What is your security setup these days?

Not all at once. KAV weekly. UnHackMe and Bazooka daily. KAV and BoClean are running in the foreground for upfront protection. The rest maybe monthly. I just like to switch around with the ondemand scanners as none are 100% effective.

 

FDISR - my favourite piece of software ever
Comodo firewall - solid, quiet and easy to use
NOD 32 - don't think I've ever had a false positive with this
AVG Anti-Spyware - until I find something better to replace it, I'll stick with it
Peerguardian with Blocklist Manager - good to know that I can block all those prying eyes and evil IPs
Mailwasher Pro - never had an email virus and it's even better to know I can report spammers with the click of a button before the emails even get into my PC

I do like to try other software, but always end up returning to this set up.

 

avg antispyware is quite good but if you looking for a replacement try superantispyware from www.superantispyware.com
lodore

 

Care to comment on just why that is? Are there more advantages then using say a VMWARE or ShadowSurf/User?

I think i'm beginning to get the hint about FDISR since i read most positive & gleeeming satisfaction reports on it all the time.

Thanks

 

I have tried both VMWARE and ShadowSurf. I personally found that ShadowSurf slowed my machine down too much, but this was a couple of years back so it may have changed since then.

FDISR is like having 5 or 6 (in my case) separate versions of the same operating system. I have my main snapshot for everyday use like emails, internet, file sharing - it's tweaked exactly how I want it and is my main snapshot. I also have other snapshots - one for gaming, one for testing software, one as a backup and one I use for memory-hogging tasks like video editing, Photoshop, etc that I don't want to run along with file-sharing apps that also hog the resources.

So, if I want to test a new firewall, I boot into the 'Testing' snapshot, test the firewall, and if I don't like it, I can simply replace the snapshot with a clean one with no harm done to my machine (it takes a matter of seconds, literally, to replace a snapshot after the initial copy). If I want to test some software that I am uncertain about or may contain spyware or other nasties, I can boot into the 'Testing' snapshot and try it. If I get a virus, I can delete the snasphot, replace it, and no harm done to my Primary, main snapshot.

What is also useful is that I also have a snapshot with VMWARE installed on it, so I can test a new OS - so I use FDISR and VMWARE together.

I hope this is explains why I personally would never be without FDISR. I can boot into any number of different snapshots for different uses without affecting my main, everyday snapshot, so it never gets bloated with untested software or it's never trying to run several huge applications at once as I use different snapshots to do different tasks.

Oh, and it's also useful if you have kids, family or friends who aren't 'security aware'. You can create a snapshot for them and they can basically do what they like without messing up your own snapshot. There have been several times I have let kids use my PC - all I do is create a new snapshot for them and off they go. It doesn't matter if they want to install games, surf, use a chat program or whatever - once they go home, I delete the snapshot and there's no trace they've even touched my machine!

 

current secuirty setup is:
realtime: KI6.0

on demand;spysweeper 5.2
a squared free
superantispyware pro.
dont really need anything else.

lodore

 

I see, thanks for elaborating in some detail about it. From what i read & gather it is about the best if not THE best in that department bar none.

So seems it's similar in fashion to a Complete System State & All Files/Program Restore. Like that. I'll have to get up off all this security ware mess for while and browse some over the FDISR forums and try to get worked up over it enough to bring it on. Heaven knows i test literally myriads of mals, rootkits, viruses along with testing about every new version on AV/AS and alternative software so seems like a logical sound move to make to keep from deep frying the Hard Drives all the time

 

In that case I am sure that you will find FDISR a gem. Give it a go. You'll never look back (I hope now after raving on about how good it is!)

 

I hope that others will accept that this is still On Topic. I view Acronis as being one of the most important parts of my security set up. I make full daily images of all my systems and feel more secure knowing that should something bad happen to my system ( virus, malware, my own stupidity) I can always goback to a clean version.

From what I have read FDISR is very quick ? and for this reason alone I will probably give it a go BUT does it restore a system to exactly how it was or just essentially how it was ? Time is important but it takes less than 10 minutes for me to restore. I would not want to save a few minutes and end up with a slightly different system each time.

Apart from Imaging I have now settled on:

(1) Netgear DG834 Router/ Firewall - No software firewall to slow things down
(2) Antivir - not really necessary- my mail is scanned by my mail provider.
(3) Firefox with No scripts
(4) ProSecurity - just for fun and because it is helping me understand my set up better.

 

so does that mean all your restores with ATI have been sucessful?
lodore

 

No

I started using Acronis 6 in November 2003, then 7, 8, 9, 9.1 and now 10.
I have several different versions running on 7 machines.

In 2004 I had a couple of restores which failed - turned out to be one particular USB external drive was to blame.

In 2006 there was an early build of 9 which restored but with errors. The next build fixed the problem. In the meantime I continued to use the previous build.

Apart from those 2 problems I have had no problem making or restoring.
On the machine I am using to write I am just about to restore for the 3rd time today ( following a quick test of some new software). My wife had a network problem yesterday on her laptop so I restored a good image for her.

