10 Ways To Secure Your Pc

Printable View

06-27-2003, 01:21 AM
Wolfmight

While you're enjoying that broadband connection, downloading files, watching Web videos, flipping from webpage to webpage, your computer is sitting there ripe for the picking by hackers looking for fresh victims.

Before you get hacked, protect yourself. Here are my top ten ways to secure your computer.

1. Turn off file sharing
File sharing is one of the first things a hacker looks for to access your computer.
Turn off file sharing in Windows 98.
Turn off file sharing in Windows XP.
File sharing preferences for Mac OS X.

2. Install a firewall
ZoneAlarm
BlackICE
Mac OS X firewalls

Even the built-in Windows XP firewall is better than nothing.

3. Scan for spyware
Kill that spyware and adware with my two favorites, Ad-aware and Spybot Search & Destroy.

4. Antivirus
My favorite antivirus program is Norton AntiVirus. If you want to save cash try the free AVG Anti-Virus.

5. OS updates
Update your operating system frequently. Always run the latest patches and drivers for your system.
Windows update.
Mac OS X updates.
For Linux, visit the website for your distribution.

6. Security scanner
Run some type of outside security scanner on your machine. I recommend the demo version of Retina or the Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer.

7. Secure instant messengers
Everyone wants to keep their IM conversations private. Try Trillian Pro for 128-bit encrypted AIM and ICQ conversations.

8. Secure email
Hotmail get hacked again? Try Hushmail. Hushmail uses 2048-bit encryption to keep your email safe and sound. Hushmail has been around for ages and I've heard many great things about it.

9. Secure your files
Looking for a local file encryption solution? Get PGP Disk to encrypt all your sensitive files. Store your files in the ThumbDrive Touch, a USB drive that uses biometrics in a built-in fingerprint reader to protect your data.

10. Safe passwords
Keep your passwords safe, secure and uncrackable with Personal Vault.

for links to the software mentioned:
Click here to go to the original article by Kevin Rose ;)
06-27-2003, 02:26 AM
gonenuts15792

Why would we ever turn off file sharing applications. Kazaa wont work very good with sharing turn of in Kazaa.

Misread tip. Kevin knows what he is talking about.

i know what he means now. but thanks for pointing it out again.
06-28-2003, 03:39 PM
puer aeternus

He means file sharing between two networked computers..not Kazza!
06-28-2003, 03:50 PM
clocker

Seems like pretty good advice till you get to #5...

Quote:

5. OS updates
Update your operating system frequently. Always run the latest patches and drivers for your system.
Windows update.
Mac OS X updates.
For Linux, visit the website for your distribution.

Both Kim Kommando and Blackviper recommend waiting a few weeks to see if there is any negative feedback about MS OS patches. They seem to have a history of releasing patches/updates that do more harm than good.
Let someone else beta test the patch for Bill Gates before you rush willy-nilly into it.
06-28-2003, 05:23 PM
Wolfmight

Quote:

Originally posted by clocker@28 June 2003 - 09:50
Seems like pretty good advice till you get to #5...

Quote:

5. OS updates
Update your operating system frequently. Always run the latest patches and drivers for your system.
Windows update.
Mac OS X updates.
For Linux, visit the website for your distribution.

Both Kim Kommando and Blackviper recommend waiting a few weeks to see if there is any negative feedback about MS OS patches. They seem to have a history of releasing patches/updates that do more harm than good.
Let someone else beta test the patch for Bill Gates before you rush willy-nilly into it.

i never had n e problems with xp security updates..

I think that was when Windows 98 was out.. If u updated it.. it ran like 4 times slower.
06-28-2003, 06:48 PM
Meehowski

Good advice!!
06-28-2003, 06:58 PM
clocker

Quote:

Originally posted by Wolfmight@28 June 2003 - 11:23

i never had n e problems with xp security updates..

I think that was when Windows 98 was out.. If u updated it.. it ran like 4 times slower.

No, they were both referring to MS SP2 for XP which caused quite a large number of computers to slow way down. Others saw no ill effects whatsoever.

Blackviper recommends disabling auto update altogether and visiting the site and choosing updates manually. I think he has a good point- last time I checked Microsoft wanted to install 29 patches. Most of them had no relevance to my computer or the way I use it. If I had enabled the auto update MS would just continue to stuff useless crap down my 'puter's throat till it exploded.
I'm not against MS patches totally, I just think it's a good idea that I make the decision rather than some drone.
06-28-2003, 07:02 PM
EsssBee

you know that is good advice
but. (only a small but honest) ;)

Blackice is absolute shite you would think they would have recommended one of the many other firewalls available.
One that actually does what it says on the Tin.

Esss
06-28-2003, 10:58 PM
Wolfmight

Quote:

Originally posted by clocker+28 June 2003 - 12:58--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (clocker @ 28 June 2003 - 12:58)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin-Wolfmight@28 June 2003 - 11:23

i never had n e problems with xp security updates..

I think that was when Windows 98 was out.. If u updated it.. it ran like 4 times slower.

No, they were both referring to MS SP2 for XP which caused quite a large number of computers to slow way down. Others saw no ill effects whatsoever.

Blackviper recommends disabling auto update altogether and visiting the site and choosing updates manually. I think he has a good point- last time I checked Microsoft wanted to install 29 patches. Most of them had no relevance to my computer or the way I use it. If I had enabled the auto update MS would just continue to stuff useless crap down my 'puter's throat till it exploded.
I'm not against MS patches totally, I just think it's a good idea that I make the decision rather than some drone. [/b][/quote]
SP2, strange........
06-29-2003, 02:28 AM
Blizz888

I am aware of the first guideline, the one about disabling file sharing over networks, but what about the people (like me) who have to have file sharing in place. When you have multiple computers, it is a lot more easier to run them having them all connected to each other. Because I am also paranoid about security, I try my best to harden my systems, but since I am still a bit of a beginner in this field, I have resorted to take advice from others. I run a router with NAT features (with its firmware upgraded to the most recent edition). On all of my machines I have Zonealarm installed, setting the Internet Zone to high and the Trusted Zone to medium. All of my machines have their OS's updated. I also run Norton Antivirus, keeping it updated and running constantly. Currently, I have still enabled file and printer sharing on all of my computers. However, I have unbound the TCP/IP protocol from anything, and I strictly use the IPX/SPX protocol as the medium of communication between my computers. I have disabled NETBIOS from TCP/IP, though I may still have it running on my WinXP machines bound to the IPX/SPX protocol. The Win 9x computers that I have their file-sharing resources strongly password encrypted. Would this be a good configuration for me, or would there be any way to improve upon the situation? Thanks, and I appreciate any advice you guys give me.
06-29-2003, 04:32 AM
harrycary

Blizz888
Enabling file-sharing is only bad on a PC that is directly connected to the internet.

Your router is the only thing anyone can see when you're on the internet. A malicious user would first have to get through it, before then attacking a PC on your network. (a router behaves as a hardware firewall) The fact your are running ZoneAlarm on your PCs is almost overkill.

You're more than safe.
06-30-2003, 05:35 PM
Wolfmight

Quote:

Originally posted by harrycary@28 June 2003 - 22:32
Blizz888
Enabling file-sharing is only bad on a PC that is directly connected to the internet.

Your router is the only thing anyone can see when you're on the internet. A malicious user would first have to get through it, before then attacking a PC on your network. (a router behaves as a hardware firewall) The fact your are running ZoneAlarm on your PCs is almost overkill.

You're more than safe.

There are some really smart hackers out there. How come coporate firewalls are broken into sometimes... it cant just be some fired coworker giving out the passwords everytime.