How to Protect Your Computer

[llbbl]

Below is a guide of what to do in order to protect your computer from Hackers, Viruses, Pop-ups and Spyware

[ECA]

EASY,
DONT connect your computer to the internet.
DONT install any software on your computer, esp, WINDOWS...
dont insert ANY Unchecked floppies, CD's into your computer with out VIRUS protection, and checking it 3 times AFTEr you install it.

REMOVe your modem, and your network cards...And all software pertaining to networking.

DUH, that was easy.

[llbbl]

aside from destroying or impedeing its operability :)

[ECA]

1. CLEAN install..
this means NOTHING on your computer, except windows.

2. Virus protection..
Lots of decent programs, but ASK and evaluate before you KEEP it.
Make SURe it can check email.
AVG from grisoft, is NICE, compact, not a system HOG, and free, unless you wish the FULL version(more options)

3. Bot protection..
Keeping others from GETTING your data, personal or otherwise.
Keeping STUFF, from being loaded, you didnt want, need, or even know about.
I prefer, Spywareblaster for protecting ActiveX
I prefer, Spybot SD.. has many options in advanced mode, as well as Startup utilities.
I Like Adaware, it TRIES to kill everything, and Everywhare, BOTs can hide.

4. diagnostics..
HOw to tell whats whare? Fun aint it.

Hijackthis, shows us the sections of the registry that are important. Its still being worked on. But i dont have time nor SPACe to have a Registry listing posted at over 2000 lines.

LSPFIX, is nice... but we need a LSP listing of good and bad stuff. The ones I find dont even have my LSP's listed. We know a few bad ones.

Proexp.. program I found. still testing it, has many options. Its designed to TRACE working programs. ever wonder whats working under RUNDLL??

Easy Cleaner.. another program found. Helps clean your system.. Im still testing it. Need others to run it, to see how well they like its utilities..

extra stuff:
Firewalls...NICE but software is software, and manny backdoors have been found and fixed. they also come as HARDWARE. Can be abit advanced/a pain for many. but once you understand how it works you LOVE them. these watch the PORTS that are available on the NET.
Windows is a GLASS house, on the internet.. And every window is a target. a firewall is the shutters that cover the windows, so things dont get broken.

BACKUPS..
For many its a dirty word. even LONG ago when we had smaller OS, and floppies.. 30+ floppies was ALOT, and took ALONG time.
EVEN now, a PROPER backup(which is a PAIN under windows) is worth EVERY MINUTE.
If you consider that AFTER a crash.
You lost
ALL your emails.
Addresses,
UPDATES,
DOWNLOADS,
DATA...Pictures, music, Tax returns, Spread sheets, ....
All the internet Favorites
ALL your programs and THERE updates, such as EXCELL, WORD, and so forth.
GAMES and there updates...
And where will you FIND all this STUFF, after you had it installed???
Games and program updates, will be on the net..
I DONT CARE how LONG you THINk it will take.
full install and update of programs YOU HAVE, will NOT take LESS then, 7 days of DOWNLOADS. Highspeed access dont matter, as MOST need the computer to RESET after EVERY update.

ALWAYS backup DATA, and update FILES...
Cant do that with WINDOWS, but MOSt programs will let you Download the updates and install WHEN you wish. Even OFFICE.
Just GET THEM OFF your computer.

Pictures, and music and THINGS you wish to KEEP.. dont care what format, just GET THEM OFF.

BEST backup, has 2 copies, and UPDATES 1 time a month.
For pictures its 3 copies... 1 PRINTED, 1 STORED on CD/DVD, 1 ON computer.
ALL i expect is that you MAKE 1 backup after any MAJOR software changes.... 1 time a YEAR...I HOPE...

BACKUP..
40gig DRIVE...ALL 40 gigs.
CD 57 disks
DVD 9-10
DROPING WINDOWS and doing JUST data shouldnt take more then 10gig

[llbbl]

We should link to threads that list all the different types of software that are available to solve that particular problem. We need to write a paragraph or so for each to describe what it is and why you should do it. Good start. Will work on it some more. I have been ignoring the spyware section for a couple days, but I need to respond to that soon. Lots of work to be done eh ECA.

[ECA]

abit.
section for:
HOW to deside WHAT is bothering your computer.

Then Probelms section:
ISEARCH
KALV
HERE4SEARCH
VIRUS locating..
THESE are the MAIn onesOLD and NEW..http://doxdesk.com/parasite/
THIS is the PAIN..CWS..http://cwshredder.net/cwshredder/cwschronicles.html
Thants an OLD list...New version are out..

[llbbl]

I would like for this thread to have a desciption of what is the absolute minum required to keep your computer in good operating condition, software wise. We can also include links to other threads with a more comprehensive list of software / devices . We can also include links to threads that descibe what to do if you think something is wrong with your computer.

[ECA]

HOW to deside WHAT is bothering your computer.

This would be that section. With progs and what to LOOK for, and then discriptions.
AND program evaluations from whats on the net.

The other sections would be CLEANING and how to do it, and maybe extra programs.

[johngo]

Ha.. well.
what about The Symantec programs (antivirus, segurity)..
what do you recomend I shall do with them..

:cheers
john

[ECA]

WELL,
First CLEAN all the EXTRA stuff off....
ALL the IE addons, all the internet addons, all the FLASH games connections, all the STUFF you aint used.

Second is to Look at the system and TURN OFF stuff...
AIM, YAHOO, MSN, ICQ, REAL player, Media player, Quicktime, from STARTING when you turn the computer on.

