Computer Security Guide, how to secure your computer.

[Ellipses]

Re: Computer Security Guide, how to secure your computer.

No, asking people to trust your information just because you claim to be knowledgeable is irresponsible. That's exactly the kind of thing that gets people who aren't knowledgeable into trouble.

Note how my posts don't say a single thing about whether or not you actually are knowledgeable. I have no idea, which is pretty much the point.

[Kurokawa]

Re: Computer Security Guide, how to secure your computer.

That's a tremendously irresponsible attitude in general, especially when it comes to the subject of security.

So I guess having knowledge and experience is officially deemed "irresponsible attitude".

Well, I'm so glad I went to school to learn and spent my free-time learning how to have an "irresponsible attitude".

[Ellipses]

Re: Computer Security Guide, how to secure your computer.

Trust me, i know this as well.

That's a tremendously irresponsible attitude in general, especially when it comes to the subject of security.

[Kurokawa]

Re: Computer Security Guide, how to secure your computer.

Right...... Whatever makes you sleep tight and happy.

Experience is still the better. And I am right on the A-V. If you feel you must go with any A-V do not go with Norton or MA, if anything at all go Zone-Alarm. Norton and MA are too wreaked with bugs to be a help but will be a nice headache when you get "Windows core process is a virus, please take action"

And question for you: how do you think people get compromised?

As for my Number 4, do you realize you agreed with me?

[Mhurron]

Re: Computer Security Guide, how to secure your computer.

1. Anti-virus programs do not work! Norton and McAfee are horrible. There's a bigger chance you'll end up with a virus with it than without it. I know this because I don't run A-V software on my self-built system and it is virus free, unlike my parent's computer which their A-V keeps saying that Window's Autorun feature is a virus.

Wrong on just so many levels.

1.a. The only reason people ever get Viruses is because they're do not surf the web safely and visit sites that will be the most likely to have a Virusfile. (pornsites anyone?)

Wrong again. Case in point - Code Red

2. Administrator account - follow the advice on changing it's name and password. DO NOT leave it untouched under any reason. Why? because if you do not change it and leave it as it's hidden administrator self, you have just made yourself hacked because that is the first thing any hacker will check for, an unchanged admin account. Trust me, i know this as well.

Mostly irrelevant for home users. Lets also just say, I don't loose any sleep over having root and administrator account names at work.

3. Power user, admin, regular user. Nothing major to say here. The advice listed already is usefull and helps. But it does not mention the risk that if you are logged in as a reg(restricted) user, a hacker still can log into the admin account. Why is this? Because you are not logged in. The OS has written into it a restriction that an account can not be logged into the same system twice in the same instance. Logging into a restricted account leaves backdoor login access to a hacker.

Unless you are already compromised, no 'hacker' is logging in anywhere. There is no extra 'risk' to running as a restricted account.

4. For passwords, do not use words. a password like theology38 is not a good password, Brute forcing will crack that, and brute force is the basic cracking style. Be sure to follow the guidelines above, but insure that whatever you do in following that does not make your password have a complete word even if it's M1lw4UK3e

13375p3ak isn't going to save you. People brute forcing passwords on client machines happens so infrequently. It's just not worth it.

[Kurokawa]

Re: Computer Security Guide, how to secure your computer.

First, let me say: yes i realize this thread is old and mostly dead.

But in any case i must point out flaws in in:

1. Anti-virus programs do not work! Norton and McAfee are horrible. There's a bigger chance you'll end up with a virus with it than without it. I know this because I don't run A-V software on my self-built system and it is virus free, unlike my parent's computer which their A-V keeps saying that Window's Autorun feature is a virus.

1.a. The only reason people ever get Viruses is because they're do not surf the web safely and visit sites that will be the most likely to have a Virusfile. (pornsites anyone?)

