Spyware Warrior

[filkertom]

It's an excellent day to clean up your computer. The definitive one-stop resource is Spyware Warrior.

What's been your most successful combination of security measures? Be sure to say what OS you're running.

I've got WinXP Home edition w/SP1, with the MS firewall turned off. I use Firefox rather than IE whenever possible, which is most of the time now. I don't use Outlook at all -- pretty much everything's on my Yahoo mail account. OpenOffice rather than MS Office.

I run AdAware every week or so. I've got Zone Alarm up all the time, and I go to Trend Micro's http://www.antivirus.com for a free scan every couple of weeks. I don't like Norton or McAfee -- besides their copious system baggage, at least once McAfee basically shut my system down, one file at a time, over a vintage 1998 virus that it should've cleaned in moments. I simply don't trust 'em.

I'm likely gonna install a hardware firewall in the next month or two.

Comments

[dragonscholar.livejournal.com]

Windows XP. With Firewall.
Norton Anti-Virus.
Mozilla.
IE with every damn thing turned off, for programs that happen to use it.
Ad-Aware.
A good router.
A bad attitude

[eibii.livejournal.com]

You actually got Firewall to work? In XP? Wow.

[dragonscholar.livejournal.com]

I'm on Pro, and like I said, I maintain a bad attitude ;)

[redaxe.livejournal.com]

Windows XP SR2. I should probably turn the native firewall on, as it can work with my
ZoneAlarm Pro
McAfee Antivirus
Firefox
AdAware Pro
Spybot Search & Destroy
Router firewall
IIRC, I also turned off some connectivity services in XP that weren't necessary, but I would have to go to my setup notes for that.

I still don't feel entirely safe (especially after filkerdave pointed at this article on IRC earlier today. But the alternative hardwarewise doesn't leave much in the way of affordable computing, and I'm just a novice with Linux. (But learning, and hoping to find enough software to switch completely at some point. Primary need is a good vector graphics editor and 3D graphics editing. Office stuff is easy, and so is raster graphics. But that's a whole nother post :-)

[dr-zrfq.livejournal.com]

Lose-doze 98 SE, with every trace of IE carefully scrubbed out of existence.
NOD32 antivirus (payware), or AVG Free for the less-used machines.
AdAware.
Spybot.
We're gonna get the separate firewall machine redone fairly soon.

[scifantasy.livejournal.com]

Gentoo Linux, and mostly only stable ebuilds.

Security holes? What security holes?

[solarbird]

Security holes? What security holes?
As someone who administers Debian Linux servers in a tiny ISP environment, I just have to say: "just keep telling yourself that."

(Yes, of course, you're orders of magnitude safer by the fact you're not running IE or Win32 in any variant as your desktop. But "What security holes?" Clearly, you are not on any Linux security mailing lists. I just hope you're keeping updated, if nothing else.)

[scifantasy.livejournal.com]

Granted--I left off "daily emerge," and I admit that there's no such thing as perfect security. Still, it's certainly a lot easier...

My rundown

[sunfell.livejournal.com]

Win XP Pro and Home
Zone Alarm Pro
Norton AV
Spy Sweeper
Ad Aware
Spybot S&D
Router
Firefox browser

If you use a router, a hardware firewall isn't necessary unless you're really paranoid. ZAP is really tweakable and I have mine on Super Stealth mode. Nothing gets in or out without my express permission.

Also, with firewalls, remember that you can only have one- multiple firewalls do not play well together. Zone Alarm's Security Suite is pretty good, but its AV had a fight with Norton. So, the same rule applies with AV software, too.

And I second the recommend on Spyware Warrior.

[romlc475.livejournal.com]

MacOS 10.3 and Norton's AV (I prefer Virex, but NAV's from work, and it's free due to our educational contract so what the heck). No spyware to worry about (yet). Apple's softare Firewall's pretty thorough and flexible, but since we're running on a Cable connection, I have the whole home network behind a network router. FYI, if you're using a Cable Modem, GET A ROUTER, NOW! You are directly connected to the Internet Software Firewalls are ok, but you are still vulnerable even when using them! DSL users are already behind a router, so you won't need one.

