Computer Security...

[Guest]

A fellow member lately complained re ads poping up whilst downloading from *YouSendIt*.

YouSendIt is generally working finely, but has the habit to stop before a larger download is finished.

A decent downloadmanager should in general be used anyway, as the default Windows stuff isn't good enough.

My recommendation goes to

1.*Lightning download*, available at:
http://www.lightningdownload.com/index.shtml

One should also have installed a decent

2.Pop-up Killer

3.Ad-Aware

a good firewall (I would recommend a VERY good one, instead of the always used Zone Alarm which can be tricky), namely

4.Kerio Personal Firewall from:
http://www.kerio.com/kpf_download.html

5.Anti-virus program, recommended *Anti-Vir* which is free:
http://www.hbedv.com

You have at their site to search a little to find the slightly hidden free and full version, also look for a good version of

6.Spybot - Search @Destroy
a very good anti-spy util, search the net for it, it is for free too.

IMPORTANT!
You can test how secure your computer is re attacks by running all the port tests aso at:
http://www.grc.com/x/ne.dll?rh1dkyd2
and you should get a STEALTH result all the way through also indicating, to others/intrudors your computer not even exists on the net.

Maybe you have to enter via:
http://www.grc.com/default.htm scroll way down and press the red SHIELD UP! button to get to
http://www.grc.com/x/ne.dll?rh1dkyd2
and press their *proceed* buttom.

When you finally get thereto, press the *common ports*, *all service ports* buttons around the *ShieldsUP!! Services*

Run these test and get the surprise of your lifetime, re how volnerable your PC is to intruders, unless you have installed a firewall like the mentioned one.

[Steve Hook]

By the way, Steve Gibson at the grc.com site you recommend has only good things to say about the free ZoneAlarm product.

I know you only said it's "tricky" but if you have any computer good sense, it's not hard to work with at all.

Steve H

[cgscpa]

I was at a two day tax seminar and one of the speakers went on a 90 minute tangent about computer security which ended up being the highlight of the seminar. He spoke about many of the same links listed by Werner especially ShieldsUp!

Above all, backup, backup and backup. Recently my hard drive AND mirror drive both fried on my server at the same time (a once in a lifetime occurance, my IT guy tells me). It was then that I truly appreciated my tape backup system.

[Guest]

Originally posted by Steve Hook:
By the way, Steve Gibson at the grc.com site you recommend has only good things to say about the free ZoneAlarm product.

I know you only said it's "tricky" but if you have any computer good sense, it's not hard to work with at all.

Steve H

Nothing really wrong with Zone Alarm (se below), but IMHO Kerio Personal Firewall is tops and also free of charge.

The best thing however is the Anti Vir version I suggested, I would touch Norton with firepliers..Norton was great in the good ol' DOS days but since they moved to Windows, nothing but problems.

You get an update via Anti Vir almost too often, I nearly would say once a week and the firewall mentioned does catch ANYTHING abnorm wanting to enter your PC instantly and nothing gets inside before you have accepted it.

IIRC however Zone Alarm -which everybody recommends-, after installation did cut off instantly all contact to the net, not a single side could get opend, before a dozen or more settings had been made, never before had that much trouble with any program, though this goes years back and I soley vaguely remember this happening, so I stick to Kerio Personal Firewall.. :)