Things you should do prior to connecting to the Internet...

Once your online your obviously vulnerable to the many threats out there. Before putting your computer online what software should be previously installed? Is there a way of getting any of the windows updates for windows XP pro before actually connecting online (perhaps burning the files to a disk on another computer, possible?). What is considered to be the essential anti-virus software and anti-trojan software out there? Spyware? Adware? IDS?There so many different products out there-some are good and some are bad.

What would you have on your system before you connect?
What preconfigurations would you do before you connect?
What are the vital first steps once your online?

1. Updated antivirus with updated virus signatures
2. Current microsoft security patches and windows updates, or current linux updates
3. Adaware or similair spyware removal tool
4. Personal firewall such as Zonealarm.

If you want to download (and store) Microsoft updates, you can collect them at the Microsoft Download Center (at http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/search.aspx ). You'll have to decide yourself what updates to download.

Realize though that while creating a mirror of updates, you're running a risk that you're missing updates (new updates can come out anytime, your mirror could get out of date). Make sure that you check online for updates, after you updated the new computer with your previously downloaded patches and updates.

Updating your Operating System and Virus Definitions should be the first things you do when you get online. (In preparation, you could defragment your drive to speed things up a little.) Spy- and Adware detectors come second.

Make sure to scan the new computer right after you installed OS updates and updated the virus definitions. That way, you'll make sure that nothing sneaked into your computer between 'getting online' and 'having updated everything'.

If you are able to do so, run your updates behind a firewall of some description. Most ADSL routers will provide this. If you are using a dial in connection, consider trying to borrow a friends connection that has a firewall.

Otherwise this becomes a bit of a chicken and egg situation.

Steve

Cert has this posted on their site.

http://www.cert.org/tech_tips/before_you_plug_in.html

if you dont have a router all you need to do is turn on XP's firewall before you get all your updates. ive never relied on it as a permenant firewall but it will protect you just fine from internet worms and such while your getting all your updates. just dont surf the net without AV, spybot search and destroy, etc.

Hmmm,

1. You need a friend who knows what they are doing.
2. You need a six-pack of the friend's favourite beer and a blank CD
3. Using their system you get copies of:

AdAware SE
SpyBot Search & Destroy
ZoneAlarm
AVG (Grisoft) (Requires registration, so you need an e-mail)
WinPatrol (BillP Studios)
RegistryProt (DiamondCS)

They should already have scanned their system for malware so the CD should be clean.

Load zone alarm first, and set it to "high"

Load the other stuff

Go to Grisoft and update the AV product

Use Windows Update and update that

Update SpyBot S&D and AdAware SE

Re-boot into safe mode (F8) and run AdAware, SpyBot and AVG

In my experience, the most important thing is to have an active firewall during your first connection, or you will almost certainly get infected by some automated crap that is trolling the net. ;)

Then just practise safe surfing/computing and KEEP IT ALL UP TO DATE!

That has worked for me over 200 times. I have never (so far) been called back to a machine I have secured other than for upgrades or non-malware related stuff.

Good luck :D

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Originally posted here by nihil
Hmmm,

1. You need a friend who knows what they are doing.
2. You need a six-pack of the friend's favourite beer and a blank CD
3. Using their system you get copies of:

AdAware SE
SpyBot Search & Destroy
ZoneAlarm
AVG (Grisoft) (Requires registration, so you need an e-mail)
WinPatrol (BillP Studios)
RegistryProt (DiamondCS)

They should already have scanned their system for malware so the CD should be clean.

Load zone alarm first, and set it to "high"

Load the other stuff

Go to Grisoft and update the AV product

Use Windows Update and update that

Update SpyBot S&D and AdAware SE

Re-boot into safe mode (F8) and run AdAware, SpyBot and AVG

In my experience, the most important thing is to have an active firewall during your first connection, or you will almost certainly get infected by some automated crap that is trolling the net. ;)

Then just practise safe surfing/computing and KEEP IT ALL UP TO DATE!