[hiddenkrypt.livejournal.com]

Windows XP SP1
Firefox
Spybot Search and Destroy
Hijack This
Avast AV
Router Firewall

And I neutered internet explorer by telling it to connect to the proxy 967.5.30.9 :)

[mouser.livejournal.com]

Update to SP2 - it patched some serious holes...

[hiddenkrypt.livejournal.com]

last time I tried, it crashed in the middle of the update, corrupting core system files. Not fun.

[ericthemage.livejournal.com]

Windows 2000
ZoneAlarm
Avast Antivirus
Spybot
AdAware
SpywareBlaster
CrapCleaner

[jrittenhouse.livejournal.com]

Win XP Pro with all the updates; I use Trend Micro on all computers, fully updated, with their spyware, and Microsoft's as well for backup. Adaware and Spybot run once a week or so. Everything also goes through the house router's firewall and firewalls on the PCs (there's a net of three desktops and one laptop here).

[sarekofvulcan.livejournal.com]

WinXP SP2
AVG AntiVirus
Microsoft AntiSpyware running all the time
AdAware/Spybot S&D running once in a while
Brain turned on while surfing

I'll be very surprised if I don't have the XP Firewall turned on. I used to use ZoneAlarm, but it got too obtrusive. I have some sort of protection from my cable modem, but I'm not sure exactly what: I know I had to specifically open ports for S3D (Settlers of Catan clone) and Azureus.

[greenmansgrove.livejournal.com]

WinXP pro, SR2, with firewall when not behind a hardware firewall.
Symantec Antivirus Corporate Edition version 10.0.1
browser- Opera version 8.5
Antispyware- Microsoft Antispyware Beta, Ad-Aware, Spybot Search & Destroy.

As an IT professional, between the three pieces of Antispyware I use on a regular basis, I used to start with either Spybot or Ad-Aware before Microsoft's beta came out. Now I start with that one, as it does seem to clean up most of what the other two will catch between them. If I'm still finding things, Spybot and AdAware will often catch a few more things, but at that point, I'm also likely to have to go hunting through the registry and through the file system to remove remaining spyware by hand.

Using Opera on both my home and work machines, I have never been infected with spyware. And I have a tendency to surf to some less than savory sites while looking for fixes for other virus and spyware infestations. My machine remains pristine. For the moment.

[aylinn.livejournal.com]

hmmmm.

Okay, no one's mentioned MY particular cocktail, so here goes:

Win XP pro, fully updated. XP firewall is off.
McAfee antivirus (& personal firewall on the home machine) - again, fully updated.
(I'm also behind firewalls both on the home network & work network.)

AdAware - fully updated
Spybot - fully updated
(Spysweeper on the work machine)
Firefox 1.5
AND (the kicker & key ingredient)
Noadhosts.exe from http://www.everythingisnt.com/hosts.html

this is a simple executable that overwrites your hosts file and thereby redirects all the known ad sites to the windows equivalent of /dev/null.

The stuff can't get on your 'puter if you NEVER contact their site, now can it?

Okay, yeah I see a LOT of red x's & broken image links while surfing but I can deal. Things load WAY faster normally.

The ONLY times I've noticed "problems" is if I click on some of my special "My Points" e-mails and can't get to the link o'the day for my measly 5 points - OR - Neopets takes a long time to load a page because realmedia is timing out. OH. GEE.

[shockwave77598.livejournal.com]

Athlon 3000, 1gig ram, 120gig and 80 gig hds.

XP sp2, automatic updates enabled
Hardware firewall on cablesharing router
ZoneAlarm set to Medium for internet IP range
Symantec Norton Antivirus, automatic updates
Spybot search and destroy, set for Immunized (automatic detect and notify)
FireFox for browser; IE is FORBIDDEN to access ANYTHING via Zonealarm.
Microsoft Messenger removed, though it was very difficult to do.
Monthly backup to second hard drive, so I can recover if anything gets through with only some loss.
Thunderbird for mail, set to disallow everything but text.

Haven't had a problem in years.

[tigertoy.livejournal.com]

XP, not updated.
ZoneAlarm.
AntiVir (the free package), which I do try to update.
Firefox 1.5 for browsing (haven't run IE in months), Thunderbird for mail.