2. Administrator account - follow the advice on changing it's name and password. DO NOT leave it untouched under any reason. Why? because if you do not change it and leave it as it's hidden administrator self, you have just made yourself hacked because that is the first thing any hacker will check for, an unchanged admin account. Trust me, i know this as well.

3. Power user, admin, regular user. Nothing major to say here. The advice listed already is usefull and helps. But it does not mention the risk that if you are logged in as a reg(restricted) user, a hacker still can log into the admin account. Why is this? Because you are not logged in. The OS has written into it a restriction that an account can not be logged into the same system twice in the same instance. Logging into a restricted account leaves backdoor login access to a hacker.

4. For passwords, do not use words. a password like theology38 is not a good password, Brute forcing will crack that, and brute force is the basic cracking style. Be sure to follow the guidelines above, but insure that whatever you do in following that does not make your password have a complete word even if it's M1lw4UK3e

[Telera]

Re: Computer Security Guide, how to secure your computer.

Well, I tried updating my Windows once. You wanna know what that did to my machine? Even with 700+ RAM it went from booting and ready in maybe a mintue, to more than five before it would settle down. Shutdown even got lagged up, and it screwed up my Vid Card drivers. So when I got rid of SWG, I wiped the update, too. Couldn't care less about them. Maybe when they make one that doesn't eat up system resources, I'll do it again.

My solutions:

-I have a Linksys Router, my IP starts w/ the 192.xx.xx.xx

-AVG, Ad-Aware, Spybot Search& Destroy

-I don't 'surf'. Ever. I have book marks to a few forums I've been on for years, FFXISomepage, the FFXIAtlus, and FFXIAH. Other than that it's a few other trusted sites. Megatokyo, etc. There's nothing out there I didn't surf to death while at the college. Those had uberfirewalls and I wasn't concerned.

- I could and probably should make a password to my actual PC account -not the admin one- the PC automatically set me up as a 'power user' but not admin. How nice of it.

-Email: Anything with an attachment that isn't a .doc from my boyfriend (which would be his chapters of our book, etc) or something from someone that I know where they live and can hurt them, I just don't open it.

And the end all of it: I unplug the damned ethernet cord from the machine when I'm not physically on it. This thing is not connected 24/7. It's on only as long as I am on and that's it. It's not even connected when I play Morrowind or KotOR. Only if I need the internet for something do I leave it connected.

Just doing this, I've only ever had maybe one trojan, and Surf Side Kick got installed back when I used crappy IE. I switched to Mozilla after that, ripped SSK out, registry keys and all, and went back on my merry way.

I think the real key is to just stop going to random-ass sites. Geocities all that free stuff, no no. Places that sound shady, no way. Porn? Well, hell no. As has been said, pr0n is eaten up with spyware and viruses.

[Omniblast]

Re: Computer Security Guide, how to secure your computer.

This thread should be updated, also, please include an analysis of the defunct "Windows Defender" as well as cover security via spyware protection.

Oh and phishing... gotta get defenses up for phishing scams.

[Jarre]

Re: Computer Security Guide, how to secure your computer.

Am I the only one who noticed this thread is from 2004 (and hence may not be entirely up to date), and was bumped yesterday for no reason whatsoever?

I am? Well, carry on then.

Well was first on my list of new posts this mornign so didn't really pay mucha ttention to teh date as the last post beofre mine was recent.

Though security issues should always be on top as it effects us all. Now calm down Macht, teh bags not ready for opening yet

[Gentoo]

Re: Computer Security Guide, how to secure your computer.

Well... This thread is (1) stickied, so it's always at the top and highly visible, and (2) it's about computer security which is a process and should invite regular comments.

Although evangalizing GNU/Linux as a security measure is dubious.

Sorry, MisterCookie, I'm not attacking GNU/Linux, but unless the user knows how to secure their platform, any OS can be insecure.

My only disagreement with the original article is about password length.

Ensure your passwords (no matter where) is at least 6 characters long, and consist of numbers and letters of upper and lower case.