So guessing - 1000 days at say 3 restores per day average = 3000 restores

If I can find better I will switch - but until I do I would place it as the number 1 program that I use.

 

well sounds good to me.
do you do the image in windows?
i do my images in windows but dont do anything while its creating the image
or from the rescue cd?

 

Same as you. I know you are supposed to be able to work when the image is being made but it doesn't feel right so I just do another job on another machine.
Again I know it is supposed to be better to use the CD but mostly I just use windows.

 

i prefer doing it in windows.
also your right you can do stuff while its working but its safer not to.
if you use to much cpu during the image it might corrupt it so i avoid doing anything during the imaging.
lodore

 

AVG 7.5 AntiVirus with Firewall, Cyberhawk, and Winpatrol Free behind wireless router firewall, whether it's needed with Firefox or not. I'm done with changing my protection. Peace and I'm out of here ya all. LOL. I hope this time anyway. LOL.

 

Current secuirty setup is:

Anti-Virus: NOD32
Firewall: WinXP Pro SP2
Anti-Trojan: A-Squared
Anti-Spyware: AVG Anti-Spyware ' SUPERAntiSpyware Professional
Anti-Malware: A-Squared

What do you think?

 

Main box: Router, NOD32, BoClean, XP Firewall, SWBlaster, IESpyad.
Laptop 1: Router, F-PROT, XP Firewall, SWBlaster, IESpyad.
Laptop 2: Router, NOD32, LookNStop Lite, SWBlaster, IESpyad.

 

A very good router, brand not named!

Active Only-

A/V & Firewall: Avira Premium Security Suite

AT: BOClean

AS: SAS Pro

HIPS/CIPS/Behavior Blocker: Primary Response SafeConnect

And I also run DShutdown by Dimio to disable my LAN adapter 1 minute before my screensaver kicks in.

 

Just as an aside to my previous Security SetUp. The one underlying concern of all my setup right now is finding a STRONG but STABLE anti-virus to keep on board.
So far as AntiVirus goes, i am currently in constant/daily transitioning to exact a single one to turn to for awhile hopefully like before.
Avast did OK at first but caused some disturbing issues, i from then went to BitDefender which i really favor out of all of them BUT; it clashed severely with some of my other system securities so unloaded it for Avira AntiVir. Another nice one with excellent detections BUT, the resident "Guard" is just too much of a pull in this current build and slows down my system, windows, icons and boot-up is a drag.

Now am experiementing with AVG AV again. It served my units, back on 98SE and then XP Pro, very well to my own satisfactions so here we go again.

Tried to be kind and used ClamWin for awhile but everyone knows they need more time to boost things up.

 

I think there must be some software conflict here. Perhaps you have or had too many other security programs running because I don't believe that the AntiVir "Guard" is much of a drag. Perhaps if you installed on a fresh system without other security programs you would decide to keep it ?

 

Heya, guys, I'm wondering if I should add anything to my utility setup (security and maintenance, technically, hence utility). I'm cosidering Sanboxie and a process viewer/manager like Process Explorer and SIW.

My setup is at page 37 post #903, and any recommendations/additions are considered. What I'm wondering is how much more HD space and RAM usage will increase. Right now, average is about 325 MB usage. Not bad, but I'm willing in inch a bit more for more security. Thanks !!

 

process explorer is nice and i think its a great replacement for the Task Manager. as for a sandbox...if u think u need it then use it.

**********************

my recommendations:

remove windows defender, ad-aware, spybot, and spywareblaster (they may seem useful, but i personally see little value in them)
install noscript extension for firefox

 

Objective Minimal impact + clean machines

(1) Netgear DG834 hardware firewall - no software firewall
(2) Firefox (No scripts)
(3) Mail collected and cleaned by Netaddress
(4) Antivir PE
(5) AVG Anti Spyware - on demand only
(6) ProSecurity 1.26
(6) Acronis system images as a fall back

Having discovered nothing more serious than the odd tracking cookie in years
I am not willing to load my machines down with running programs

 

There is "no conflict" (quote: Darth Vader)

You are quite right though in that assumption, and when trying to adapt a quality AV into this setup that is "STRONG" like mine in other safety apps, following that classic Layered Approach, there is almost assuredly going to be that one of them (AV's) will prove more compatible then the other one or ones.

I sometimes expect to encounter a measure of performance/resource limitation due to an AV "resident" process monitoring, that aside, it is very possible that although not completely in conflict as mentioned one of the Anti-Virus programs are making issue with other Security apps.

In spite of some who argue that there is no perfect medium when it comes to these type setups, i've found that you really can come as close to perfect to guarding your PC solidly & tight with the right combination of HIPS/AV/AS etc. It's in finding that right mix that takes us thru the paces of trying this one and that one, at times over & over again maybe, but if you ask me it's well worth the time & effort you put into it.

 

i now using pc tools firewall, spyware terminator, and avg antivirus. if i install cyberhwk do i need antispyware running for protection any more? if so then is avg antispyware better than spyware terminator?