Can I have some advice with my setup?

Hi, I'm a new member of this great security forum.
I was just wandering if I can have some advice with my security setup.

I'm using

AV: Virus Chaser (Korean version of Dr.Web)
FW: Kerio Personal Firewall 2.1.5 (with BZ rule set)
AS: SuperAntiSpyware Free

This is it, it's too simple, which is making me more worried.
Is this enough? or should I add some more software?

I'm most curious about Kerio 2.1.5 firewall I'm using.
Is it really enough with the BZ (final, standard ver.) rule set I'm using?

Thanks for reading

 

If youre a safe surfer the AV should be ok, but I find its detection rate lacking for my taste.

As for Kerio, it should be fine for inbound attacks.

 

You didn't mention what browser you use...
Firefox and Opera are very good alternatives to Internet Explorer.

Keep XP(assuming this is what you are using)patched.

If you feel that you may be "light" on security you could look at DSA free in addition to Kerio.

http://www.privacyware.com/dynamic_security_agent.html

 

Kerio 2.1.5 is an excellent firewall. Many of us use it. There's several threads here that go into detail about writing rules for Kerio.

Regarding the BZ ruleset, it needs to be regarded as a starting point or pattern, not a finished ruleset. Several of the rules will not apply to your setup at all. Others will need to be editing to match your system, network, and internet service. It also contains no rules for applications.

Kerio 2 doesn't come with the extra components found in newer firewall suites. It's strictly an internet firewall. It's ideally suited for users who like to choose their components and assemble their own security packages. It requires some basic knowlege of how the internet works in order to configure it well. Kerio works well with application firewalls, HIPS, behavior blockers, web filtering apps, etc. The combination of Kerio, SSM free, and Proxomitron has kept me safe for years.

Rick

 

I'm just using IE... would it be a problem later on?

Oh... So Kerio 2.1.5 with BZ ruleset ain't enough?
Where can I find a post that shows how to adjust the setting right to my pc?

Thanks to all of you for your reply

 

I would get a new AV.
I like Kaspersky AV 7.0

I use it and it gets the job done for me.

So go try it out, you can download a 30 day trial at the main kaspersky site.

 

Hello

Enough for what? BlitzenZeus' rules are more than enough, you would just have to fine tune them according to your needs, running processes, services, DNS server addresses, and such things You won't find a post/thread that deals with your specific setup, Kerio (as all rule-based firewalls) does require some basic network knowledge to be properly set, as already pointed out here -

I would suggest covering your outbound protection as well, as this would be the only hole in your setup, so have you considered using a non-rule based firewall like ZA or Outpost perhaps?

 

Oh... right... ZA or Outpost?
How about Comodo? Is it also a non-rule based firewall?

 

omegakilo,

hi Please don't get me wrong here. I am not suggesting to ditch Kerio because other firewalls are better. It just seems to me that you are not very sure how to modify the advanced BZ rules. If you start tweaking something that you don't fully understand, you may very well end up with seriously crippled protection. And the point of using a firewall would be moot I suggested application based firewalls as they are much more straightforward and perhaps easier to understand for you. But after rereading your posts, it seems to me that you are esentially looking for a freeware firewall, so Outpost will be ruled out by this.

Comodo is rule based firewall, but yes, I would suggest you to try v2.4 as this is very easy to set up and maintain. Of all rule based firewalls, Comodo is one that is perhaps most user-friendly. Try it, see how it fares with your system, regarding resources, stability and functionality. And of course, with Comodo, you will have an excellent outbound protection, so the gaping hole in your protection will be patched as well.

Cheers.

 

Seer,
Thank you for your kindness!
And yes, you are right about me not knowing how to tweak rules.
I'm going to try using Comodo Firewall.
By the way, when is the final version of Comodo Firewall 3.0 coming out?

omegakilo.

 

I would try Comodo. It's easy to configure and runs itself. I hear Outpost is good as well, but ZA can be a problem if you're one of the unlucky ones who installs a bad copy.
Comodo ver. 3 is in beta. The official release won't come for a while, but the present version is fine.

 

If you are concerned about conflicts with other browsers....I haven't experienced any. I rarely use IE anymore. The only inconvenience I had was web page rendering with Opera wasn't the best. That has improved a lot though.

As far as a firewall- with Comodo 2.4 you can leave the Component Monitor in learning mode to make set up easier.