel pretty bullet proof now. Sandboxie does not slow down browsing either like a web filter ca

 

And a good safe setup.

 

13 months now with no software firewall, no anti-spyware, no anti-virus, no hips, no hops, no problems if their out to get me I wished they'd get on with it . Nearly 12 years of living in fear

 

added
changed
removed


XP setup 1 & 2

Resident:

ThreatFire
Windows Firewall

On-demand:

Avira AntiVir

Other Security / System Hardening:

nLite'd Windows XP SP2 (with service tweaking based on TweakHound's guide)
Xable's Windows XP Post-SP2 Update Pack
Seconfig XP
StripMyRights
xp-AntiSpy
Process Explorer
Firefox extensions: AdBlock Plus, Permit Cookies, and Secure Login

 

Ohhh, they're out there. Believe you me, they're out there. If not, then why else do you think I would have kept trying all the different security apps like I did for the last 2 and a half years? Oh yeah. Because I'm addicted to them and this forum. LOL. Which is currently.

CounterSpy. Day 2 of my 15 day trial, and so far very very nice.
AVG AV. Getting better and better.
ThreatFire. My staple for security. Keeps improving and running lighter with every release.
Edit/Delete Message

 

Sound like the 13 years old who caused us all the trouble might have grown up! and retired...

However I wouldn't count on it!

 

I am really feeling that most software for security that we use really isnt needed. I also feel a program like SafeSpace is all that one needs along with a tad bit of common sense. I think AVs are outdated and will only provide 90 percent of the protection you need. I think suites are a total joke if only portions perform up to par and others are sub par.

That is like my buying a car that has everything in it and half the stuff doesnt work I think HIPS are a very good replacement for the dying AV. I think firewalls really are over rated and under acheive. I think our thinkology still lives in the past but wants to live in the future when it comes to security products. I think, my friends, that we have been force feed that the end of the world is near with security and it is nothing more then bullsh*t.

I know, I know, but I am sorry, the proof of the pudding is the products themselves have gotten worse, not better and only the newer ones show promise.

 

Well, 90% effective is better than 89% effective in my book... The unfortunate reality is that because many here are ultra paranoid and on hyper alert, they probably simply side step the pot holes, however it doesn't prove that because "some" are not getting infected that everyone else isn't. I would agree however that there "Seems" to be a decrease of sort... Mostly of the standard garden variety Trojans and viruses, but a sharp increase in cloaked kernel mode rootkits as well as new breeds of Net Bot's.

This may simply be a natural effect of all the "Free" software causing a sharp loss of profitability to many development houses resulting in management protecting their personal gains by laying off the more high maintenance programmers... leaving the job to the lowest denominator they can afford.... Think of all the outsourcing of tech support to the third world... The picture is rather clear to me. You cant call for a credit card or support on ur phone service without getting redirected to some part of India these days... Besides what makes the security software industry impervious to profit hording? It's a capitalist endeavor just like any other business = Profit is the prime directive! The larger the company the more likely it is to do or consider doing it...

 

I totally agree and it is only going to get worse I mean you basically can put together a security system for free that a few years backed wouldnt have been possible and what there was, costs were high. Show me a paid system where its price equates out to the improved protection over the following:

Antivir Free or Avast
SAS
SafeSpace
Threatfire
Comodo Firewall or Kerio

And this majority of this combo is more then overkill

I seriously dont think as of today, that I will ever invest one penny again in computer security software. To answer the question of the thread.

Antivir
SafeSpace

 

Hardware:
Router+Firewall (Linksys)

In Memory:
Antivirus: NOD32
Virtualization: PowerShadow

Hardening:
Restriction: StripMyRigts for every multimedia and internet software.
Registry: Tweaks from my personal Unattend.
Backup: Acronis True Image.
On-demand: VirusTotal when it's possible...
Browser: K-Meleon as my default browser.

On demand:
Process Explorer, Process Monitor, Autoruns...
Registry Tracer
CurrPorts




and when I'm logged on my debian system... Nothing... I tried hips for more than one year and actually I'm really sick of this way of protection. Sure, you can control almost everything but it's a great waste of time too and may be quite dangerous for average user (Who said too invasive?). Actually my antivirus is quite useless, partition virtualization and files access restrictions are enough for me.

 

One of the deep pocket corporate tactics is usually to drain out the competitions staying power by selling under priced or in this case Free. In which case when successful the prices tend to skyrocket after "the others" are gone either via consolidation or mergers and sometimes due to bankruptcy... I think the entire industry is engaged in a war of attrition. Watch my words if this keeps up in a sustained manner within 3 years a lot fewer companies are going to be around but those that remain will be a lot bigger and ur options a lot fewer...

When Microsoft threatened to enter the market with machine virtualisation... VMWare released it's "Server" for free to anyoe... Prior to this you could only get a "Player"... The same is true of each market segments of the security industry... They are all engaged in this subtle but nasty battle to dominate with a specific product... The AV war is not really visible on the surface due to rather large number of players still around... But it's happening nonetheless. (It's hard to root out a guy working from his basement who will keep working 20 hours a day and who can survive just on bread and water )

 

I didn't know about SafeSpace but have been reading up about it, curently I use Returnil which appears to be a similar prog but I know in Returnil files can be saved by dragging from the virtual drive (z in my case), is it possible in Safe Space?