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Thread: just introducing myself & a few questions

  1. #1
    Junior Member
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    Mar 2006
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    just introducing myself :)

    hi everyone,i'm glad to be a member of this community now.i'm quite eager to learn as much from all u security freaks as is possible as these are uncertain times for us all.

    not that much to say about me really,i like anime n videogames and spend most of my waking hours in front of my computer.

    i was actually wondering if some of u could help me out with a few security questions that i have?

    basically even though i use the net quite regularly,for simple surfing and online gaming,i'm actually rather an idiot when it comes to security and this does worry me,i hear all the time about spyware and how ppl can read your passwords n stuff every time you type n send out on an unencrypted network and was wondering what a blundering novice such as myself can do to eliminate this worry.

    all i use right now is win xp,mozilla firefox,zonealarm free,spybot s&d and AVG free edition.

    what can an average guy like me do to turn my machine into a secure beastie??

  2. #2
    Senior Member
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    Oct 2002
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    4,055
    Hello, and Welcome to AntiOnline! Although I don't think these are "uncertain times for us all", I agree that security is an issue that needs to be discussed and shared at all times. It sounds like you have some nice applications in place (Firefox in place of IE, Spybot S&D, and AVG) that help. I'd suggest switching out of ZoneAlarm, as it's not my preference and their are quite a few better firewalls out there to choose from. Lookup "Tiny Personal Firewall" as thats one of my favorites..

    Some key things to keep in mind..

    -- Keep your virus definitions up to date.

    -- Keep your system up to date. Whenever new updates/patches become available, be the first to know.

    -- Moniter firewall logs. Your firewall is pointless unless properly used and the logs MUST be monitered.

    -- When it comes to e-mail, only give out your address to people you really know and/or people you KNOW you can trust. Use a second account when signing up for websites.. Also, be wary of email attachments.. they usually contain a virus or spyware if they are from people you don't know.

    -- Be paranoid about EVERYTHING.


    Those are just a few basic simple things to go by.. for more background information and more in-depth knowledge, browse the site and some of its tutorials. They should be of great assistance. Also, google is your friend. Use it. Hope I've helped, and if you need any help feel free to PM me at any time.
    Space For Rent.. =]

  3. #3
    Senior Member
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    Sep 2005
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    The only way to be 100% secure is to pull that little plug out of the wall.

    henestly common sense is your best protection in my opinion. If you think it may not be wise to do something, then don't. If you do willingly partake in anything questionable such as porn sites, p2p programs, or anything like that then i would highly suggest getting a second 'bare basics' pc for that purpose. Just use that as your test enviroment to open and run everything in before you decide its safe to use on your main pc. By the way whats your online gaming addiction, im hooked on the FFXI.
    \"He who shall introduce into public affairs the principles of primitive Christianity will change the face of the world.\"
    Benjamin Franklin

  4. #4
    Gonzo District BOFH westin's Avatar
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    One other tool you might look into is Adaware. (www.download.com) It will sometimes pick up items that spybot misses... I have heard several times that it is best to use multiple programs for scanning for malware. You just have to be sure that the removal program is credible though.
    \"Those of us that had been up all night were in no mood for coffee and donuts, we wanted strong drink.\"

    -HST

  5. #5
    Senior Member
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    Dec 2003
    Location
    Texas
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    advice

    sevral tips ,
    1. what may work for one person may not work for another, when choosing a sucurity product (i do have to shop around alot i work on 3-5 computers a week) i keep sevral factors in mind, one is how fast the computer is, the second is how experinced the owner of that computer is .three what the computer is being used for,
    2. dont assume you know enough , keep studying studying studying .
    3.test out a bunch of diffrent products to see what works for you , if you have to get another slower box for that perpouse . there is no replacement for gaining knowledge by seeing how these products work yourself , i never take what anyone says as the holy grail till i try it out myself ,because what may work for that person may not work for me
    in advance i apologize for misspellings , the spell check isnt working for me, and hoked on focics didnt werk fer me lol

  6. #6
    Senior Member
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    THE most importat thing to do to keep your computer secure is to keep current on patches for all your software and keep your virus defs up tp date. beyond that its just common sense.
    Bukhari:V3B48N826 “The Prophet said, ‘Isn’t the witness of a woman equal to half of that of a man?’ The women said, ‘Yes.’ He said, ‘This is because of the deficiency of a woman’s mind.’”

  7. #7
    Junior Member
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    in answer to your question JewishIntent,i mostly play World Of Warcraft,but as a long time Final Fantasy fan i am most saddened that i do not have time to play both games.

  8. #8
    Junior Member
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    When you are browsing new web sites (especially less reputable web sites), turn off java and javascript.

  9. #9
    Senior Member JonnyFrond's Avatar
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    You are certainly doing well, in addition to your little arsenal there I would add these as standard too:

    spywareblaster
    Just install this and keep it updated every week or so, and it just runs in the background, you don't have to do anything after the original set up.

    Adaware
    This is another scanner like spybot it tends to pick up stuff spybot doesn't and vice versa.

    Hosts File
    This will stop you going to known sites that have nasties hidden in them.

    These are usefull for starters. If you pc is running nicely, that is great, if you suspect something on your pc, then you might just want to give your computer a wash first just to spring clean anything out. If that is the case, have a read of this Cleaning a pest infected computer. This is a great article to start with, and is invaluable even if you don't want go through the process. At any rate, chances are that you will have to at somepoint.

    Be Savy

    I'd suggest switching out of ZoneAlarm, as it's not my preference and their are quite a few better firewalls out there to choose from. Lookup "Tiny Personal Firewall" as thats one of my favorites..
    Why do you say this Spyder?


    Jonny Fro...Fro...Fro...Fro...Fro...
    Sarcasm is a way of life

  10. #10
    Senior Member
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    Feb 2004
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    and spend most of my waking hours in front of my computer.
    My best advice is to get out and smell the roses, find another hobby. Just don't spend all of your time at the computer. That time away will probably even help you in your quest for all the knowledge you seek.

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