Community Newsletter: Q&A: 2/23/07 Is Windows Live OneCare all I need for security protection?
- 2/23/07 10:28 AM
Why PC Speed has reduced even after regular cleaning?
by tigercat1963 - 2/26/07 10:42 PM In reply to: Why PC Speed has reduced even after regular cleaning? by rupindergill1. Get More Ram
2. Get Ride of ccleaner an registry mechanic, these programs harm your registry, doing more harm than good.
3. Get Nod32, it is the Best Antivirus and adware remover on the market
An finally you may have to do a clean install of windows to fix your problems. I have used ccleaner an registry mechanic for a while an everytime I had to reinstall the operating system to fix my problems.
NOD32
by mr. stephan - 2/27/07 11:10 AM In reply to: Why PC Speed has reduced even after regular cleaning? by tigercat1963Tigercat1963,
Not sure y your are insistant on NOD32 the pricing is a little high, not only that Regitry Mechanic has never slowed down my pc, it only got faster, all you need is these programs:
1. Registry Mechanic-Cleans your Registry
2. Ad-aware SE-removes spyware adware and bad cookies
3. Norton's Antivirus- or simular program to always monitor your PC, with out the extra crap that come with them (Anti-Virus only)
4. XoftSpy-Removes Spyware, adware, trojans, viruses ect http://www.paretologic.com/products/ This is the best i ever seen in my 15 years of PC building and Game Moding
Run these programs once a week and you got a clean PC, and stay away from Porn sites, off the wall free Virus scan web pages, and all those free Hacker Serial Code pages to pirate software, all these pages do is fill your PC with tracking and spyware garbage, If you go to these pages then i hope your PC blows up, because you have been warned! LOL it may not blow up going there, but it may as well.
Here is what happened to a laptop i cleaned about 8 months ago, It was so full of Spyware and adware, trojans ect. it was unreal about 250 total AAAAHHHHh!
1. I installed adaware and removed about 175 problems,
2. I installed Nortons Antivirus and removed 25 or so trojans and virus Keyloggers ect.
3. I installed Registry Mechanic and cleaned up the Registry,
4. I ran all these programs a second time and got a couple more problems fixed, Clean as a whistle now i thought lol
5. I installed XoftSpy and WoW it removed and extra 150 Trojans and Keyloggers, I allmosted fell off my chair. I dont even know how this thing booted up, actually it almost didn't. I will never go without any of these program.
This is a fact, not just a story, I have tested this on many slow PC's and it works. FACT, Don't believe me try it out and you will be rewarded!
I sure have heard some crap on this subject that is for sure, each to his own i guess, Good luck all, have fun and enjoy, a lot of you have some realy good ideas that i may have to try myself!
Security protection for the computer
by squeeze - 2/24/07 8:02 AM In reply to: 2/23/07 Is Windows Live OneCare all I need for security protection? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
As referenced in previous responses, one product is never enough to cover the spectrum of problem software.
I have worked on many computers to get them to run correctly. In my ventures, the main thing common among these computers were: 1) The Anti-Virus was not up-to-date, or that it had expired; 2) They had no spyware/adware/malware protection on the computer, or that they had only one and it was very rarely run and way out of date; and 3) the Windows has not been updated recently.
On my computer, I have the Symantec SystemWorks/AV, Ad-Aware, Spybot S&D, and Hijack This. These four programs have kept me running OK for about 3 years now. I have purchased Spyware programs in the past but really never noticed that the purchased program ever really was worth the price. The key here is to keep them updated and run often, and I mean often. Most say to run them once a week, I run mine once a day or two or after some heavy computer use. Most people run only a single browser(IE). I also have an alternate browser (Firefox), as it is good insurance to have if something were to happen to the primary browser I have something to get online with. Another product that you can use is one of the freebie cleaning tools that will work with all browsers. In my favorites folder for IE is the website for www.trendmicro.com/housecall, that is another tool for scanning the computer, which I do once a week just to make sure I'm clean, it is also a freebie.
The next product that is useful is the Firewall. Windows XP tends to give you one, but it works only in one direction, and that is from the outside in to your computer. Get one of the freebies such as Zone Alarm and learn to use it. It will work both outgoing and incoming.
Ad-Aware is real good at detecting what is on the computer and deleting them. Spybot gives you an option for Tea Timer which will moniter the computer as you use it, the downfall is that you have to be a little computer literate to interpret the windows. Everytime any change is made to your computer it will bring up a window alerting you that a change is about to be made to your computer, and you have to allow or deny that change.
Hijack This only lists what is on the computer, good or bad, and it is up to you to find and get rid of unwanted entries. Unless you are very good with registries, I recommend not dealing with that program as a wrong move on your part may make the computer unuseable.
