HOW TO MAKE YOUR COMPUTER SAFE

[agentstar]

THESE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS YOU SHOULD DO MAKE YOUR COMPUTER SAFE..
PLEASE ADD SOME MORE OR POLITE COMMENT ABOUT ANY OF THESE


Be safe ..consider these security measures
First decide  who is going to be using your computer and define your needs and what you will NOT need  ......only have what you need .....DO NOT have loads of stuff that you don’t need ....
The less stuff you have the less chances of nasties getting through there.
I am the only one person who uses my computer.. so i don’t need networks and synchronising and lnking with others and other devices i don’t need messengers and printers and cameras..if these things are on the comp then disable uninstall or remove them...the more things on there the more risk of hacking , backdoors virus Trojans rootkits and pup susp behvr key loggers and nasties..

Go in device manager and get rid of things u don’t need. I disabled network printers fax etc which i do not have.
Go in task manager and get rid of things you don’t  need....i don’t need msmsgs.exe the messenger etc
Set computer to delete browsing history  upon exit
Delete all temp files (go in run type  %temp% and delete all) DO   check disk and defragnment  empty bin
Don’t have big contact and address book.
Go in control panel add remve  things you don’t need...  on the left side there is icon for  windows componennets .. get rid of things you will never use...like groove
I need just internet browsing and e mail only ..
Don’t allow third party cookies
Chnge passwords often  and have strong ones
Firewall and  antivirus  micosft malware removal kit rapport (have a good non conflicting combination)
Don’t click on links in emails and beware of attachments
Look for https and padlock.....  right click in a blank area to see url ....
On yahoo  log in page refresh should change the small icon from keys to fingerprint to shield etc...fake one will not respond to refresh
Type in address bar  rather than using  links
Avoid  internet banking and don’t leave too many sensitive data on computer
If log in asks for pw again don’t..give....instaed  close down and try again.
Beware of Fake log in pages
When you start or close down your computer if you see the action TWICE its because the first bit is the hacker and the second bit is the real op system..
Beware of exceptions ...and allowed things..
Be suspicious if you start seeing changes which you did not make
Go in safe mode and run full virus scan
I am sure you can think of some more

[polonus]

Hi agentstar,

I would like to call this the " basic minimalistic" approach, and there is quite some truth in this - lean = mean and that won't hurt. One important issue I missed here: update and patch your OS and third party software to be protected against exploits abused by malware, and have system back-ups on the shelf for a rainy day or when you need to restore from scratch (e.g. when file infector ruins your files). There is more but this was the first thing that came to mind, when I read your recommendations,

polonus

[bob3160]

Welcome to the forum. I expected Polonus to be the first one to reply.
Some of us aren't quite as cautious (paranoid). After all, the internet
and your computer etc. are tools meant to be used and enjoyed.
If we totally lock everything down, we might be safe but we wouldn't be able to function.
There is much good information in your post but for those of us who are constantly on the move,
some of these simply aren't practical or possible.

 

[agentstar]

i have got
xp desktop   windows  5.1 version service pk 3   ( simple not much hardware)

all my security is FREE version
avastfree....    malwarebytes....   malware removal tool (from microsoft) and just the normal microsoft firewall


please suggest
1 how to improve my security...is my combination ok?


should I get FREE outpost FIREWALL ONLY and should I  remove my simple windows computer firewall
which web site do i get it from...what do i have to be careful about there eg dont get the full suit just the firewall only ? the website is confusing to d/l outpost

is it possible for nasty things (hacking, key logs, passwrd phising, fake login pages,  rootkits backdoor cookies trojans etc)  to hide in our computer despite all these security measures ..for example if wrong things are ticked in exceptions and allowed ? then antivirus and spyware thinks oh its ok its a friendly part of the computer ?


i got windows fix it cen
i installed the  d/l manager
and then d/l  the malware removal tool in there but the file assoc was missing and when i tried to open it small window pops up giving me a list of programs to open with ....

so i got rid of the D/L manager
but i still have another previously installed Malware removal tool (which is working perfectly fine)
but
windows is asking me to d/l   malware removal tool  everyday  (even though i have got it nicely working on my desktop)

so when windows  does updates i cant find it anywhere...(temp folder ? )

i think may be my  rundll32.exe file is  missing or gone
but i have no idea how to resolve this issue       its not in the system32 folder
please help
..
..
how do i get a footnote in all my posts
like this

i have got
xp desktop   windows  5.1 version service pk 3   ( simple not much hardware)

all my security is FREE version
avastfree....    malwarebytes....   malware removal tool (from microsoft) and just the normal microsoft firewall

[AdrianH]

One of the best things you can do is use OpenDNS , great free protection.

