Protecting Your Windows Computer

[Rico]

Well if you're sensible you don't need an anti-virus. I didn't have one for the last two years but I did scan housecall a lot ( http://housecall.trendmicro.com/housecall/start_corp.asp - free online virus scanner, IE only unfortunately ).

Being paranoid is nothing to do with it, though. Download enough files and it'll bite you in the ass. You may be infected now but the virus is time-delayed or is transmitting your data elsewhere. This is worst case obviously. No PeerGuardian? You could get a C&D sometime for that kind of stuff. It's just wise to be protected considering it takes virtually no effort to install a firewall and a virus scanner.

Your 'well i had no problems and i don't bother with that stuff' sets a bad example because your example is rare - think about how many home users who don't patch and get inundated with spyware. In your case I expect you have Windows Firewall enabled by default. Without it, your computer would probably be shutting down within 10 minutes of booting.

 

[yaustar]

Updating was the first thing I did when I got Broadband

matt = extremely lucky

Every friend I know that doesnt have a firewall as a minimun has crap loads of sh!t (it doesnt help that they use P2P stuff as well)

 

[mattmagoo]

Well if you're sensible you don't need an anti-virus. I didn't have one for the last two years but I did scan housecall a lot ( http://housecall.trendmicro.com/housecall/start_corp.asp - free online virus scanner, IE only unfortunately ).

Being paranoid is nothing to do with it, though. Download enough files and it'll bite you in the ass. You may be infected now but the virus is time-delayed or is transmitting your data elsewhere. This is worst case obviously. No PeerGuardian? You could get a C&D sometime for that kind of stuff. It's just wise to be protected considering it takes virtually no effort to install a firewall and a virus scanner.

Your 'well i had no problems and i don't bother with that stuff' sets a bad example because your example is rare - think about how many home users who don't patch and get inundated with spyware. In your case I expect you have Windows Firewall enabled by default. Without it, your computer would probably be shutting down within 10 minutes of booting.

​

1.) I have disabled the firewall coz it lags too much
2.) Do i really give a shit if someone else reads my coursework?
3.) I dont open email attachments (some people are dumbasrses)
4.) I NEVER open an .exe downloaded from the internet
5.) I dont use IE since i reformatted (not because of virsuse, because of shoddy computer components (RAM was working proprly, opened my PC up and the pins has snapped)

BTW: just thought id mention the main reson why i dont have all this stuff, i have a crap computer. If I had a decent PC i'd whip it all up (the free stuff n e way)

but if i even try to install an antivirus on the PC it slows it down snails pace

so i just stic withscanning the shareware version of Search and Destroy every now and then and fixing the BIOS

 

[Rico]

1.) I have disabled the firewall coz it lags too much

Ah, right. In my case I have a hardware router, others might not be so lucky. Maybe if you try the web interface of your ADSL or cable modem (if you have one) you'll find an option to block ports out.

2.) Do i really give a shit if someone else reads my coursework?

I was thinking more internet banking, or your forum password. Say one of your friends is an asshole and sends you a keylogger disguised as a 'cool game', maybe you trust him enough to run it or don't think about it, and he collects all the passwords you type for the next two weeks.

A realtime virus scanner is CPU heavy, yeah, but you might consider using housecall like once a month, then it'll only be slow for the time it takes to scan. It's handy to have a virus scanner that doesn't scan in the background, but you can right click files and scan them (then you CAN download e-mail attachments etc. on the off chance that they're useful files, as long as you scan them).

Other than that you seem fairly set up. As you say, 'coursework' - you probably don't have much of worth on the PC, but things change if you have lots of important data. And remember any joker with a SubSe7en client could delete that coursework... which would screw you over.