So to cover your question, 1) Get a good AV, keep it up-to-date, and run it often; 2) Get the freebies on the internet (Ad-Aware, and Spybot) and keep them up-to-date and run often; 3) keep your OS up-to-date; and 4) if needed get a Firewall and run it. This will keep you clean for most of the problems that arise while on the internet.
The other alternative is to get out of Windows. Linux is good but different, and the Apple is ever increasing in popularity but a bit more expensive.
Is "Windows Live OneCare" All I Need, etc. ... From Pete Z
by Kelrob USA Ltd - 2/24/07 11:52 AM In reply to: 2/23/07 Is Windows Live OneCare all I need for security protection? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Pleasant greetings Pete ... and MANY THANX ... for
the information. I found it MOST HELPFUL and interesting reading, especially because you present-
ed your knowledge in this area IN LAYMAN'S TERMS,
which made it extremely easy to read/comprehend/retain ... even for a computer novice like myself ... THANX AGAIN!
Respectfully, AZ/Kelrob
One-Care is incomplete and destroys your address ook
by baddawgg - 2/24/07 5:23 PM In reply to: Is "Windows Live OneCare" All I Need, etc. ... From Pete Z by Kelrob USA LtdOne-Care does not include e-mail protection or spam blocking (nor does the "tune-up" clean and defrag the registry or fix broken shortcuts.) However, if you have an e-mail that contains a virus, it deletes the file outlook.pst. This file contains things other than your e-mail (like your calendar and your address book.) Want to loose all that just to gat rid of one e-amiled virus. Like throwing out the baby with the bath water.
Multiple security apps might hurt
by firefox nut - 2/24/07 9:40 PM In reply to: 2/23/07 Is Windows Live OneCare all I need for security protection? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
live OneCare is still not so good, as it is version 1. If you have it, it might be better to just get a scanning program, not real time protection programs. Multiple security apps affect computer performance and Internet speeds, all in the name of security. But if you're really scared of whats out there, I would recommend ZoneAlarm Internet Security, cheap and powerful. Don't worry, if your computer is running fine, don't bother about this silly review.
Security conflicts?
by rdwngsfn21290 - 2/25/07 7:33 AM In reply to: 2/23/07 Is Windows Live OneCare all I need for security protection? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Various reports say that multiple security programs can interfere with Norton and McAfee software, and therefore should be avoided. What problems/conflicts, if any, may arise if I use Spybot, AdAware and SpywareBlaster in addition to Norton?
Don't listen to to them....
by kalodev - 2/25/07 2:05 PM In reply to: 2/23/07 Is Windows Live OneCare all I need for security protection? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
The whole story about needing about 5 firewalls, 5 anti-virous and 5 anti-spyware in order to protect your computers is NONSENSE. It's REDICULOUS, coming from firms that want to sell you their stuff. The last 5 years i have removed all anti-virus program -most of them are bad pieces of software that criple your PC's performance- from my computer, and I have never been affected by a virous. Just Keep a free anti-spyware and windows firewall is enough. That's all you need. What would really protect you from virouses is common sense. Just don't open mails and programs, that you don't know where they are coming from. If you just go about openning anything that comes to your junk mail, sooner or later you will get a virous, no matter how many anti-virous you are using...
Norton AntiVirus
by lindsa_m - 2/25/07 2:22 PM In reply to: 2/23/07 Is Windows Live OneCare all I need for security protection? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
When I installed Norton AntiVirus 2007, the program wanted me to remove my anti spyware program...I can't remember the name of it but the company was Webroot. I thought this spyware remover was one of the best of all I have tried.
question
by blobasso - 2/25/07 3:24 PM In reply to: 2/23/07 Is Windows Live OneCare all I need for security protection? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
that was a wonderful outline of the different types of pest problems computer users have to fight off. I have a question though, how do you know what/when you have one of these problems other than the spam that arrives daily?
My computer is working - but has slowed down. I wonder if I have a modem virus of some sort and would like to check it out. Can you tell me how and what to do if I find its infected?
Barbara Lobasso
Keeping your computer safe from the on-line assault?