My main defenses are lacking a broadband connection and being pretty careful about where I go and what I let onto my machine. I got whacked by one of the worms once a while back and patched it by hand. The reason I don't keep Windows updated? Bill randomly inserts updates that cripple existing functionality and labels the cripples "security upgrades". My experience to date makes me figure I'm better off taking the chances with the virus writers than letting Bill update my machine for me, and I completely don't have the time or inclination to research each individual patch and find out if it affects software I ever use and if the effects are beneficial to me. Someday my machine may catch fire, and that's when I'll try to figure out how to do my photo editing in Linux.

[naja-pallida.livejournal.com]

FreeBSD with the latest updates. I've been running it for the better part of 10 years and have never had an issue that wasn't a third party software bug. Except that pesky ssh hole that showed up a few years back... but that was fixed pretty quick. :)

[kightp.livejournal.com]

WinXP Pro
The Shield firewall and antivirus protection from PC Security Shield, updated regularly
AdAware and SpyBot, run weekly
Mozilla for all my browsing, e-mail and Usenet needs, set to display mail and news only as plain text and never open attachments. Popup blocker and junk filtering enabled.
IE used only to test my own sites, locally. Security set to highest level.
My ISP also uses Barracuda spam filtration, but it sucks - it was labeling everything I got as spam, so I disabled most of its features.
My primary security system: My own brain. I don't open attachments unless I know what they are; I never follow links in spam that makes it past my filters. If that means I miss the stupid jokes, photos and videos that make the rounds, all the better.
I've never yet had a virus on any computer I've been responsible for.

[foenix.livejournal.com]

Well, I've been online now for almost ten years, and I've yet to have a virus, and the only spyware I manage to get is cookies, which are terribly negligible threats.

Currently on WinXP Home, with all patches added, Zone Alarm, never use IE except to load more patches, don't download anything strange, or email attachments...

I have AVG antivirus installed and run it once in awhile to make sure I'm still clean. I have a good track record so far, but there's always new stuff coming up. Better safe than sorry. I also use TrendMicro's online scanner just to doublecheck, and have a backup scanner to catch things AVG and AdAware don't.

Yes, it is possible to run in a Windows environment pretty safely, if you're willing to work at it just a little, and be vigilant. ;)

[umbran.livejournal.com]

Win 98.
Firefox and Thunderbird.
Norton Antivirus.

And I use my damned *brain* before I click on anything.

[filkertom.livejournal.com]

... well, yeah. ;)

[kender42.livejournal.com]

Mac OSX.4
Running Safari.
Hardware Firewall/router.

That's it. :) Never had a virus, don't have problems with spyware.

Now, for my clients running Windows, I recommend:

Windows XP Pro w/SP2
Windows Firewall OFF.
AVAST! Anti-Virus (free for home use - catches stuff Symantec and McAffee doesn't.)
Microsoft Anti-Spyware Beta
Firefox

That is it. When I used Windows for other than gaming, I never had a virus successfully penetrate my defenses, nor did I get slowed down with spyware.

[mouser.livejournal.com]

* Hardware firewall (Linksys, but we're looking into a SonicWall soon)
* WinXP pro, SR2 fully patched and the with firewall turned on
* Symantec Antivirus Corporate Edition, fully up to date
* Internet Explorer fully patched, but lots of the settings tweaked, and the google toolbar to block popups
* Microsoft Antispyware Beta
* Ad-Aware
* Spybot Search & Destroy

And (as the I.T. guy) a ball-peen hammer for the users that violate corporate policy.

[dadandgirl.livejournal.com]

Another IT Pro sounding off...

First, the whole LAN is behind a router/firewall.

