Too many security apps?

Is it possible to have to many security tools? I currently run:

F-Secure IS 2004
Spy Bot (with resident)
SpywareGuard
SpywareBlaster
Ad-aware (free)
WinPatrol(free)

My pc has 480 MB ram, 1.8 ghz amd, 80GB hd. I do little resource intensive work or gaming. Is there any rule-of'-thumb on when I might reach a practical limit, or do I just wait and see how my system responds?

 

I was thinking you might have too few! Do you have a firewall? I believe F-Secure is an AV, is it a firewall too?

 

D&C-Yes, its F-Secure Internet Security, with Firewall. I love it -simple to use, auto updates hourly..of course I accept on faith these things are working.

I was just wondering if one could get to the point where things interfere with each other. I some times get similar alerts from two or more of these programs.

cadmus

 

Looks like you have a good basic set-up, but I would consider adding :

1. A Squared (free anti-trojan)

2. Belarc Advisor (free)

3. Bazooka spyware scanner (free)

4. Spycop (free trial)

5. Spysweeper (free trial)

6. X-Cleaner (free)

7. IE-Spyad (free)

8. Mozilla Firefox or Opera (free browsers)

9. Proxomitron (free)

Of course this is just my opinion.

 

having read this i wondered if you chaps think my pc is protected well enough and if not what should i consider getting to tighten things up

im running the following : :
avg...anti virus(free)
norton2000 anti virus
zone alarm (free)
spybot (free)
tds-3 (free)

many thanks for your anticipated assistance in this matter

great forum...saved my life more than once!!

dave ....uk

 

To me both these setups are more than enough, provided that you remove the biggest risk factors: IE and OE. I really don't like Outlook and Outlook Express and that"s an understatement

 

boney-I'd get Ad-Aware.
meneer-do I understand correctly that IE is required for Win updates? How much trouble is it to switch back and forth?

 

If you just use it for the (to be trusted) microsoft sites, there's no problem. Most security patches can be downloaded using microsoft security baseline analyzer, I don't know if that tool uses IE.

No problem for using IE to get to the trusted sites, just use an other browser for your regular surfing.

 

You can sidestep Microsoft's IE requirement by downloading security updates from this page rather than using Windows Update.

Boney, the only weakness in your setup is that you do not have a filter for web active content (ActiveX, Java, Javascript). Ditching IE as Meneer suggests will avoid a lot of spyware problems but using a filter to remove active content will stop them completely. You will need to allow active content for some sites (i.e. ones that you trust) but there are too many malicious ones out there to be permitting it globally.

Your firewall may offer such features (Outpost and Kerio do) but if not, a specialised filter like Proxomitron (free, powerful but can be a challenge to configure) or WebWasher Classic (free for home use, easier to use) can do the job. Ad filtering and some level of privacy protection are other benefits they offer (check out Privacy.net's Analyze Your Connection to see what information your browser gives out by default).

Being UK-based you may also want to consider using an anonymising proxy like JAP to encrypt your web traffic. This will prevent your ISP from recording your activities (e.g. visited websites - which can include the words you use in search engines), which they are required to do under Part 11 of the Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001.

 

thanks for your reply guys...

am now using webwasher... i dont know enough about computers to know how to go about changing my browser...i thought you had to use ie6!!!

as for proxy servers..?? i know im a bit dense but this is over my head im afraid..i assume its some way of preventing info getting out of my humble pc...ive checked the website but most of the info there seems geared to peeps with a good knowledge of pc's.

also im on cable broadband...how would a proxy help me

having said all that i'm relived that my system is basically ok


many thanks to you all for your help...it is most appreciated


dave....uk

 

Boney,

Changing your browser is easy - just download an alternative and run it to install just like any other program. Spend some time with one and you should find it a worthwhile experience.

A proxy server hides your Internet address from the websites you visit. An anonymising one encrypts the traffic between your PC and the proxy so your ISP cannot see which sites you visit (normally, they would be able to see and record your online activity). This applies regardless if you use dialup, DSL or cable.

So a proxy provides you with some privacy online - but this will mean a slower connection and a more complex setup (if for instance you cannot access the Internet, it could be a problem with your ISP or the proxy which you have to check by testing direct access). JAP is one of the easier ones to use, but you will need to be familar with configuring proxy settings in your browser.

 

Hi Dave,

TDS-3 is not free.
Quote: "The evaluation version of TDS is time-limited to 30 days and missing some features."

Cheers, Jan.

 

SpywareGuard isn't needed if you have Spybot 1.3 (with resident protection), IIRC. But, being a n00b, I could very well be wrong.