Initially I used Opera then I switched to Firefox. Here is my first security configuration posted in this forum in the year 2013: https://www.wilderssecurity.com/thr...etup-these-days.111264/page-1190#post-2222301
Yes good old days. I also used some of that software. On my system though it never got a chance to prevent actual infection.
SAS detected some kind of Trojan while I was running Windows XP. Other than that I don't remember being hit with any other type of infection.
Diamond CS and GesWall along with others were mainstream back on 32bit machines. The list is extremely long and that doesn't even include freelancers.
Giant Antispyware, Forticlient, EMET, Looknstop, kerio fw, twister av and others lol. i still have all of these exe's. Just as a nostalgia feeling.
I'm not sure if I really was. On my first PC with Windows XP, Norton AV detected and blocked some files a "friend" sent me that ended with .jpg.exe. I once had a Java virus drive-by download, but it couldn't do anything because I didn't have Java installed. Dissatisfied with Norton's ever-increasing prices, I tried a myriad of AV products before settling on Avast Free 4.x and Sygate firewall. I also used a portable on-demand anti-spyware scanner called X-Block. Moving to Windows 7 on a low-powered laptop, I used Webroot AV and OSA. On Windows 10 I have mostly used Microsoft Defender with Hard Configurator. I never had a virus warning on either of the two latter laptops.
Only once, at August 2003: I came back from my vacation and I switch on my pc; I had not the time to update av, OS ... and I got Blaster.
Only once I had Windows 95 at the time! my daughter got a Floppy Disk from the University that was infected.
I guess more for entertainment value than anything else... I used to work for a 2 billion dollar corporation about 20 years ago and they installed SQL Server 2000 without setting a SA password (unfortunately the default at the time) and someone found it and infected it. We were down for 2 days. I was a programmer back then so no, it wasn't my fault.
When I started to use my PC (Windows 95 + IE6), there was adware, dialers and such. Afterwards I had that worm that infected my PC several times even during the clean install of XP and caused it to restart after 1 minute. But it was not all in vein and it made me to take interest how to properly secure my PC and ever since XP SP1, I have never had any infection, as far as I can tell (since I have not used AV since XP either).
I remember reading about Blaster back then, but couldn't the Windows XP built-in firewall protect against this, and what about your router? A router won't block outgoing connections, but it should block incoming connections. BTW, I now remember that I once probably did get hit with some drive by attack, but it was at school. I was surfing the web with Internet Explorer and all of a sudden a toolbar (BHO) installed itself after visiting some website. At that time I became more interested in computer security. But I came to the conclusion that it was quite easy to block drive by attacks with tools like Process Guard, System Safety Monitor and Sandboxie.
Yes, but I got hit by the Blaster worm in early XP days mere minutes after re-installing XP, because my ISP provided only a cable modem - no built in router, and the pre service pack 1, I think it was, did not enable XP's built in firewall upon installation of Windows. Of course I did not yet have my own router either.
It was early 2000's when it happened, so no way in the world with my limited computer knowledge in those days would I even have known about that tool. Besides, I've never been an advocate of using "specialized tools" to remove infections, opting for image restores, or in those days a re-install of Windows instead.
The software only closed a few critical doors. Closed ports = no infection of these worms. I obviously didn't remember when Blaster appeared, I had to do an internet search. Year 2003 I was 40 years old.
For a little while after, I installed XP with the Internet connection unplugged, then enabled its firewall. Soon after I bought a d-link router, and then XP came out with SP1 (or 2?) which enabled the Windows firewall by default.
I hadn't yet a firewall hardware, only a simple modem. And I didn't use yet an HIPS. I can't remember which av and software firewall I used.
Yes, I now remember that back then, modems were probably not as advanced yet. Blaster sure was one of the more painful Windows OS hacks. I remember this app, I think I did use it. https://www.softpedia.com/get/Security/Firewall/Windows-Worms-Doors-Cleaner.shtml
