Security that you use and its purpose - DISCUSSIONS

Mac computers and Apple products are becoming more popular. With popularity you become more of a target for security issues. Apple's turn is coming and right now your just whistling past the graveyard.

 

Ah, but BSD and UNIX whistle quite different tunes. Both time tested and very tough nuts to crack http://www.apple.com/macosx/features/unix/ . What's more, Apple aside, some seriously good guys watch over it.

As I doubt OSX will ever achieve the same size audience as Windows, I'm more convinced of its security.

 

I don't know, Firefox has been getting hammered (no pun intended) the past six months or so with more fixes and patches than IE so I guess it's considered mainstream now. Although it still is not as much in use as IE. Security by obscurity is not something that lasts.

 

I agree Hammer. Sadly I knew this day would come. The bigger and more successful it becomes the bigger a target it will be.

 

Insert gratutitous Online Armor ad here

Seriously, all I use at home is OA (but I am behind a firewall) - at the office, we run a linux based firewall, with Snort IDS on it - and OA on the desktops - partly because we eat our own dogfood (tasty, too!) and partly for testing.

Now, I would never advise a user to run OA alone (at least, not yet) but it absolutely amazes me when people are running 5 or 6, or more different programs to protect themselves.

Obviously, every user is different in terms of expertise (and paranoia) but still, head-shaking moments.

Mike

 

Heheh, you know Mike, I almost didn't want to beta test OA because I am already running 5 different security apps, and I consider even 5 too many (not that any except the AV chew many resources)...

But I suppose firewall + AV + 3 isn't too bad (now plus OA).

Of course my prefered setup would be Firewall+AV+HIPS, but so far no one HIPS does a thorough enough job yet.

That's one of the reasons I'm rather interested in where OA is heading

 

I know, but with several systems used by teenagers, and parents fed up with paying to have them cleaned, these same systems are remaining clean through password protecting Nod32 and having it run a weekly silent clean, as well as password protecting Process Guard 3, and using the other prevention software, it remains extremely hard for these same teens to infect their systems.

Problem solved, parents happy

Cheers

 

That's a good point - so if we added a parental lock into OA which auto-denied everything (ActiveX, unknown app execution, keyloggers) this would be a Good Thing... I've discussed with a couple of people who have suggested it, but seems that this would be a(nother) must-have feature.


Mike

 

Hi Mike

I think password protected control is a very good thing. It doesn't detract from the product in anyway, and helps parents prevent their kids from causing havoc on their computers

 

This seems quite a neat tool.

http://toolbar.netcraft.com/

 

I wonder if it's spyware or trackware though.

 

Vikorr - I have a 8 year old.... this is Soooo on the list Although, to be fair he hasn't allowed nasty stuff (so far!).

Mike

 

Hello there my brothers and sisters in security. Can you feel those pure and precious encryption algarythems embracing our very soul penitrating us to secure our computers that extra mile? When I think back to how I used to surf naked in the cyber rain I realize how vunurable and unprotected I really was and it saddens my heart. Since I have become a man I have left such childish wisdom behind me - a favorite still is "Well I can't see a virus, so it must not be there!". What am I all about here? I want my computer security tighter than a virgin on prom night with a chastity belt strapped to her loins. I'd like to see a posting that states...

I use program A, B, C, D, E, F, G, etc...
then with each program we, as paranoid freaks of technology, sit down and discuss how to secure, patch, configure, and manicure each program to the fullest. For example if someone says 'Firefox' then lets show others who may not be so 'gosu' aka don't know it really well how they can beef that one particular program up to the max. What settings do you use? What do you enable or disable when you first set it up and why do you do it that way? Do you know of any extensions or custom configs that would make it more secure or work better?

An example is as follows...

Key Legend:
[√] Check the box
Text Uncheck the box
* Personal preference
$ Personal preference w/security measure

I. Replacing IE with something else...

1. Mozilla Firefox Browser
http://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/

a. CLEANUP FOR THOSE WHO DON'T USE BOOKMARKS TOOLBAR
►*View►Toolbars►Bookmarks Toolbar

b. OPTIONS
►Tools►Options►(Left hand side menu)

-->General
►Home Page►*Use Blank Page
►$Connection Settings...(For use with remote or local host proxy... Proxomitron anyone?)

-->Privacy
►History►(0 days)►Clear
►Saved Form Information►Save information I enter...►Clear
►Saved Passwords►Remember Passwords►Clear
►$Download Manager History►Upon successful download►Clear (See notes at end of Firefox section)
►$Cookies►Allow sites to set cookies►Clear (See notes at end of Firefox section)
►Cache►(0 KB)►Clear
►Clear All►Clear All Information

-->Web Features
►Block Popup Windows [√]
►Allow web sites to install software
►*Load Images [√]
►*for the originating web site only
►Enable Java (See notes at end of Firefox section)
►Enable JavaScript (See notes at end of Firefox section)


-->Downloads
►●Ask me where to save every file
►[√] Show Download Manager window when a download begins.
►$Close the Download Manager window when all downloads are complete.

-->Advanced
►*Browsing►Resize large images to fit in the browser window

►OK

c. RESTRICTING REFERERS

►URL box <type>
about:config
►Filter: box <type>
refer
►Select 'network.http.sendRefererHeader'►Change from 2 to 0►OK

d. CUSTOM CONFIGURATIONS

►URL box <type>
(Slot reserved for all those custom configs so many of you use to increase connections on broadband.)

e. EXTENSIONS/PLUGINS

►(Slot reserved...)

Notes:

2. Opera Browser - (Slot reserved for regular user.)

Now I understand this is a more involved process and typing than these other postings that simply list them... But we feel that a poorly handled program offers a false sense of security and that would defeat the purpose of why we are here. If you are familiar with a certain program and know how to get the maximum out of it list it and tell us what you did to tighten it. Over time we will then have a compiled listing of many different types of programs so that new users can familiar themselves with them more quickly.

 

Re: Security that you use and its purpose

What about Sentinel? Its free now...

 

I really feel the need to see a present day thread for this topic.
Most of the posting was last Spring.
Some of the links don't even go anywhere, anymore.

I think a bi-yearly new thread for this topic of what programs are used and the discussion of them would be most beneficial to the people coming to this forum to find this advice, rather than an enormous list from a year ago. I assume a lot of progress has been made?

Also, I'd like to see programs listed by what they fulfill, such as:
Anti-Virus
Encryption
Firewall
Hardening (listing the actual fixes gained from each program)
Sandbox
etc. etc.

I'd really like to see this, so we can for the most part go down a list and start checking off each specific coverage, including the best settings in the programs chosen.
Thanks.