Rate my system's security

M

Monkey_feces

Gawd
Joined
Jun 27, 2006
Messages
702
Antivirus: Nod 32
Software firewall: Zone alarm pro
Hardware firewalls: Linksys wireless, 2wire router
Anti malware: Spybot, spyware blaster, ad-aware
Maintenance program: crap cleaner
How will my security programs deal with threats? Is it sensible to use trend micro online scan
as a second opinion regarding my system's security or is nod 32 more than enough?
 
Honestly, it'sa bit overkill in my opinion.

In most cases, you really wouldn't need a software firewall if you already have a hardware solution. It'll just cause problems and the only useful feature would be checking if programs phone home.

You're fine with spyware protection, but I would download HijackThis and keep it around if something ever get's on your system that you can't identify.

Nod32 should be fine, but I would rather use Trend Micro's online utility than install antivirus software on my system anyway.
 
I use bit torrent, for legal uses of courses (its more convenient to dl from seeders at 100kbps than 40kbps of free gamespy servers). Of course, I need a software firewall to check if any of these torrents are loaded with anything nasty. Also, would you care to elaborate why you wouldn't install an anti virus on your system?
 
I think its fine, though the zone alarm caused me to cringe. I know a couple people who used it then decided to switch and upon uninstalling their system was effectivly cut off from everything and the only remedies to that were to either reinstall ZA or format.
 
That looks like you have most holes covered. May I ask what web browser are you using?
 
I would add ProcessGuard (paid version!!) and a good browser to that list. And personally I don't really like zone alarm. Haven't had too much experience with it but I was not impressed. I use Kerio Personal Firewall and love it.
 
I almost exclusively use firefox, except when something important requires IE. What exactly does process guard do? If it monitors what programs do and if they start acting funny, zone alarm pro does that already, plus I already paid for it :(
 
from the website:
ProcessGuard is a powerful new cutting-edge program that greatly increases
the security of your computer by preventing processes from being able to attack
each other. It is considered by experts to be a must-have program for all users
of Windows, and is the only program available that can prevent the
infection of all known rootkit trojans. The first and best anti rootkit software

Rootkit protection and prevention. Now THAT'S a powerful defence in itself!
ProcessGuard blocks rootkits, prevents spyware, and guards your computer from DLL trojans... But there's much more ...
Click to expand...

basically it makes you win at life.
 
I have been looking up processor guard, but it seems like spyware doctor is its more popular competitor. How do these two fare against each other?
Edit: I have found equally rave reviews for ewido. Now its process guard vs spyware doctor vs ewido. They all claim to have rootkit protection.
 
I loathe zone alarm as well, has caused me nothing but problems with my gaming and non-gaming rigs. I'd rather take my chances with only a router...
 
You want security, run from a bootable linux CD.

Techx said:
I loathe zone alarm as well, has caused me nothing but problems with my gaming and non-gaming rigs. I'd rather take my chances with only a router...
Click to expand...
I've used Zone Alarm for years without any non-gaming problems.

The only gaming problem I've had has been where I didn't give a game access before I ran it. Then you get stuck since ZA won't allow the game to continue, and the game won't let you alt-tab out of it, and have to turn off your PC. Minor annoyance but that's the worst problem I've ever had with Zone Alarm. Although I usually just turn it off for playing games anyways since it can cause lag.
 
BladeVenom said:
Although I usually just turn it off for playing games anyways since it can cause lag.
Click to expand...

Exactly, the only problem is you can't just turn off ZA. Who knows what the hell it does but it's effects can still be felt even after you turn it off (lag/other issues), not until it's totally uninstalled did my problems go away..
 
BladeVenom said:
The only gaming problem I've had has been where I didn't give a game access before I ran it. Then you get stuck since ZA won't allow the game to continue, and the game won't let you alt-tab out of it, and have to turn off your PC. Minor annoyance but that's the worst problem I've ever had with Zone Alarm. Although I usually just turn it off for playing games anyways since it can cause lag.
Click to expand...
Kerio Personal Firewall 4 doesn't cause lag, AND you don't have to alt tab out of a game (usually) to allow access.

:D
 
Zone alarm has a game mode setting which will let you allow access to most connections/programs. It is still better than turning it off because it allows "most" of the connections who ask for access, yet it still blocks extremely obvious security risks. Zone alarm pro is great for surfing because it has a tracking cookie blocker and anti ad settings. The anti ad settings could be light by just blocking pop ups and animated ads, but at its highest setting, it can block banner ads.
Any word on process guard vs ewido vs spyware doctor?
 