by Mr.RumPig - 2/25/07 5:41 PM In reply to: 2/23/07 Is Windows Live OneCare all I need for security protection? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I think that some people are painting a nasty picture of the world wide web, where geeks with glasses in mums basements spend countless hours just waiting for you to punch in a credit card number on a dodgy website and voila! I've been surfing the net for years, mostly for free downloads, music, internet banking and what not, and I have never picked up a virus. OK so obviously some people have, and I've just been lucky, but a big part of computer security is surfing smart. Every bit of spyware/adware I've seen has come from a piece of software someone has knowingly downloaded from a website they thought they could trust. Every virus I have seen has been in an attatchment to unsolicited commercial email or spam, that someone has unwittingly introduced to their computer, all by themselves. Where I work our spam filter catches several hundred instances of uce a day, which is probably 80 percent of what we actually receive. About 10% of this spam will have an attatchment containing a mass mailing worm, trojan or virus of some sort. Whose seen those emails written in dodgy english from someone they don't know with an attatchment that's supposed to remove a worm you supposedly have? Or an attachment that's supposed to be the latest celebrity sex video or something like that? The moral of my story is that half of the time, the only way a virus can get into your computer is if you unknowingly introduce it yourself, from a somewhat obviously dodgy source. (Free porn anyone???) So be wary of what attachments you open, files you download and what sites you visit and you have already won the battle. But yes, winning the battle doesn't mean you've won the war, I know. Personally on my laptop at home I run Avast! antivirus which happens to be the best antivirus program I've seen, and it's free! I also have Windows defender, which is supposed to monitor your computer for spyware / adware, and any potentially malicious software activity, including registry changes (which is usually the first thing a virus modifies) also free. (It's probably not even worth mentioning the XP firewall). I feel safe with this simple and free combination, and it doesn't rob my little computer of it's valueable resources. Remember, it's one thing to protect your computer with firewalls, antivirus/spam/adware programs; but an armoured car can get hi-jacked just as much as a Ferarri. Personally I'd rather cruise around in a Ferarri.
Security basics
by clsgis - 2/26/07 11:33 AM In reply to: 2/23/07 Is Windows Live OneCare all I need for security protection? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Security isn't a product you can buy in a shrink wrapped box. Security is a discipline.
No computer system is secure. Not even OpenBSD and Solaris. Therefore you have to treat any computer system as disposable. Therefore your first security measure isn't software updates or "anti virus" products, it's FREQUENT BACKUPS. The rule in business is figure out how much work you can afford to lose, and back up at least that often. For big businesses, that means databases with replication, so they're backed up continuously. And don't forget a backup isn't a backup if you can't find it or use it. TEST your backups. You don't want to find out when you need it that you've been storing blank tapes or DVDs for a year because your backup drive was broken.
The experts I know who are forced by their employers to use MS-Windows survive by taking a snapshot of their Windows partition whenever it is in a known clean/uninfected/uncorrupted state. They only use MS-Windows for the assigned task. Then they back up the work product, and roll the MS-Windows system back to its last known good checkpoint. They use some unix system for office work, because it takes so much less maintenance. One of the advantages of the unix systems is there is a clear distinction between the users' data and the system. So instead of backing up a whole system snapshot, all you need to be able to recover from a disaster is the system's config files and the users' home and work directories. You can rebuild the system from sterile media without worrying about malware hidden in the users' files. Also, it's nice to be able to restore your configuration by unpacking a tarfile instead of going through a lot of dialogs and menus.
Your second security measure is updates. Update your OS and any anti-malware products daily or whenever you connect your system to the Internet.
Your third security measure is proper configuration. Your MS-Windows system should be hidden on a non-routable IP address (e.g. 192.168.x.x) behind an *external* network address translation firewall. The firewall should only forward packets when your system initiated the contact. (That function is called connection tracking.) It shouldn't forward any ports in. You can use a router for a firewall, or your unix system. Scan your router from the outside. (Get a friend with a unix box to run nmap against your exposed IP address.) You're not done until you can explain or shut off every open port.
Your *fourth* and least important security measure is anti-malware products. On a GNU/Linux system running server programs, you need a root kit detector like ckhrootkit or rkhunter, and maybe an intrusion detector like Tripwire. On MS-Windows, you need all that stuff the other posters in this topic are talking about.
This is Security 101. Backups, updates, config, detect. If you thought item 4 was the first or the only, you would do well to get some advice from a source that's not trying to sell you anything.
Get a Mac...
by TigerG - 2/27/07 6:20 AM In reply to: 2/23/07 Is Windows Live OneCare all I need for security protection? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
and you won't have to worry about all this tom foolery.
What others DIDN'T say about Windows Live One Care...
by grtgrfx - 2/27/07 2:20 PM In reply to: 2/23/07 Is Windows Live OneCare all I need for security protection? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
While I agree that One Care is not the strongest at protecting your system from every problem, you should be aware that adding other utilities (Avast! Antivirus, for example) sets off One Care's warning flags and will permanently display the red "at risk" icon until it bullies you into uninstalling the new utility. This is an obvious self-defense mechanism of Microsoft's and is designed solely to inhibit naive users from using multiple products to protect their PCs. I suspect that other utilities (Symantec, McAfee, etc.) do the same to keep their rivals off your computer as well, though I haven't installed their suites myself.
Because of this market competition, people need to either buy a suite and use it's products exclusively, or buy individual products which DON'T have overlapping responsibilities, so no one utility steps on competiting products' toes. This sucks, but that's the way the software marketplace works
Host Intrusion Prevention Systems
by godfreyj - 2/27/07 3:17 PM In reply to: What others DIDN'T say about Windows Live One Care... by grtgrfxHas anyone tried this product from Drivesentry?
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