 

[mattmagoo]

coz im dumb enough not to back it up, I have it on 2 Pcs, my SMC, my MP3 player and a USB key

anyway, i take back what i said, its not paranoia, its just not for me

i dont do internet banking, my parents dont even buy stuff online because they dont trust computers

and I use a Solo card, so even if someone did nick my detail it only ever has a fiver in it

A realtime virus scanner is CPU heavy, yeah, but you might consider using housecall like once a month, then it'll only be slow for the time it takes to scan. It's handy to have a virus scanner that doesn't scan in the background, but you can right click files and scan them (then you CAN download e-mail attachments etc. on the off chance that they're useful files, as long as you scan them).

lol, you underestimate how shite my PC is, if i try to run a programme like that itll crash

the company my dad works for uses HP as a supplier, so my dad gets a discount, so ill be getting a brand new top 'o' the range PC for £500 soon hopefully

in which case i will load it full of antivirus stuff just coz i can

 

[generalnmx]

Then Sygate blocks outbound ports on a per-application basis. Generalnmx, it's pretty much what you're looking for. There's a few extra features thrown in - it warns when applications change or call other ones that access the internet, and logs repeated attempts of attacks, such as the Code Red worm. But not much extra stuff.

​

Yeah, I loaded Sygate Personal Firewall and it looks nice. Doesn't take up much CPU resources at all. I'll go ahead and install it on my parent's desktop and laptop too, since they like to download spyware it seems

 

[yaustar]

I just used Adware and I give it a second vote... it managed to find stuff that spybot didnt

 

[generalnmx]

OK, I edited the original post. Feel free to send it to your computer illiterate friends and family

 

[thecheat]

i love my mac.
last big virus was the Vitality Jones virus... back in 2000.
have fun with your windows boxes, yall.

 

[thebluenewt]

i love my mac.
last big virus was the Vitality Jones virus... back in 2000.
have fun with your windows boxes, yall.

​

Will do!

Hmm, Rome: Total War...

 

[Rico]

Hmm, I shut down avast for a game in a different way to usual. When it restarted later it said Trial version ( 56 days left! ). Not sure if AVG is also a stealthed trial edition disguising itself as free, but I suggest that over avast now.

 

[thecheat]

i love my mac.
last big virus was the Vitality Jones virus... back in 2000.
have fun with your windows boxes, yall.

​

Will do!

Hmm, Rome: Total War...

​

i hope you do.

i don't really like computer games, so i cant really argue on the gaming front cause i dont pay attention... but whatever

 

[thebluenewt]

i love my mac.
last big virus was the Vitality Jones virus... back in 2000.
have fun with your windows boxes, yall.

​

Will do!

Hmm, Rome: Total War...

​

i hope you do.

i don't really like computer games, so i cant really argue on the gaming front cause i dont pay attention... but whatever

​

Damn, didn't expect that response on a Gamepark 32 forum

 

[yaustar]

*goes off and deletes the avast setup file *

 

[thecheat]

i love my mac.
last big virus was the Vitality Jones virus... back in 2000.
have fun with your windows boxes, yall.

​

Will do!

Hmm, Rome: Total War...

​

i hope you do.

i don't really like computer games, so i cant really argue on the gaming front cause i dont pay attention... but whatever

​

Damn, didn't expect that response on a Gamepark 32 forum

​

i like games. just not PC/Mac games. unless you count emulation...
im more into console gaming, and until they start releasing KOF, the VS series, basically good fighters native on computer, then ill stick to consoles.

 

[yaustar]

I agree with thecheat here, I dont like many of the genres on the PC and tend to use it most for emulation..

 

[finty]

I only use my computer for the internet, I have my gp32 and PS2 for all my emulation needs.

 

[finty]

Virus scanners are shit, just annoying pieces of shit.

Is it reccomended to go to windows update if you didn't actually buy your OS(Win2K)?

 

[WarmFluffyUK]

Hia,

For people with broadband, I would seriously think about getting a Broadband Router with built in firewall. This is much more secure than a software firewall on the machine and doesn't take up any resources on your PC.

A hardware firewall built into a router is deffinately the best way to go, and a router may have more than one port available so you can have more than one PC accessing the net at the same time, or sharing files etc.

If you are thinking about a wireless router, then make sure it has the ability to do mac address blocking, this will ensure that only the addresses you specify will be allowed to access your own network. You don't want any ole' Tom Dick and Harry using your Internet.

TTFN,
Clare.

 

[Skop]

Just downloaded Sygate Personal Firewall.

Want to access IE (am using Firefox currently) and this comes up:

Win32 Kernel core component (kernel32.dll) is trying to connect to [69.199.81.61] using remote port 2903 (SUITCASE - SUITCASE). Do you want to allow this program to access the network?



Is that suspicious? I'm not very educated in Kernel's and registry's, forgive me.