In need of armor

[!mitationRust]

Just read the TFM the lot of you. There are no shortcuts in learning.

[JewishIntent]

If the trusted network (the network segment on your side of the router) has been compromised, it is not practical to secure any given system on that segment. You need to clean the entire network first.

So do you mean that if one of my brothers computers is infected mine can get infected too? Our computers, as far as i knew, had/have no direct contact with each other.

[foxyloxley]

Originally posted here by JewishIntent
as to adding a firewall/router i ask this, my computer is not the main computer in the house as far as our isp is concerned. the actuall router is directly connected to my mother's computer and then into the wall which is how the other computers are able to connect with it. would adding a physical router/firewall on my computers end give me any problems?

from here we get to here

Our computers, as far as i knew, had/have no direct contact with each other.

Your telling us you have ONE connection to the net via your Mom's PC, this means that all of the PC's that are using this connection ARE in [potential] contact with each other.

You have a LOT of learning to do
which is after all, the reason that you are HERE

take the advice given by !mitationRust :

Just read the TFM the lot of you. There are no shortcuts in learning.

it really IS that simple ...................

So : in essence we are advising you to tread carefully, THEN when you are more capable in your ability, THEN you can screw your setup down TIGHT[ish]

In MY system I have the net coming in off the telephone point > ADSL Router > [NIC1] Clark Connect box [NIC2] > 8 way 100Mbps switch > cat5 to the various boxes running here at Chez Fox. Server+Win2KServer / XP-2K dual boot / Ubuntu / Fedora core 3 / couple of other items on repair status .............

What I THINK you have is a peer to peer set up, with your Mom's PC at the sharp end ........ ??

I'm sure I've missed something, but I'm also sure that someone will tell us ..........

[josephjohnt]

I prefer symantec products and has been using it for years. The spyware detection feature is also good. The latest with internet security anti spyare will provide you antivirus, firewall, antispyware in a single package.

Also as everyone say keeping your system updated is the key. This will include patches, antivirus/firewall/spyware signatures and such.

-Joseph

[JewishIntent]

Your telling us you have ONE connection to the net via your Mom's PC, this means that all of the PC's that are using this connection ARE in [potential] contact with each other.

Hmmmm ok im pretty sure i understand how i got mixed up but just so i know for sure what you guys mean let me just explain how all of the computers connect to the internet. Mom's comp has an ethernet cable from the router to her comp. the router has a phoneline into the wall. the rest of the comps in the house all just plug into the phone jack in thier respected rooms. I, of course not knowing much at all, assumed that since my brothers computers and mine only connect into the phone jack, that they talk directly to the router and not with each other or my mom's computer.

[catch]

It doesn't matter, if a system on a trusted network is compromised, they whole network must be considered untrusted.

A compromised system may have its trust relationship with the router leveraged, etc.

cheers,

catch

[JewishIntent]

i see, so then is there a way to change security settings to dissalow any and all, or as much as is possible, contact between the different systems beyond what it takes to go online and play my game? i know i could just get the other comp fixed but i specifically told my brother not to do what he did because i knew it would get infected, and since he did it anyway i refuse to help him at all, unles i will have to in order to assure my computer's safety

[foxyloxley]

anyway i refuse to help him at all, unles i will have to in order to assure my computer's safety

well I'm afraid that you WILL have to help him, as the chain is only as strong as its weakest link, and for you, your brother is the MISSING link

you have a home network setup, wherein each PC is able to access the net via a single point, so it follows that each PC COULD get to every other PC.

as a quickie, you could start by making sure that you are NOT sharing anything

in explorer > Rclick C: > properties > sharing tab [uncheck the share if there is one, do it to all.

someone needs to post all details of what else to switch off
like messenger ...................

you REALLY need to get Mom on your side, THEN beat the crap out of kid bro

[Kensai]

I use:

~Symantic Anti-Virus
~ISS BlackICE firewall (called RealSecure now...I believe)
~Spybot S & D for spyware detection and removal
~FireFox w/ pop-up blocker just because

Also use secure applications just to be safe, like SSH for any FTPing or ThunderBird over Outlook for email.

[maggot-ats]

Give "kaspersky internet security" a try, you can try the beta for free until this year is ending.... it also has an IDS.

http://www.winplanet.com/download/22695.htm

F**k Symantec with its online reg. an Software so big, you wont have some space and cpu time left.
KIS (Kaspersky Internet Security) has it all: a good Firewall, one of the best Virus Scanners, anti spyware tools, mailscanner, ids etc.