That has worked for me over 200 times. I have never (so far) been called back to a machine I have secured other than for upgrades or non-malware related stuff.

Good luck :D

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I think with that list, I should add...

4. A very powerful processor.
5. Lots of RAM.

Norton's Go Back

Quote:

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4. A very powerful processor.
5. Lots of RAM

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No, not in my experience................a PI/133 and 320 Mb of RAM or a PII/266 and 128 Mb of RAM seem OK.

I take your point on resource though :) It is your internet connection speed that will be the problem IMO?

I guess PI's are the oldest processors I have tried it on...............over here they won't connect broadband to anything less than a PII

;)

Nah, I was just being stupid/funny... you listed ZA, as well 5 other programs that probably eat resources like a fat kid chomps down McDonalds... if you do that and it works on P1's, congratulations, but you'll never find me with all that... and you'll rarely find me with anything other than a router, guess it depends what the user knows.

From experiance, if you go online with a fresh install of windows XP you will be hit with the Blaster worm or one off the other RPC/DCOM exploiting worms befor you can get microsoft update web page to load.

A fire wall is a must and is the minimum protection to have. As stated previously in this thread even if it is only XP's firewall.

Next is to apply all patches and service packs. After that you can start looking for your other defences. Most of which have been mentuned befor.

Some thing that has not been posted though apart from AV/Anti spyware you should look for a good anti trojan solution. This s because most AV software is crap at detecting them. That is very much a generalization, i no. However IMHO also true. There are free anti trojan solutions but i liked TDS3 so i regestered the copy i had had for a while.

I don't quite understand how a powerful processor and lot's of RAM would prevent your pc from getting infected with malware or virusses...

I'd rather say you need a lot of resources when you ARE infected, to keep your machine running at a reasonable pace ;)

[EDIT]
Nevermind, I missed the last post

Quote:

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Nah, I was just being stupid/funny... you listed ZA, as well 5 other programs that probably eat resources like a fat kid chomps down McDonalds... if you do that and it works on P1's, congratulations, but you'll never find me with all that... and you'll rarely find me with anything other than a router, guess it depends what the user knows.

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No, I see where you are coming from, but they are not great resource guzzlers. OK your AV and firewall are on all the time, but the others are either demand activated (AdAware & SpyBot) or sit in the background waiting for an "event" before they launch.

From the original question, I really don't see a router in the scenario? so your comment on user knowledge is very appropriate :)

Please download them and take a look.

Jinxy................TDS3 is good stuff, it is from DiamondCS ............an Aussie mob...........I have this deal with them, they let us win cricket for the next 10 years and we will let them win the Americas Cup :D

As for David:

"Jockey of Illinois, be not so bold
For Bush/Kerry thy master is bought and sold"

With appologies to the original author who stuck the message on the tent of the Duke of Norfolk just before the battle of Bosworth :cool:

;TT, jinxy, nihil - good responses. I'll take your opinions into account. Thanks. The only issue I can think of is burning the updates from the microsoft website and transferring it to the other system prior to placing it online. I'll try and post any frther issue.

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Realize though that while creating a mirror of updates, you're running a risk that you're missing updates (new updates can come out anytime, your mirror could get out of date). Make sure that you check online for updates, after you updated the new computer with your previously downloaded patches and updates.

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If you are going to store all of the hotfixes on a local machine so that you can install them without using windows update make sure that you install the hotfixes in the right order. You cannot install hotfixes in any old order you please. You should always install the oldest hotfix first and then work your way forward. Worst comes to worst open up the hotfix file by using the /x option which will extract all of the files to your harddisk. Then you can do file compares to determine which hotfix has the later dates on the files, and make sure to install that one after the fix with older files.

Installing hotfixes in the wrong order is a very easy way to make your machine unstable.

http://www.antionline.com/showthread...436#post794436


nice post, some more precautions given in that post.
:)

On the other hand look for posts by catch.

Can't be arsed to explane.