looking for security advice!

[F083153WM]

I couldn't find a security forum so here I am.
I have upgraded AOL to the new security version. They say to use their free McAfee anti virus software and firewall software.
I currently have Norton (which the subscription just expired) system works anti virus software, and the free Sygate Personal Firewall.
Should I remove both Norton and Sygate and go with AOL's free McAfee stuff or stay with what I have now and renew the norton software ??
Any advice welcome !!! Thanks

[mikeandike22]

the security forum has been changed to the one that starts with viruses and other nasties it has a picture of a lock next to it. well if norton expired than you can't use it anyways so i would keep with sygate and mcafee. I dont like norton takes up to much processing time load time and it is just not worth the money because all of the tools you get with norton you can get for free. i dont know much about the mcafee that comes with aol but my mcafee which is just the standard version is really good. Somtimes i use avant virus scan and kerio personal firewall.

[anastacia]

surely i am not an expert but i would suggest not to use norton its really not worth !!instead theres a new type of firewll just released its clled blackice firewall. i dont know on which site it is found but just use any search engine and type blackice firewall guess this could give you a lead. the best antivirusi know is avg, panda and mcafee. so if you can a copy or just buy any ooone of these it can solve your problem. also a firewall is necessary nowadays.

hope i was of any help
any further doubts just post it right here

oops 4got 2 tell u. u can subcribe to the macafee web site and thay can email u as new softwares crop up!1 :mrgreen:

[Sphyenx]

Ok, heres something ive looked in to for a month or so, which is long compared to the fact ive only been online for about 7 months. I've used every firewall but kerio. They all well were ok.. Zonealarm sucks.. No offence i ran many tests with spyware. Failed. It did log other thing's, but not as good as outpost. Outpost so far is my favirote. Ive had it for some time (not free unless you know how to get free software[and i wont tell you], but i didn't crack mine). If you want black ice, which is said to be well, not so good!. Also it can be run by malicious code i have heard more then enough time's. If you wish to try black ice stop down by library.2ya.com and download it, with many other unique downloads. Any more Questions on firewall's please PM me, or email etc.

Now for Norton. I use Norton I find it much easier to use and its great because Ive tested over 150+ new viruses written this year, it picked them up. So I know im pretty safe from them. Trgens to had no chance so far, but yet again things change. Ive used mcaffe, and stop sign NOW THEY use up to many resources. I really dont think Norton runs me up.

[pcschrottie]

It doesn't matter what kind of virus-protection or dtf you run, if you don't pay a little bit of attention to the things you do while you're online. A lot of people have NIS installed, but they surf with ActiveX activated!

So configure your Internet Explorer correctly or use an alternate browser, get the important updates from microsoft, don't surf as an administrator when using Windows XP and get an anti-virus programm and update it at least twice a month.

Then you're - more or less - safe.

Michael

[caperjack]

surely i am not an expert but i would suggest not to use norton its really not worth !!instead theres a new type of firewll just released its clled blackice firewall. i dont know on which site it is found but just use any search engine and type blackice firewall guess this could give you a lead. the best antivirusi know is avg, panda and mcafee. so if you can a copy or just buy any ooone of these it can solve your problem. also a firewall is necessary nowadays.

hope i was of any help
any further doubts just post it right here

oops 4got 2 tell u. u can subcribe to the macafee web site and thay can email u as new softwares crop up!1 :mrgreen:

just wanted to say I have been on the net since 1997,and BlackIce was around then And wasn't concidered any good and the last i checked still isn't!
By those who know how to us a fiewall ZoneAlarm is concidered the best and the one I liked the best when i used a firewall other than the XP one !

[Sphyenx]

Ya black ice well.. dont recommend it. For zone alarm well. Im sure theres better. LIKE SYGATE or Outpost. There isnt anything wrong with zone amarm I even use it. But what im saying is its not your only option!.

[yni420]

Mcfee firewall and avg professional version
both are quite good.
i have not done any in depth study or anything
but with the limited experience that i have
these both are great
mcfee antivirus i cant brag about.
:-)
i used norton for sometime but it slowed down the system like anything and so had to uninstall it which was another hassle

:lol:

[Sphyenx]

Mcfee firewall and avg professional version
both are quite good.
i have not done any in depth study or anything
but with the limited experience that i have
these both are great
mcfee antivirus i cant brag about.
:-)
i used norton for sometime but it slowed down the system like anything and so had to uninstall it which was another hassle

:lol:

you really dont have to study, just play around with it for 10+ minutes. The truth is well i dotn like mcafee at all, so stick with zonealarm or sygate. also for an AV use AVG.

[anastacia]

yeah but that still doesnt solve my security problem guys. i have a fire wall called tiny personal firewall n i am NOT ready to tamper that thing coz i dont wanna something to happen i am not an expert at those things. lastly when the first time i updated my norton antivirus well it was a live update. when i restarted my computer i got a virus. i was using xp n win 98. both got corrupted. can anybody tell me how i got that thing. i think it was jeefoo32.virus.funny or irritating. u get infected while updating ur antivirus.

[pcschrottie]

u get infected while updating ur antivirus.

???? Where did you read that?

Michael

[anastacia]

oh michael. i didnt read that anywhere its true. i just dont know why nobody want to believe me. i experienced it. actuelly i got my pc on a saturday. it was working fine. then i got a notification that i nedd to update my antivirus which i did very correctly. then guess what. sunday morning i got a virus. on monday pc was sent back to the company . they had to reformat my hard disk and to crown it all neither the firwall nor the norton antivirus could protect my very first brand new pc. can u believe that!!!!!!thats why i dnt like norton its really not worth anything.

i guess that a recoprd for infecting ones pc??!! :evil:

[pcschrottie]

actuelly i got my pc on a saturday. it was working fine. (...) sunday morning i got a virus

Did you use the Internet Explorer and didn't you deactivate ActiveX? It could be one of the reasons for this "fast" infection. An anti-virus programm can't protect you from everything.

