Stop the Bad Guys: Net Security Update 2009
Outline of an LPCUG program presented by Bob Warwick at the September 21, 2009 meeting.
 | First Line of Defense -- Wetware! | ||||||
| Don't open SPAM!
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| Don't open attachments!
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| Social Engineering
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| Don't respond to Internet offers like popup "You have Spyware on your computer!" | ||||||
| You don't get something for nothing--usually. If it's free, and you don't know about it, it probably contains Spyware. Also, don't buy programs without doing research to see if they are loaded with Spyware. | ||||||
| Don't say "yes" for "special downloading program". |
| Children and Internet Safety
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| Make sure your operating system is up to date with all critical updates installed. |
| Be very careful of Internet Explorer--had real security problems.
However, the latest version eight has most of the glaring problems fixed. I
no longer recommend switching to Firefox for security reasons, though it
still is a good browser. |
Second Line of Defense -- Protective Software
| Overview |
Protective software comes in many forms. The easiest to install and setup are Suites. They also tend to be rather massive programs that eat up a lot of disk space, and slow down your machine when booting and manipulating files from one place to another. There are several commercial suites that can be Googled and you can choose which one strikes your fancy after reading the reviews. If you have Comcast as your internet provider, they allow you to download McAfee Security Suite for free. That is a good deal if you want a "set it and forget it" solution to security, and you have a very fast machine with lots of hard drive space. I prefer to put together my own mix, using free software, so that is what we are going to spend some time with tonight.
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Anti-Spam |
There are several anti-spam programs available that are free. I have tried them all at one time or another. The one that I like best is:
This link goes to CNET which will tell you about the program and you can easily find the "Download Now" link to get the program. After the trial period is over, it puts a message on the bottom of you emails stating that you are using it. The way it works is that the 6 million uses report spam that shows up in their in box. Next time someone receives that email, it is put into the spam folder automatically. When you first start using it, it makes a few false positive mistakes and false negative mistakes, but it learns quicklyso after a week or so it is rare to find a classification error. At the bottom of the CNET page you can see other suggested anti-spam programs.
|
Antivirus |
avast! from ALWIL Software
CNET download link
avast! 4 Home Edition is a FREE full-featured antivirus package designed exclusively for home users. It provides constant protection against viruses and will automatically update your virus files. At the bottom of the CNET page you will see other antivirus programs. I have been using AVG, but the word on the net is that their latest version 8.5 has problems. Avast! has always received good ratings and I have never had it miss the usual kinds of infections. Avira is another program that is excellent but.....the free version works fine for a while, then discontinues checking email if you don't buy the program. Consumer Reports downplays this deficiency but I think it is a big deal! Therefore I don't recommend it on a machine that receives email. If you have a machine that is not used for email, then it would be my first choice. The free version also puts up a large box when the machine is booted asking you to buy the program, but I can live with that.
Cost: Free
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Spyware & Adware |
Unlike antivirus programs which will botch up your machine if you try to install and run more than one of them, it is recommended that two or more antispyware programs be installed on your computer.
Windows Defender from Microsoft
Download
Link
This program was rated pretty high by Consumer Reports, but it will require a genuine copy of Windows XP or Vista to download it.
Super Antispyware
Download Link
I found this program listed in one of the groups as something to use when your machine is infected and all else fails. Their slogan is some like "Doesn't just find the easy stuff." They are right! It has saved my machine from a reformat C: drive more than once!
Cost: Free
Malwarebytes
This is a super program if you find that you already have some bad stuff
on your computer, as well as finding bad stuff. It has gotten me out of
trouble more than once!
Download link This program finds spyware, also known as adware. These are little programs that advertising companies place on our computers. They report back on our browsing habits. Run Ad-aware weekly, and get this garbage off your hard drive.
Cost: Free
Hijack This! from Merijn.org
Download
link
Cost: Free
Spybot Search and
Destroy from PepiMK
Download
link
|
This program finds spyware,
also known as adware. These are little programs that advertising companies
place on our computers. They report back on our browsing habits. It allows you
to fix registry inconsistencies related to adware. Cost: Free |
|
Antiphishing Tools |
McAfee Antiphishing Site Advisor Tool Bar
Download
Link
Cost: Free
|
Firewalls |
While Vista has a real firewall built in Windows XP has half a firewall. To get a real firewall, use one of the selections below and turn off the XP firewall.
ZoneAlarm from Zone
Labs, Inc.
Download
link
This is my favorite firewall. Made by Zone Labs, it will render your computer
invisible to hackers’ probes. Hackers run scanning programs over the
Internet, looking for computers with electronic openings, called ports. A good
firewall such as ZoneAlarm makes your computer invisible to the scanners.
The goal of these intruders is to place a Trojan horse on your computer. The
rogue program uses the open port previously identified by a scanner. However,
ZoneAlarm blocks those transmissions. They can only go through if you agree.
Always say no, unless you recognize the program.
Cost: Free for personal use
Outpost Firewall from
Agnitum
One-click
download link
(note: clicking this link will begin the download)
The free version of
Outpost Firewall offers a basic protection solution for casual web surfers and
low budget systems. There is also a "Pro" version with more robust
features.
Cost: Free for personal use
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Free Software from your Internet Service Provider |
While we have been providing links to free software throughout this presentation, Consumer Reports gives us a list of free software that they have evaluated. When you look at the ratings carefully, you will find that most of it does the job it is designed to do, but lacks a lot of bells and whistles. You can review their research here.
| Finally, check with your Internet Service Provider for free software.
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