Monkey_feces said:
Zone alarm has a game mode setting which will let you allow access to most connections/programs. It is still better than turning it off because it allows "most" of the connections who ask for access, yet it still blocks extremely obvious security risks. Zone alarm pro is great for surfing because it has a tracking cookie blocker and anti ad settings. The anti ad settings could be light by just blocking pop ups and animated ads, but at its highest setting, it can block banner ads.
Any word on process guard vs ewido vs spyware doctor?
Click to expand...
Kerio firewall can block ads too, and it actually inserts javascript into webpages so some ads don't show.

and it sounds like ProcessGuard is a very different program than ewido and spyware doctor. I have not really looked into ewido or spyware doctor, but I do know that ANY malicious programs that run on your computer, ProcessGuard will detect them and if they are doing anything. You'll always get popups asking to allow programs access to certain parts of your system, so you know what those programs/processes are doing.
My friend uses ewido.. I thought it was just a spyware scanner?
I'll look into it later.
 
Monkey_feces said:
Antivirus: Nod 32
Software firewall: Zone alarm pro
Hardware firewalls: Linksys wireless, 2wire router
Anti malware: Spybot, spyware blaster, ad-aware
Maintenance program: crap cleaner
How will my security programs deal with threats? Is it sensible to use trend micro online scan
as a second opinion regarding my system's security or is nod 32 more than enough?
Click to expand...

NOD32 rocks. 'Nuff said.

Drop Zone Alarm and go get the Comodo Personal Firewall if you simply must have a software one, that is

The hardware firewalls are superior but primarily on incoming connections; the software one, especially Comodo, would handle anything trying to get out.

All that adware/spyware crap wouldn't be needed if you ran a better browser. Avant, Firefox, Maxthon, Opera - all of those do infinitely better jobs of handling those issues than vanilla IE does.

CrapCleaner is awesome, good choice.

Other than that, I think it's a bit overkill myself as someone else said. I hit Housecall several times a week; never have any issues and I don't run active antivirus but I'm still clean (Avant is my browser of choice, with Opera for a backup). Looks good to me, you should be just fine.

Just my $.02.
bb
 
I always thought ewido and spyware doctors were antispyware while processguard is a host-based intrusion-prevention system
 
Cheetoz said:
I always thought ewido and spyware doctors were antispyware while processguard is a host-based intrusion-prevention system
Click to expand...
same... but I haven't looked into the other two. And I probably won't get time to for a couple days at least...
 
Main Box "Dragon-Claw": Windows XP SP-2 Bare Bones Hacked Ver & X64 Hacked Ver.
Antivirus: Avast Perfessional
Software firewall: Lavasoft Firewall
Hardware firewalls: Linksys Wireless-G (with custom firmware)
Anti malware: Ad-ware, Spybot
Maintenance program: Webroot

(Dragon-Claw is behind a Linux Firewall Server)

Internet connection Box Linux Firewall Code Named: "3 Locked Box" (A Linux CD-Live OS only comp with no HD. P3 500mhz, 256Mb SD-Ram.) Try hacking into a system like that with 3 firewalls and no HD on the incoming connections. lol There is no space to write to. XDD This is the 1st box that allows all others to connect to the net. Its soul perpous is to be a total firewall thats unhackable. Good luck keeping a connection with no place to write to but memory thats aready full all the time.

If you want extreme, this is as hard as it gets for extreme security.
 
Serge84 said:
Its soul perpous is to be a total firewall thats unhackable.

If you want extreme, this is as hard as it gets for extreme security.
Click to expand...

Riiiiiggggghhhhhhtttttt...

Ultimate security (well, as ultimate as it can get) is a computer that hasn't ever been built or used. :) If it's up, if it's running, if it's connected to something, it's vulnerable. Period.

bb
 
br0adband said:
Riiiiiggggghhhhhhtttttt...

Ultimate security (well, as ultimate as it can get) is a computer that hasn't ever been built or used. :) If it's up, if it's running, if it's connected to something, it's vulnerable. Period.

bb
Click to expand...


Seconded... And also if on the third computer you need a access or whatever and you configure the lowest firewall = all firewall has to be configured to allow this changes... The numbers doesn't matters. What you need is a good HW Firewall with IDS from cisco or something and these thing rocks. :)
 
Quiz

Tell me something then, Impress me with your unmatched hackable skills ppl? 1.Q.How will you hack into a Linux read only CD? A.You can't. 2.Q.But I can get into the memory or floppy. A.You can't write to full space. Ramdisk would be only as large as the net connection. And thats a in and a out sepratly. You must deal with the linux box no matter what. I would only have enough ram for the linux box to work. The floppy would be read only after I set the Firewall.

3.Q.What if I can get through by good luck. A.If you manage to get in, You have a router with custom firmware in it that makes my router worth 500 bucks. Good luck getting through a 2nd hard firewall, that is if I don't detect you 1st. I could set the connection to reset every so and so mins. Nothing a reboot wouldn't fix. You wouldn't beable to get in the same way. My router would block it. Its connected to proxy services and 256bit encryption. Wireless turned off.