Then we need a GOOD regestry cleaner, that finds and kills missing Links, to programs, and cleans the THING up.

THEN we can look at Hijackthis, and FIND things without much problem...
Killing it is the hard part, lately...

then add a process monitor(I found 1) that LOOKS at the stuff running, and tells you WHATS MAKING it work, and the background tasks that STATED it.. This would ONLY be for advanced users.. As explaining it can be a PAIN...And SOME things have killed systems when we kill the bots..
Its finding the RELOADERS, thats a pain.. and its getting REAL scary out there... I would rate about 1/2 as VIRUS, and not just bots.. they MORPH, change names, and ADD new stuff, as well as HIDE in the main directories, and have the SAME name as REAL progs, and then, They attach themselves to the REAL progs also..

[ECA]

I recently asked MS for a listing of ALL the programs associated TO windows and there directory listings, with a search ability...
AINt heard NOTHING...(2 weeks ago)

[k2]

extra stuff:
Firewalls...NICE but software is software, and manny backdoors have been found and fixed. they also come as HARDWARE. Can be abit advanced/a pain for many. but once you understand how it works you LOVE them. these watch the PORTS that are available on the NET.
Windows is a GLASS house, on the internet.. And every window is a target. a firewall is the shutters that cover the windows, so things dont get broken.


software firewalls on your pc is just a proxy filtering content and they all suck. really, it's not stopping an intruder from reaching your pc, it's just going to try to decide if your pc will reply. pure useless cpu cycles.

run a clarkconnect (http://www.clarkconnect.com) firewall and you'll be amazed at what a real firewall will do. the home version is free and fully featured. more ram = more thruput, but most home connections are less than 5Mb so a slow p2/celeron box with 64mb ram will handle the worst attacks with ease.

my development office firewall is a 1.6ghz/1gb ram clarkconnect (http://www.clarkconnect.com) office box. does mail/web/etc. sick sick distro. i'm constantly trying to get my corp to use it for our main live servers instead of the asstastic sonicwall box we have. cc just owns.

[k2]

btw, a real firewall does more than just a nat and open/close ports. software exploits are blocked, intruder detection/blocking and other features which are missing from all soho routers (linksys/dlink home router) and software firewalls.

[ECA]

And with HARDWARE, there are few exploits...There ARE some, but you arent dealing with a Cheap hacker, you are dealing with a PRO, and there ISNT alot you can do, except BACKUP, and keep a clean system.
The Pro hackers DONT play around with simple stuff, and Mostly they aint making bots, or Virus, they are earning GOOD money, to FIx this stuff.

[scara0]

I installed McAFEE 2004 VERSION 6.0.A friend gave me a copy....it locked my internt access.I am scared to do any work on the computer without any protection whatsoever.Any pointers out there.Appreciate your help.

[ECA]

?WELL...
it goes like this...
as in sex..
Bare back...Umprotected..
The pill, decent protection, but not REAL. May not get pregnant but still get infections.
Condom, works great but still can break.
DOUBLE condom, great but you aint feeling the WHOLE experience, LAST along time(maybe).
OBSTAIN, DONT DO IT...No infection, no pregnancy, NOTHING..and it may not be enjoyable if you LIKe sex.

If you wish to wonder the net, and still see everything(even about 1/2) you will run the risk of some type of infection.
In the end, it will require you to RELOAD everything..
Precautions...?
Digital pic, Downloaded music, Important DATA...NEVEr leave them on the computer for Long periods of time. THOSe cant be recovered(sometimes) or is VERY expencive to get back.

2 choices
Wonder the net, and UNDERSTAND, there isnt ALOT you can do about it, and be prepared to START OVER from scratch..This can be nice as it killls ALOT of OLD stuff, and cleans STUFF off your computer that there is NO other way.
NEVER even consider the net, which is the BLIND way, as you can/will MISS ALOT. and you can GUESS, that within about 5-6 years, something will FAIL and you will STILL have to start over.

There are a few things(reverseable) that you can check out, for protection. These are only features in windows.
Ask if you wish to try...remamber this will make the internet TOTALLY BLAND.. there will be ALOT you wont see, wont load, sites that wont EVEN show up, and even your ISP may HATE you, because they cant add cookies(if they want to).

[Ioman]

So where is this guide? All I see is ECA's post.

[llbbl]

yea not very helpful eh. a good idea but no one actually wrote the guide yet.

[ECA]

Lets see...
TG started the thread..
Or one, or ALL, of us can add our thoughts on the process.

I aint even had anyone DEBATE me on the subject.

I could point out programs that "I" use and many others.
But how many AV programs have we ALL used over the years, looking for better ones.
How many have we used that WERE the best, until we got a virus that FIANALLY killed the system, or had a HARDWARE/software/windows issue that did the SAME thing(a messed up system).

Is there any way to encapsulate ALL our computer knowledge, understandings, and hardcore learning into a few lines(insted of a 300 page book)?? I really dont think so.

[llbbl]

it needs to be complied into a document / webpage instead of just adding a thought here and there in the fourms. We need to link to that document in this thread. that was my intentions.

[ECA]

I could post how we DECIDE(each to there own) which programs are WORTH trying, and then the decission, process of which is Goo/better/best... How we search the net, and find refferences to programs, then try them...And pray they DONT kill our computers.
How we are STILL looking for a GREAT program to clean the registry, with out needing to know WHATS being deleted, or worrying that the computer WONT start after its done..