All Windows NT based systems (Windows 2000, Windows XP), I believe, still compute and store the LAN Manager hash (LM Hash) in the SAM database by default for compatibility with older Windows systems.
(I might be going off obsolete knowledge, but I *think* this is still valid)

The LM Hash is notably weak when passwords used are less than 7 characters. For windows systems you're better off using a password that is exactly 7 characters. You're best solution is a password that is 14 or more characters.

(if you want to know why, read: http://www.thebitmill.com/articles/nt_password.html)

[Macht]

Re: Computer Security Guide, how to secure your computer.

if they are bumping to say something completely unnecessary? That's bad.

That's when I get to siff through my bag of destructive toys (aka goodies) and start slaughtering threads.

[Murphie]

Re: Computer Security Guide, how to secure your computer.

Is there a rule about trying to revive dead threads?

Sort of, yeah. I mean, if someone is bumping to say something relevant, then it's not so bad (see the post right above my last one), but if they are bumping to say something completely unnecessary? That's bad.

[kuu]

Re: Computer Security Guide, how to secure your computer.

No...a good amount of people did.

Is there a rule about trying to revive dead threads?

But anyway, those security don't quite work, and rather not very convient for consumer level people.

You can blame windows and program makers for that. The shear fact that not being in admin, is totally annoying in windows is a grossy understated issue.

Even Microsoft's own suites suffer from "everyone should be in admin level" syndrome.

[Murphie]

Re: Computer Security Guide, how to secure your computer.

Am I the only one who noticed this thread is from 2004 (and hence may not be entirely up to date), and was bumped yesterday for no reason whatsoever?

I am? Well, carry on then.

[Jarre]

Re: Computer Security Guide, how to secure your computer.

I agree AKosygin, everyone needs to take responsibility for keeping the site secure by keeping themselves secure. I had a recent security advice bubble from F-secure tellign em about the new Haxdoor virus that is now spreading accross europe in zip files and exe files etc.

The ebst way to prevent virus's is to:-

1. Be more careful with opening attachments in emails, if you don't know the person or the subject bar is strange or it contains a zip, exe, jar etc. file delete, also do not view emails with your preview pane, if you click on one of these in the preview pane its the same as opening the email, anythign atatched will activate.

2. don't visit porn sites, yes I know you do!!! alot of these have embedded virsus's (many key loggers, java virus's and even the famous wmf one.)

3. Get a virus checker (Grisofts AVG is free to download and update) and also free spyware cleaners i.e. Adaware and Spybot.

One thing AKosygin I don't agree with...

A chain is as strong as its weakest link.
3.) Please ensure you have installed an Anti-Virus program. Like Norton or McAfee. (From experience Norton is the best, but it can be more expensive overall)

Norton has many problems, hates everything, slows everything down and they are quite bad at the moment at getting updates quickly. personally I wouldn't touch them with a barge pole, but that is personel prefference.

My set up....

F-secure (firewall, virus scanning) (£25 a year subscription)
Spybot search and destroy, Adaware 6, crapcleaner.

Here is the top 10 Virus killers

Double Post Edited:

Even funnier their Office program that's for Macintosh computers work better then the Office program on their own OS system. That's the part I find to have the hugest irony to it, Microsoft cheats Macintosh, Miscrosoft builds faulty OS, Macintosh OS uses Microsoft programs better then Microsoft OS.

I have to agree s i use a PC at home and a Mac in the office, the speed of powerpoint is double at the office than home and my office computer is slower than my home one on paper (G4 1.25mhz mac with 768mhz PC2100 in office, Athlon64 3000+ at home with 2Gb Pc3200 memory) and the power point presentations i am talking about include full rendered images and lots of animation.

The same is with Archicad 9 I use as an architect at the office, it runs slower at home even though my computer is faster at home and has a better graphics card!!

If onyl FF came to teh Mac, I bet it would run smoother