4.Q.But I'm the best hacker there is, i can get into US goverment crap. A.So you are really, they don't use 3 locked boxes for one, and most never deal with this type of security. After they find out another firewall is behind that they would give up. They would have no idea how many routers or firewalls there are. Your totally relying on space to write with. Two, your trying to hack a limited very old comp with no HD, agenst Linux, and a hard floppied read only firewall, with limited memory and MHZ to work with.

It will give you a hard time. Even if your the best. You'll need more time then thats givin. No space to write. You have to deal with a hard router firewall after that, and another software firewall. You'll be found no matter how good you are. Not very many ppl use systems like this because its too over the top. But it provides a unhackable area with no workspace to work with.

The whole bases this is on is you can not hack into a read only system with no write space. Where would the code go to keep the connection after the memory is dumped? It would be gone bye bye. Oh I forgot to say I have a IP firewall too. Try the same thing again and you'll need another IP to hack with. lol Even the US goverment doesn't make rigs this extreme. They just use modified windows 95 or linux on super fast comps with multi firewalls and routers as I hear.

It is totally impossible to hack a system like this with it used as a proxy server too. It changes its proxy, so the IP changes and is masked in a proxy. You may never find the same person again. Or even see them on the net.

Right now I don't totally have this set up. But I'll say what I'm going to make in the forums soon. I almost have all the parts to make one for myself. I made one for my cus and it works like the few that use it say it does.

I block more then 3/4th's of the the internet anyways with peer gaurdian 2 anyways most of the time so. =P But yeah I aready have good firewalls and proxy services. That extreme security is just awesome to have tho with the 3 locked box. :D
 
Serge84 said:
Quiz

Tell me something then, Impress me with your unmatched hackable skills ppl? ....SNIP
Click to expand...
I can do all that, but only when wearing my Incredible Hulk Underwear and my Star Trek Limited Edition - Borg Series Tinfoil Hat. I would post the answers to your quiz right now, but I have been wearing my Wonder Woman underwear since Monday and my Tinfoil Hat is in the shop.
 
tazman4 said:
:eek: :eek:

You are kidding, right?
Click to expand...

I have worked for in the computer industry almost my hole life, and for a home user, window's firewall works great, all you need is a great a/v and spyware tools, Software firewall's just cause more problems than not with normal home users. I cant count the number of calls i went on where "My Internet is down, i cant get online" and all it ever is norton or another firewall. You have to remember most home user's do not know what to do with them, they click something and their life comes to a end because they cant check ebay. For the user that know's what he/she is doing with a firewall they are ok, but still not needed.
 
Serge84 said:
Main Box "Dragon-Claw": Windows XP SP-2 Bare Bones Hacked Ver & X64 Hacked Ver.
Antivirus: Avast Perfessional
Software firewall: Lavasoft Firewall
Hardware firewalls: Linksys Wireless-G (with custom firmware)
Anti malware: Ad-ware, Spybot
Maintenance program: Webroot

(Dragon-Claw is behind a Linux Firewall Server)

Internet connection Box Linux Firewall Code Named: "3 Locked Box" (A Linux CD-Live OS only comp with no HD. P3 500mhz, 256Mb SD-Ram.) Try hacking into a system like that with 3 firewalls and no HD on the incoming connections. lol There is no space to write to. XDD This is the 1st box that allows all others to connect to the net. Its soul perpous is to be a total firewall thats unhackable. Good luck keeping a connection with no place to write to but memory thats aready full all the time.

If you want extreme, this is as hard as it gets for extreme security.
Click to expand...

can you say OverKill??
 
I use Zone Alarm (free) for a firewall, spyboy teatimer to protect reg settings (peace of mind, basically) and Ewido free for antivirus.

No routers, no smoothwall/IPcop servers, nothing fancy. My suggestion to those who get alot of viruses: Stop searching for porn on google. P2P has more, and better. :)

I haven't had any trouble with viruses and such in at least several months, and I practically live on the internet.
 
Factorxfiles said:
I use Zone Alarm (free) for a firewall, spyboy teatimer to protect reg settings (peace of mind, basically) and Ewido free for antivirus.

No routers, no smoothwall/IPcop servers, nothing fancy. My suggestion to those who get alot of viruses: Stop searching for porn on google. P2P has more, and better. :)

I haven't had any trouble with viruses and such in at least several months, and I practically live on the internet.
Click to expand...
I wouldn't recommend p2p for porno. Out of curiosity, on two occassions, I clicked man fucks 12 year old daughter and women gets it on with dog. They both shocked me because the first one depicted a prepubescent girl and a much older man (presumably her father, god I'm going to jail) and the second one depicted a rather well endowed (for a dog) german shepard copulating with a rather attractive woman.

