dsl+ open door?

[tlhudson69]

I am swiching from dialupp to DSL (bellsouth) i am running avast anti-virus and using windows firewall ( also have AVG as a backup) also spybottS+D and microsoft anti-spyware and lavasovt ad ware. My worry is that microsoft firewall may not be "safe" enough. running XP sp2 with all updates IE 6. sometimes firefox when i download files and go to sights that may contain "bugs" Just started using firefox. Any sugestions? Should I always use firefox? do i need MORE anti-virus? NO-NORTON please!!!

 

[Malak]

Ok, if you really want to be secure, you don't need ANY of that, but you need 2 things.

A router. Plug the DSL connection to the router and then your computer to the router. The router is a hardware firewall, and it will protect you. Best of all, you don't need to do anything. You don't need to update it, install software, anything. Routers are great.

Opera. Opera is and has always been the most secure browser to use. You can check Secunia.com yourself and see between Firefox and Opera who is more secure. Plus, with Opera you don't need to download ANY extensions at all, because it already has all the functionality from the start. The install isn't any bigger than Firefox, and it doesn't use any more memory, so it isn't bloatware, it's just better.

You won't need anti-virus or anti-spyware programs as long as you practice safe browsing. I have zero anti-virus and anti-spyware programs running and I've not been infected. Been naked for years.

 

[talyn00]

One anti-virus program should be sufficent, just make sure its up-to-date along with your patches for windows. You can also surf the web in User level account (non administrator). And you can also throw a router between your comp and the internet.

 

[talyn00]

Originally posted by: Malak
You won't need anti-virus or anti-spyware programs as long as you practice safe browsing. I have zero anti-virus and anti-spyware programs running and I've not been infected. Been naked for years.

That's not exactly the best idea if you have multiple users, where you can't really enforce the idea of safe browsing when you're not around.

 

[tlhudson69]

SDL is new to me but i think i get a USB modem. This sounds like it is just like an external modem. PS thank you for your replys. Sometimes i DO NOT use safe serfing that is when i use Firefox!!

 

[Malak]

Originally posted by: talyn00

Originally posted by: Malak
You won't need anti-virus or anti-spyware programs as long as you practice safe browsing. I have zero anti-virus and anti-spyware programs running and I've not been infected. Been naked for years.

That's not exactly the best idea if you have multiple users, where you can't really enforce the idea of safe browsing when you're not around.

Limited accounts, uninstall IE and install Opera.

 

[mechBgon]

tlhudson69, if you're wondering how to implement a Limited account in practical terms:

1) make a new user account and name it Admin. By default, it'll be an Administrator-level account because Windows is a 'tard Give it a password, maybe tlhudson69, that is a decent one. If you don't give it a password, you can't use Run As..., so give it one.

2) now go to Control Panel > User Accounts and switch your usual account to Limited. You are now laying aside the power to do much harm to the computer, and anything that exploits your programs (browsers, IM, email) will also be deprived of the power to do much harm either.

3) if you need to run something at Admin powers because it won't run properly under a Limited account, one option is to right-click the item while holding down the Shift key, and choose Run As... and use the Admin credentials to run it.

4) the protection of a Limited account ends where your common sense fails. If you deliberately run Bad Stuff with the Admin privileges, then that's the end of the Limited account's protection. So keep your hands off the warez, cracks and "patches." :evil:



Also, yeah, get a router. Of the 65535 ports on a TCP/IP connection, you maybe need eight or ten of them actually open, so use the router's configuration menu to arbitrarily close the rest of them, outbound and inbound: router info, with suggested router.

I wouldn't bother avoiding the use of IE, but I'm just crazy like that :evil:

 

[tlhudson69]

I have got all my ports stelthed (so much so it was hard to set uo home networking) by going to shields up. The only thing i have ever had problems with has been human error (Gator for example!!) Yeah i have 3 user accounts myne which is admin my daughters -limited and one for testing stuff i guess i should use the third account for serfing the net

 

[themusgrat]

A USB modem is not the same as a router. Anyway, never use USB, always use ethernet. Get a 4 or 5 port router, or if you are paranoid like me, get a VPN router for like $40 or $50, since they have business class protection, and I don't use any other firewall, other than the hardware one on my nF4 mobo. Never been hacked, and if they tried, I get real time notification and can track them.

 

[Malak]

Originally posted by: themusgrat
A USB modem is not the same as a router. Anyway, never use USB, always use ethernet. Get a 4 or 5 port router, or if you are paranoid like me, get a VPN router for like $40 or $50, since they have business class protection, and I don't use any other firewall, other than the hardware one on my nF4 mobo. Never been hacked, and if they tried, I get real time notification and can track them.

Are you really concerned someone might hack you? There are a billion computers on the net, is there any real reason they'd target you?

 

[themusgrat]

No, but maybe since my PC is almost always running, and I know 2 friends who have been hacked.

 

[Sunrise089]

Personally I run the following: WinXp Pro w/ SP-2, Firefox, Windows firewall, and a router. I use no antivirus program, and have no anti-slyware apps running in the background, though I do run adaware about once a week. I understand that if you have lots of inexperienced users on your PC it might be different, but for me my setup uses basically no system resources and has kept me virus free for a long time.