On the system I'm using right this second:
- Win2K Pro*
- AVG AntiVirus
- Spybot Search & Destroy
- Default browser is Firefox, but we do use IE for sites that don't
play nice with Firefox
- Default Email is Thunderbird - Outlook Express has been disabled as
thouroughly as possible, and I keep killing it again every time an update
turns the damned thing back on.
- Desktop Users DO NOT have Administrator Privledges
- All user data is stored on a Samba Server running ClamAV, updated and
backed up frequently.
- I pay attention to Task Manager, and know what processes should be running
at any time. If there's anything unfamiliar, try ProcessLibrary.com (http://www.processlibrary.com/)

* - Yes, I'm still running 2k. I'm cheap, I'm migrating most of the house to Linux, and I prefer the 2K interface to XP. If I were using WinXP, I would recommend Pro & SP2, and turn on both Windows Firewall and Automatic Updates.

[palenoue.livejournal.com]

Mac OS 10.4.3 (last in a long line of macs)

Only virus I ever had in the 20+ years of mac usage was that Autostart worm years ago, and all it did was take up a little disk space before I read about it on a mac site that described how to delete it.

Using an Airport wifi base to link my iMac and 12" Powerbook to the cable modem and that works as a pretty good firewall.

Over the last four years I know of eight people and two businesses who specifically got fed up with "Virus Du Jour" and bought macs, not one of them has had a virus since then and not one of them has ever done anything special to prevent it (like anti-virus software, firewall finagling, email examination, etc)

[kengr]

And that only works *because* Macs are a minority platform. If they ever become as common as Windows boxes, they'll have just as much trouble.

[palenoue.livejournal.com]

That argument only works when you're ignorant of the differences in the OS's. Do a little research, find out how viruses, spyware and all the rest get through Window's swiss-cheese OS, then compare those built-in weaknesses to OS X. They're not there. The holes that are prevelant in Windows don't exist in OS X because Unix has been tweaked, hacked, developed, exploited, repaired and worked on over a long period of time by a very large number of people who looked for and corrected holes and problems. Windows, on the other hand, totally ignored security while trying to cram in as many "features" (i.e.: bloatware) as possible.

So before you try that "minority" argument again, look up the top 10 malware hacks in windows, then try to see if you can find even one similar weakness on OS X.

You can't, because they're not there. Apple made it a point to make OS X secure, Microsoft didn't think it was worth the trouble because they were practically a monopoly. I'm not saying OS X is totally secure, there's always a way to hack, but to use that lame "minority" argument just ignores the real problem: microsoft made a sloppy OS that was full of weaknesses.

[kengr]

Monoculture is still a significant factor.

Don't forget that the Internet Worm was the first major infection observed. And that was on Unix!

Unix & related OSes are better written, but they are *far* from invulnerable.

Sarcasm alert!

[palenoue.livejournal.com]

Is monoculture really a significant factor? How about this example: the US Army used to use windows for it's numerous recruitment websites, which were defaced and hacked almost daily. They switched to Macs, still had as many attempts but nothing happened to the sites for months (I believe it was a new type of denial of service that finally brought it down, but it was back up and running quicker than ever before). In interviews and analysis of Army sys-ops the main conclusion is that OS X was _much_ safer from the start, while windows required constant patching, updating and extra software patches. As one guy put it in the first year review, "Windows was like a screen door that a kid poked holes into with a screwdriver. Apple Macintosh was like a bank vault in comparison." Last I heard (quite a while ago) they were looking into using Linux so they could code their own security.

And yes, the first internet worm was Unix, but what about lately? Of the last 200 viruses, worms, spyware, etc, to hit the net, how many were effective against Unix? Linux? OS X? Does it really matter who got the first one when you consider whats going on today?

[kengr]

Windows XP, Windows 98SE

I run F-Prot as the real-time AV program on my Windows boxes. It also does a once a week full scan. One thing I like about it is that the default (and *cheap*) license is a site license for 10 systems.

I also like the fact that iunlike just about everything else out there, F-prot *won't* automatically quarantine stuff. Thus I don't have to fight with it to get access to mail folders (files) that have a virus in them. I can just go to the folder, tell F-prot "yeah, I know" when it warns me about the virus and just delete the message.

I used to have NAV run a scan weekly as well, because it and F-prot each found things the other didn't. But Symantec got too weird. I've been checking out the free version of AVG but it's causing *way* too many problems.

I run Kerio Personal Firewall on some of the systems and Tiny Personal firewall on some of the older ones. I also have a hardware firewall in my router (a MultiTech RouteFinder 550 VPN)