If you get a virus by downloading a virus-definiton file, you could probably sue the antivirus-software-company ;).

Michael

[anastacia]

first of all waht is ACTIVEX.
SECONDLY. do u want me to sue norton company????!!.
man i think its high time to run a bulldozer somewhere out there.!!!!!!1

[pcschrottie]

first of all waht is ACTIVEX.

Oh-oh. ActiveX is a technology invented by Microsoft and makes it possible to run code on your computer. You need this for the Windows Update - for the rest, which means the 'Internet Zone' it should absolutely be deactivated. The easiest thing to do though would be for you to use an alternate browser such as Firefox.

SECONDLY. do u want me to sue norton company????!!.

No I don't, I was making fun - more or less. I don't think the virus came with the virus update of your scanner. But I also think that symantec products are mostly garbage.

Michael

[anastacia]

my dear micheal. i wasnt updating my scanner but my antivirus. how do i activate or deactivate activex. i am currently using win 98

[anastacia]

another thing i always have this symantec live update icon every time i connect to the internet. u knoe ever since my misadventure with liveupdates. i developped a phobia of updating things. even my media player. antivirus , mocromedia dreamweaver are oold versions. i even feel scared to download something from the net. its really a bad time for my sweet little big new computer i have.

hope that you understand me..its not always funny to be infected with viruses specially when you are doing things right

[pcschrottie]

my dear micheal. i wasnt updating my scanner but my antivirus.

With 'scanner' i meant 'anti-virus-scanning-software'.

Deactivate ActiveX (my OS isn't in english but you should find it):

Go Start->Settings->Control Panel->Internet Options->Security.

Here's a tutorial how to configure your IE:

http://www.pcanswers.co.uk/tutorials/default.asp?pagetypeid=2&articleid=29767&subsectionid=780&subsubsectionid=740

(there must be lot's of others, just use google.)

i developped a phobia of updating things.

That's bad, because it's one of the main things to do in order to have a stable and safe OS.

Michael

[dlh6213]

The easiest way to get to your ActiveX settings is to Open Internet Explorer, click on the Tools tab, click on Internet Options, click on the Security tab, and then click on the Custom Level button. You will see several options for different settings.

This is how I have my ActiveX settings; you can use this as a guide to set your own (If you Enable all the options, you are leaving your system open to unwanted intrusions.):
Download signed ActiveX controls -- Prompt
Download unsigned ActiveX controls -- Disable
Initialize and script ActiveX controls not marked as safe -- Disable
Run ActiveX controls and plug-ins -- Enable
Script ActiveX controls marked safe for scripting -- Enable

The more of these you have Disabled, the safer you system is, but there will be sites that you can't access. Prompting is the next best thing, but constantly clicking OK can be tedious and you usually don't know whether it should be allowed or not. The described combination works best for me, but not be best for you -- it is just shown as a reference.

On a different note, HijackThis is a program that shows what's running on your system, good and bad. It can help determine where problems lie. There is more info on it in this thread:
http://www.daniweb.com/techtalkforums/thread5690.html

And... I just realized that this thread has diverted from it's original poster. Anastacia, if you (or anyone else) has any other questions or problems, please start a new thread. This thread should be reserved for answers to the original post. :)

[DaveSW]

Are you sure you didn't download the update which actually detected the virus you had? ;)
In any case, I once took a pc out to a client, set it up, dialed up the internet to download zonealarm cos I hadn't got the disk and had the blaster virus berfore I'd got from the tiscali homepage to Zonelabs... so yes viruses can hit you fast...
I usually reccomend AVG and Zonelabs. (just to return to the topic) :cheesy:

[Sphyenx]

thats funny, also why did you take a computer to a company to have it formated? its easy pop in a disk and follow the onscreen options etc. especially XP, very simple.

[caperjack]

thats funny, also why did you take a computer to a company to have it formated? its easy pop in a disk and follow the onscreen options etc. especially XP, very simple.

Easy when you know how[Getting really easy win winxp as you sa y] ,The average user doesent even know how to navigate the Windows directory !!

[Sphyenx]

I think that the directory is harder then the format, lol. On a format it explains everything for you step by step. Maybe its good for all people to have one Nerdy friend! (= PICK ME PICK ME!

[anastacia]

well sory ofr the diversion. secondly i dont know how to post a new thread sooo. well thats a gud question. qhy did take the pc back to the company. dear friends the answer is very simple i didnt een have the disk to format my hard dirve neither anybody to help me out nor any os disk .absolutely nothing. just me my pc and that nasty thing that we call a big big big virus.thx for the advice on active x and hijack this log thing. another question. is it important to have this hijack log.. thing. coz i am really confused now. wiz all these high tech words.....

[dlh6213]

...i dont know how to post a new thread sooo... another question. is it important to have this hijack log.. thing. coz i am really confused now...

To start a new thread, just go to the forum most appropriate for the question you want to ask, or for the problem you're having, and look for the rectangle button near the top that says New Thread, and click on it.

Hijackthis is not required at all, it is just a useful tool for finding problems -- and should only be used with the assistance of someone who has used it.

[anastacia]

well thx a lot guys . u really helped me out. oops sorry for the late reply. in fact i am having my first year first semester exams so i rerally didnt get the opportunity to surf on the net.eee ya all after the 15 of december. then i will be online most of the time. we can really hav text each other then. hope u all understand me
:rolleyes: :)