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Browsers: How to be a security nut while on the web?..(Lol)
How to be a security nut while on the web?..(Lol)
by MrKassner - 10/28/09 6:35 PMThe title basically says it all. I like knowing I'm secure when doing pretty much everything, my online games and instant messengers are set to encrypt my messages before they are sent, I check my firewall for any ports that are open that don't need to be and close them, theirs a long list. I'm not one of those complete nuts that thinks the government has us on 24/7 watch and all that, and I don't go through every program I use with a fine tooth comb to see if theirs something spying on me, but I do know that their are people out there that try to read what you type, steal your credit card info, and so on.
Anyways out of the intro and into what I'm asking... What ways can I become more secure while browsing the internet? I use Firefox so I already have the plug-ins Adblock Plus (ad blocker), BetterPrivacy (flash cookie deleter), FormFox (tells where the stuff I type is sent), and NoScript (blocker for Java, JavaScript, Flash, etc).
Have I reached the top of security nut-ness for simply browsing the web or is their more? I don't like knowing that their are things on websites that I can't even see that track where I go, remember what I type in search bars, get info about what operating system or web browser I'm using or what my IP address is, and I'm sure theirs more that they can do too. I'm sure someone will reply to this saying I worry too much and the chance of this and that happening are low or some other thing like that, my reply to that is better to have it and not need it then need it and not have it.
I didn't see . . .
by Coryphaeus - 10/29/09 5:54 AM In reply to: How to be a security nut while on the web?..(Lol) by MrKassnerany mention of an Anti-virus program, or anti-malware/spyware protection. These protect against "drive by" infections such as visiting an infected site or opening an email. The precautions you mention will not protect you against these.
I forgot to mention my antivirus...
by MrKassner - 10/29/09 6:25 PM In reply to: I didn't see . . . by CoryphaeusI have Avast antivirus and it's proven itself to me countless times by blocking stuff from trying to get on my computer. I don't have a anti-malware or spyware program though, except the stuff built into Windows 7.
In that case
by MarkFlax
- 10/30/09 4:29 AM
In reply to: I forgot to mention my antivirus... by MrKassner
an anti-malware utility like Malwarebytes' Anti-malware, or SUPERAntispyware will complete your security protection.
They both have free versions of which neither can be scheduled for scans, but that's OK, we just use them as 'double check' scanners once a week or so.
You're good to go.
Mark
Response to MarkFlax/Malwarebytes
by PapaCereus - 10/30/09 11:14 PM In reply to: In that case by MarkFlax
I'm new to the Forum, but have a greater respect for this group than many others out there.
Wanted to share something with MarkFlax (& others if it helps). You had mentioned Malwarebytes can't be set to run automatically. A few months ago, I found a site with instructions on setting it up in Scheduled Tasks/XP, & have used it on several computers with success.
FYI!
http://en.kioskea.net/faq/sujet-1869-malwarebyte-s-automatic-update
Hmm. Very interesting
by MarkFlax - 10/31/09 4:25 AM
In reply to: Response to MarkFlax/Malwarebytes by PapaCereus
That could be useful Papa. Thanks for the tip.
I am using Vista, so hopefully there will be a tip for that soon.
Mark
Internet security
by DougSK - 10/30/09 10:48 PM In reply to: How to be a security nut while on the web?..(Lol) by MrKassnerThe best protection for any internet-connected computer is often overlooked. It is a combination of a router (hardware firewall) to protect against intrusions and a software firewall to prevent software that does somehow get on your computer from ever making a connection you don't know about.
Next and even more overlooked is not even internet-specific: Don't run your computer using an account with Administrator privileges. This is always important, but is critical with an internet-connected computer. Should some website seek to do you harm, it is always less able if it must run with the reduced privileges of a non-admin account.
Then there is your browser itself. Most current browsers have an incognito mode that automatically deletes all session-specific info when you close it... cookies, browser history, temporary files, etc. With Google Chrome, you can go one better and remove the instance-specific ID attached to YOUR copy using unchrome.exe
Check your system vulnerability by browsing to Gibson Research's ShieldsUp website. It will probe your firewall for open ports, etc. and let you know many vulnerabilities.
Bottom line is just like the one for car thieves, though. There's no such thing as completely secure. All you can do is make your system harder to get into than most and hope whoever's trying goes for the lower-hanging fruit. Always keep good backups. And you may want to look into a tracks eraser-type program and/or keylogger if you have concerns about security from people who may have physical access to your computer.
Use Linux
by 3rdalbum - 10/31/09 3:27 AM In reply to: How to be a security nut while on the web?..(Lol) by MrKassnerLinux is naturally more secure by design, as well as the advantage that most viruses don't run on it. Plus there is a SERIOUSLY HUGE amount of software out there for enhancing anonymity and privacy, a lot of which is available from any Linux distribution's software repository. A lot of people who work on Linux are interested (some might say, fanatical) about privacy and anonymity - and most Linux-based programmers think hard about how to make their programs secure.
All your Firefox extensions still work on Linux, of course, and there's no need for any anti-virus. You probably don't even need a firewall, although you might as well activate your modem/router's inbuilt firewall just in case you accidentally install some server software. As long as you have a firewall in your router, you DON'T need one running on your computer too.
Linux
by Phil Crase - 10/31/09 6:24 AM In reply to: Use Linux by 3rdalbumThe 9.10 variant is very very nice I highly recommend it and from a security standpoint, heads and shoulders above Windows.
Thanks to everyone that replied,
by MrKassner - 10/31/09 4:44 AM In reply to: How to be a security nut while on the web?..(Lol) by MrKassnerI wasn't expecting it but after the release of Ubuntu 9.10 I'm really starting to get into Linux more (as some of you suggested) so my need for security is now next to none and I'm still able to use all my plug-ins in Firefox (as someone else also said) to make sure I'm not having any people getting info about me, though I uninstalled that NoScript crap after writing a huge post on a forum and hitting Submit and it lost it all because NoScript blocked an important script on the website.
Security can improve.
by Porch-a-Geese - 11/1/09 6:07 PM In reply to: How to be a security nut while on the web?..(Lol) by MrKassnerYou could use a more secure OS to start with.
Use qemu on FreeBSD to run OpenBSD. Have the FreeBSD user account with normal user permissions. NO access to anything outside of removable media, home, and audio. Set up a similar user account on the OpenBSD VM. Use konqueror on the VM and make all cookies to be prompted for. Disable prelaoding. Make use for browsing only. Set cache at 2MB. Etc.
If you know how to do it. Set security on the FreeBSD host at level 1 and make all modules loadable through loader.conf. Umask the user account at 022.
Do this for both the virtual and the host machine. Run the browser through the virtual and use the host as a firewall. Don't allow the VM to access any hardware.
This is a setup which is much more secure than anything you currently have.
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