Topic: please help with firewall,spyware,adware!

[PAULW]

Try Spybot and Spyware Terminator both free products and find stuff Ad-Aware can miss, Im not paranoid but I run all three programs to clean up my PC.

[telboy]

 - I fully agree with the negative comments about Norton.
 - Zone alarm is excellent & highly rated by 'Which'.
 - Cloudmark (American) blocks 98% of spam & will also block phishing emails.
 - Adware & Spybot are very good also.
One has to remember that loading the above will give you excellent protection but will slow your 'puter down!

[Larkshall]

I've been using Ubuntu OS (GNU/Linux) for several months now. Don't have to worry about these things because the file structure is totally different and virii do not work (the system just ignores them).

[Baccy Man]

If you simply never run untrusted executables while logged in as the root user (or equivalent), all the "virus checkers" in the world will be at best superfluous. "Hostile" executables (including viruses) are almost unfindable in the Linux world — and no real threat to it — because they lack root-user authority, and because Linux admins are seldom stupid enough to run untrusted executables as root
Any program on a Linux machine, viruses included, can only do what the user who ran it can do. Real users aren't allowed to hurt the system (only the root user can), so neither can programs they run.
Because of the distinction between privileged (root-run) processes and user-owned processes, a "hostile" executable that a non-root user receives (or creates) and then executes (runs) cannot "infect" or otherwise manipulate the system as a whole. Just as you can delete only your own files (i.e., those you have "write" permission to), executables you run cannot affect other users' (or root's) files. Therefore, although you can create (or retrieve), and then run, a virus, worm, trojan horse, etc., it can't do much. Unless you do so as "root". Which it's simple to avoid doing.

For viruses to spread, they need to run, need to be executed. Windows viruses don't run on Linux. At best, infected files can be passed on (eg a Linux mail server delivering mail to Windows clients, or a linux file server serving files to Windows clients). Only in those circumstances, running anti-virus software on a Linux system makes sense.

[bupster]

Unfortunately I use my computer a lot for work, and while I agree from my friends' experience that Linux/open office are effective, it's just easier and more straightforward to use the same software that I do at work - don't want to be a cheerleader for it.

[Larkshall]

Hi Baccy Man, you have explained that very well. Isn't it nice, not to have to worry about all the problems which can happen with windows.

[Eristic]

If nothing else, it's nice not to have the box removed from my control for 2-3 hours a day while the virus checker runs a scan. My boxes have to be up 24-7 running both public and private web servers and come under constant attack and I could not trust any windows box to do that.

All the same, there are known exploits and in clever hands root and kernal are at risk although most of these come via the server. Mac users are living in cloud cuckoo land if they think they can remain safe without the same protection programs as windows users, as the percentage of machines swing towards Macs.

My log records for last year show a tremendous upsurge in Mac usage from almost too small to count a year ago to a typical 4% current with predictions of 10% before year end. At that level of usage protection by obscurity no longer exists and they will become the no. 1 target simply because of the known lack of security.

2008 will see Baccy Man fixing wacky macs. My prediction.

[Plot69]

Mac users are living in cloud cuckoo land

I started living there the day I bought my Mac... Couldn't for the life of me understand why I didn't buy one 10 years earlier instead of wasting all those years with a Windowed PC.

Even if there was as many virii for the Mac as there is a PC, and I agree they will come,  there is still one thing that places it way above any PC I've ever had... It has never crashed or had to be rebooted in the five years I had it.

It just works.

[Baccy Man]

Hi Baccy Man, you have explained that very well. Isn't it nice, not to have to worry about all the problems which can happen with windows.

I have multiple operating systems running on my PC Windows 2000 Pro, Ubuntu Linux & OSX. All run without any significant problems.
Although I usually reccommend Ubuntu to my customers I don't preach about the benefits & will provide them with whatever they want even though more often than not it is Windows XP because that is what they have heard of, Some people do go for Ubuntu others want both so they can decide in their own time which they prefer. Every now & then I get someone who insists on OSX which complicated to install as it is not really designed to run on a pc but the customer always gets what they want even if it does make my life difficult. I have only sold one copy of Vista since it came out & that was to a Mac owner.

2008 will see Baccy Man fixing wacky macs. My prediction.

I doubt it in this area there are quite a few people who perfectly fit the well known phrase "elitist mac snob" the mac owners usually go to them as they fix the problems free so they can show how intelligent they are. I only get the mac owners who are sick of being told they are stupid for "not being able to correct simple faults & would be better off gettin a PC if they don't know how to use a computer" or the people who have windows installed on their macs ac they are refused help.
Looking through my records that was a grand total of 6 people in 2007.

[grotbag]

hi,I keep trying to use ewido,but wen i click on scan now nothing happens ,any ideas why?

[Baccy Man]

Do you mean the ewido online scanner? There have recently been some changes to active X controls on the site which were causing problems but it seems to be working ok now.

[sheddie]

Hi All,

Just wanted to add that although Norton and Mcafee seem to work well - personally, I find that they are very 'resource hungry'. I've used both and found that they really slowed my PCs down. I find some of the free software available to be just as effective and much kinder on the PC. The anti-virus I run is AVG anti-virus by Grisoft (a few people I know who work in IT swear by this too) and the firewall I run is Kerio firewall by Sunbelt.

Kerio provide a good free version of the software - you get a trial of the full version initially and it then reverts to the free version automatically once the trial runs out. When you install it, it gies you the option to instal in simple or advanced mode. The advanced mode lets you decide for yourself what applications to allow access to the internet - both incoming and outgoing. I found this a bit confusing to be honset, so went for the simple mode - which means the firewall just decides itself what programmes should be allowed access.

Of tried most of the free anti-virus programmes and firewall programmes over the years and have found these two to be the most effective and user friendly.

In terms of getting rid of spyware - I deffintley agree that Ad-Aware by Lavasoft is the best, but I run this along with Spybot too. I don't let either of these run from 'startup' - I just run them every now and again.

Another useful tool for getting rid of 'cookies' (and thus preventing pop up ads) is 'Free Internet Eraser' by Privacyeraser.

I think all of these programmes are available for free download on: www.download.com

Hope this helps!
Sheddie

[jmassane]

Gotta second the whole Linux thing, no spyware, no trojans, no malware, constant security updates and best of all free!

It would be rude not to try it!

www.ubuntu.com

[Larkshall]

With my system I don't need these. My online work is all done with Ubuntu (Linux) which will not allow you to write to any system files without you enter your password first (neither will it allow anything else to write to them). It does not use .exe files which most of the nasties are, so they will lay dormant and useless. I only use Windows XP for offline work with Windows specific peripherals and software.

I am very glad that I changed to Linux. Having used pre-Windows machines more than 20 years ago, maybe I have an advantage with experience of Unix.

[djbrenton]

I stopped using any anti-virus programmes years ago and haven't had a single virus on my Windows PC since. I've also had my PC running non-stop for just over a year since last reboot ( and that was because I was upgrading a hard drive). Am I doing something wrong?

[betula]

What ,because you have not had a virus?

[jesssands]

we use the same 3 progs as windygale.
have been happy with them, but I also use Xoftspy SE too, which is good if I think there is something there that others missed, it will find more.

[Emagggie]

We've just given Norton the boot (run out) and I downloaded AVG free. Aol offer free McAfee 'firewall plus', is there a better free option that anyone can recommend in the light of negative comments about McAfee?

[Sinbad7]

I use Comodo, Emaggie, that's free as well.  Seems to work for me.

Sinbad

[Emagggie]

Thanks Sinbad, will look now.