To get a signature on the forum where you add your system details you require 20 posts, it's an anispam measure.

[DavidR]

In all honesty you are preaching to the converted, those that need the help generally don't read anything about securing their system.

As Bob3160 said you don't need to go all paranoid to protect your system, good antivirus (avast of course) good firewall with outbound protection, your browser (running as limited user or sandboxed). You can add other things anti-malware to compliment your AV.

If you spend lots of time keeping your security up to date, you become the slave to it rather than it being your slave.

A healthy dose of common sense and suspicion is very important too. But above all else (for when the dark brown stuff hits the fan) a robust backup and recovery strategy, hard disk imaging software, run regularly and you can recover form all manner of issues (not just malware related).

[polonus]

Hi DavidR,

That is exactly what I experienced here as well. Just lately when avast shield protection blocked access to sites with malcode, a user just turned the protection off because he "knew" there was nothing suspicious on that site and av interfered with his online experience (of turning his computer into a doorstopper). When faced with the generation that " clicks on" despite of any warning, indeed your preaching (and mine and DavidR's as well ) will fall on deaf ears. And you will be "a preaching in the desert" until these users catch a serious infection like a file infector. Then it is "Oh why my av solution did not save my glorious behind?", but then it is too late. I hope at least a fraction of what we preach here will not fall on deaf ears and a number of users will be converted to safer practices for their own benefit and that of other users,

polonus

[Asyn]

That is exactly what I experienced here as well. Just lately when avast shield protection blocked access to sites with malcode, a user just turned the protection off because he "knew" there was nothing suspicious on that site and av interfered with his online experience (of turning his computer into a doorstopper). When faced with the generation that " clicks on" despite of any warning, indeed your preaching (and mine and DavidR's as well ) will fall on deaf ears. And you will be "a preaching in the desert" until these users catch a serious infection like a file infector. Then it is "Oh why my av solution did not save my glorious behind?", but then it is too late. I hope at least a fraction of what we preach here will not fall on deaf ears and a number of users will be converted to safer practices for their own benefit and that of other users,

polonus

Sad, but true.

[DavidR]

Yes, many don't get religion/converted until they have a near death experience/totally stuffed up computer and no longer able to connect to the internet for their daily fix of their social network/gaming site of choice.

[SpeedyPC]

That is exactly what I experienced here as well. Just lately when avast shield protection blocked access to sites with malcode, a user just turned the protection off because he "knew" there was nothing suspicious on that site and av interfered with his online experience (of turning his computer into a doorstopper). When faced with the generation that " clicks on" despite of any warning, indeed your preaching (and mine and DavidR's as well ) will fall on deaf ears. And you will be "a preaching in the desert" until these users catch a serious infection like a file infector. Then it is "Oh why my av solution did not save my glorious behind?", but then it is too late. I hope at least a fraction of what we preach here will not fall on deaf ears and a number of users will be converted to safer practices for their own benefit and that of other users,

polonus

Sad, but true.

+1 Yep it's true and I cannot disagree what he said

[!Donovan]

That is exactly what I experienced here as well. Just lately when avast shield protection blocked access to sites with malcode, a user just turned the protection off because he "knew" there was nothing suspicious on that site and av interfered with his online experience (of turning his computer into a doorstopper). When faced with the generation that " clicks on" despite of any warning, indeed your preaching (and mine and DavidR's as well ) will fall on deaf ears. And you will be "a preaching in the desert" until these users catch a serious infection like a file infector. Then it is "Oh why my av solution did not save my glorious behind?", but then it is too late. I hope at least a fraction of what we preach here will not fall on deaf ears and a number of users will be converted to safer practices for their own benefit and that of other users,

polonus

Sad, but true.

+1 Yep it's true and I cannot disagree what he said

Couldn't agree more. Most infections are caused because a user thinks a site is 'safe' and find a way to visit it.

[bob3160]

It's a well know fact that the greatest threat to the Personal Computer has always been the Person using the Computer.

[Kwartet!]

Hi agentstar,

You could get extra protection when browsing:
- use your browser in a sandbox (I have avast Internet Security, which includes a sandbox; I believe Sandboxie is free for personal use)
- install Web of Trust. WOT is a reputation tool: users rank sites as 'dangerous', 'trusted' or anything in between;
- install Bitdefender Trafficlight. This tool scans sites before you access them.

Regards

[schmidthouse]

One of the best things you can do is use OpenDNS , great free protection.

To get a signature on the forum where you add your system details you require 20 posts, it's an anispam measure.

OpenDNSCrypt was recently released for XP and this Increases Security even more!

[schmidthouse]

It's a well know fact that the greatest threat to the Personal Computer has always been the Person using the Computer.

lol
 +1000