What is your security setup these days?

and don't windows firewall need to block incoming and outgoing also?

 

Hi Kees, I dropped by to check your latest setup. Not much changes, I see.
so I guess, I'm still safe with my setup last year.

Happy New Year!

 

New security setup after a fresh install:
- Sandboxie
- VT Hash Check configured with Download StatusBar in Firefox (thanks to luciddream for the superb tip)
- WinPatrol free
- Some system hardening.

Ready for 2013

 

Windows Firewall by default does what is needed.

IMO powerful free firewalls are too complicated and usually cause more harms than benefits for beginners. Unless you're an expert or is willing to learn and research most of what your system requires to work, a powerful free firewall is not an interesting option IMO.

But if you really want a powerful free firewall, the best is Comodo Firewall.

It's a clear winner when it comes to usability. Regarding protection, the Windows Defender of Windows 8 is as good as Microsoft Security Essentials (they are essentially the same thing). Although if you are going to use what is built-in, you may need to weigh all aspects of what is built-in and not leave, for example, the system-wide SmartScreen out of the equation. What I mean is: MSE/W8 Windows Defender does poor on the 0-day protection, but the built-in system-wide SmartScreen covers that area.

Check the following tests reports:

http://www.av-test.org/no_cache/en/tests/test-reports/?tx_avtestreports_pi1[report_no]=123698

https://www.nsslabs.com/reports/consumer-avepp-comparative-analysis-exploit-evasion-defenses

https://www.nsslabs.com/reports/browser-security-comparative-analysis-socially-engineered-malware

Take note that the SmartScreen of IE is "system-wide" (applies to all files) on Windows 8 (it will protect/alert even if you are not using IE).

Also take note that MSE/W8 Windows Defender isn't very good at "cleaning and repairing a malware-infected computer" (for that purpose, check the advises of this thread: https://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=42148 )

Another thing to consider, MSE/W8 Windows Defender, unlike Avast Free, lacks an important (IMO) feature when configuring a setup for beginners: optional password protection. However, it can be protected from changes coming from non-admin Windows accounts (there is an option for that).

 

Same to you, is your study going well?

Not much change, dumped WMP, tried VLC (unsigned), VLC tarted to slow, now on Classic Media Player (unsigned so can't elevate). Other change is the use of Chrome control through GPO.

 

luciddream avira free

 

LOL. Well in that case my friend, you got a pretty window dress yourself!

 

@AlexC
Nice setup. Would you mind telling the system hardening details?

 

@jmonge
How's EAM going?

 

Just a few things: disabled remote registry and server services, turned UAC to max., disabled the auto-play, and disabled Net Bios over tcp/ip.

 

Those are really good core tweaks, and some of the first ones I implement too. On XP the first thing I do though is create another Admin account, log into that, and disable the built in one... then I get down to business.

I really dig your light setup too. WinPatrol Free is a great option for people that don't want a full blown HIPS, but some basic intrusion protection. Awesome, oldschool app.

But I can't take full credit for that Download Statusbar method. Another user ("Dgiji", I think), was the one to point it out first, and recommended Hitman Pro. I figured VT Hash Check was an even better option. So the idea really came from him, and I improved upon it.

It really is an awesome solution, isn't it? No footprint and a malware database no real-time AV can touch. I recommend forcing sandboxing on all removable media drives too, and allow VT Hash Check & other scanners to run in it... verify anything is clean on a USB drive or whatnot before putting it on your box. This covers what would otherwise be a shortcoming for VT Hash Check vs. a real-time AV. So does having autorun disabled, which you do.

 

Ah yes... the good ol' days. Haven't used it in awhile. I wonder if avnotify is still up to it's old tricks?

And I remember whenever anyone would post the tweak to remove the annoyances they would get removed. So I would like PM them to other people instead, lol.

Sweet nostalgia...

It really was a great free AV once you applied those tweaks. My favorite ever actually. My idea of what an AV should be... resident file protection, manual scanner, and nothing more. Just do what an AV should do and leave the rest to other software better suited to do those jobs.

... something the industry has lost sight of since IMO.

 

I think most people here would agree with that; the issue is just that average users don't want to install and maintain multiple programs. They want a single software, and often they want it to be as simple as possible. I think that modern suites are doing a good job of creating layered suites, though.

 

Comodo Lite (No Av/Whitelists or Clouds) 5.10

 

Looks fascinating... thanks a ton, I'll definitely be giving it a look. One thing I don't like though is that it seems to disable the "Treat unrecognized files as:" option... and I want that to stay.

But as for the sandbox, AV, cloud options, and TVL... they're all just unwanted bloat as far as I'm concerned.

If I could get this puppy so that I could maintain the ability to treat unrecognized files as Untrusted, I'd be so all over this.

 

I use all of it.the antivirus and cloud etc.

 

Very good.

 

Good Afternoon ! Eset Smart Security 5.2 and WSA Essentials. Sincerely...Securon

 

Nice Securon...light & very efficient!

 

Yes it's an awesome solution!

I particularly like the fact that the file is scanned still inside the sandbox, and that the result is quickly presented in a small window, almost at the same time that sandboxie "asks" if we want so save the file to a real location or not.

Forcing sandboxing on all removable media drives would be great, but if think only those using the paid version of Sandboxie will be able to do it...

Anyway thanks once again for sharing

(ps: never used WinPatrol before, and now i simply love it!)

 

Ah thanks a lot. Those are nice tweaks tightening up the system.

 

I bought a comp with preinstalled UEFI boot with GPT. All known to me snapshot time machines (Rollback, Comodo's) cannot work with GPT. I've managed to change GPT to MBR without reinstalling windows and installed a time machine (CTM). With it I feel free to install any prog to try it.

 

Made an image with Avast free,Rising FW free,Spyshelter free,Winpatrol Pro,Zemana AL free and of course,Sandboxie.In the next days i'll decide if it's an image to keep or not.

 

I'm not famiilar w/ Zemana AL?

 

Mine hasn't changed too much

VPN w/ dnscrypt (yeah, I consider that to be security related)

Sandboxie

Browsers w/ the requisite plugins

Webroot SA

MBAM Pro real time monitoring (Although I did disable Website blocking...more trouble than it is worth)


Anything anyone think I should add?