I did a little research about rootkits and general security on the dslreports security forum, so I revised my security. As of now, I use:
Anti Virus: Nod 32, secondary scan with trend micro
Anti Trojan/Spyware: A squared free, spyware doctor free, hijack this, spybot search and destroy, adaware
Real time protection: Spyware blaster, Spybot Teabagger, spyware guard
Misc: Mru blaster, sysinternals rookit revealer (although I don't know what the hell I'm doing)
I'm thinking of purchasing process guard, but I got the impression that it is for power users and that it does the exact same thing as my zone alarm pro program + component control.
 
Monkey_feces said:
I wouldn't recommend p2p for porno. Out of curiosity, on two occassions, I clicked man fucks 12 year old daughter and women gets it on with dog. They both shocked me because the first one depicted a prepubescent girl and a much older man (presumably her father, god I'm going to jail) and the second one depicted a rather well endowed (for a dog) german shepard copulating with a rather attractive woman.
Click to expand...

:eek:

TMFI TMFI OMFG TMFI D00D... good lord.

Did you have doubts as to someone's honesty about the filenames or the description so you figured you'd download them and just verify it? Holy cow...

:confused:

bb
 
br0adband said:
:eek:

TMFI TMFI OMFG TMFI D00D... good lord.

Did you have doubts as to someone's honesty about the filenames or the description so you figured you'd download them and just verify it? Holy cow...

:confused:

bb
Click to expand...
They both had like 300 seeders and a 1000 downloaders. I wanted to confirm if there really are that many perverted people. It seems there are :(
 
br0adband said:
:eek:

TMFI TMFI OMFG TMFI D00D... good lord.

Did you have doubts as to someone's honesty about the filenames or the description so you figured you'd download them and just verify it? Holy cow...

:confused:

bb
Click to expand...
just look at his name... he's got to be into beastiality and scat porn!

jk ;)
 
1.Q.How will you hack into a Linux read only CD? A. The same way you hack into any pc, how would it being read only make a difference?

2.Q.But I can get into the
memory or floppy. A. First of all this isnt a question, but I will respond anyway. Yes you can write to "full space", whatever that means. This sentence, "Ramdisk would be only as large as the net connection.", does not make any sense, though I'm assuming you are saying the same thing here as you did with, "You must deal with the linux box no matter what. I would only have enough ram for the linux box to work".

Either way, you can hack a linux box quite easily, it has exploits just like xp does, although not as severe. And there is no way you could possibly have the memory full 24/7 without the system crashing. I dont know what you are thinking here but its doubtful you would even fill up its existing memory if its a distro designed to act simply as a firewall. Seeing as no one would even try to use your floppy disk (btw, they would have already hacked your computer if they were doing this) you are in the clear here.


3.Q.What if I can get through by good luck. A. I really dont see how custom firmware will make your router automatically worth $500. I think you mean it would make it as effective as a router worth $500, which is still pretty doubtful, as you would have to know from experience, how good a $500 router really is, which you do not.

Multiple firewalls is kind of redundant dont you think? If someone could get through one hardware firewall I'm sure they could get through your second one... You could indeed have the connection reset every few minutes using a script but that would also disrupt your use of the internet, so its probably not the best way to protect yourself. What are you encrypting exactly? I dont understand that part. Connected to proxy services eh? Thats pretty vague, but so far its what I've come to expect of your defense plan.

4.Q.But I'm the best hacker there is, i can get into US goverment crap. A. Another excellent question. Use logic here, if someone broke through one of your firewalls why would they stop once they see a second? I guess if they were some lazy script kiddie they would, but then again one of those wouldnt be able to get past the first firewall, sooo moving on.

I also dont understand where you are getting this idea that your computer must be powerful enough for someone else to hack it. You dont need a high end alienware system for someone to hack you. I guess it would help after they have rooted your box and are planning to compile their own software on it lol. You do not have a "unhackable area", again I'm not getting this. Not many people use systems like that because they don't exist. Half of what you say doesnt make any sense and the other half is redundant.

IP firewall? You do know that a hacker can use proxies too right?... Modified windows 95? If they kept national secrets on that we'd all be dead by now. Not that keeping it on windows xp is much better but hell, keeping the latest version of an OS on your system is a start.

If it acts as a proxy server that does not mean it can change its own ip at will. That defeats the purpose of it being a proxy SERVER. I'm glad that you "blocked 3/4 of the internet" with peer guardian, maybe you wont be able to read this post and realize how mistaken you are. I think you should start learning the basics of networking, before starting to talk about how 1337 and secure your network is.

Btw if you find any of this offensive, I'm sorry but your post gave me a headache. If you want I can point you to some resources that can help you understand better what techniques would help lock down your pc and/or network.
 
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