PC Security

[mhutch]

theres nothing to be gained hacking me anyway, ive tried my ameture best to tighten it up

[vilhelm]

I installed microsofts free security package and it works great,computer is now running faster and no freeze ups! like i was with avg.

[Nigel Bridgman-Elliot]

> However access to things like email and facebook are much more likely

> to be gained through password/security question guessing.

 

Agreed.

 

It is suprising how many people use the same password for many services as well. (And people who stick them on postit notes next to the monitor..)

 

 

> to guess most security questions

 

One trick there is not to give the real answers but to make them up!

 

Of course, you have to remember a million and one things that way..

 

 

Sadly I have noticed that there is no 100% or even 99% single antivirus software product out there that can catch all, and that things are going back a little to the old days of being very careful and suspicious of PC activitiy which might indicate you have a virus.

 

That and regular checks with different software to catch things another misses.

 

Though I find the overwelming reason why people get infected is simply because they fail to update their virus database or software itself. (Many programs say they automatically do this, but quite a few do not, eg. manually do it!)

 

Then peoples subscriptions run out and they don't bother to renew them..

 

One rather good, but very time consuming to run free antivirus I can personally recommend to get some of those stubbon items out is:

 

http://www.freedrweb.com/download+cureit

 

Do be aware though it can take days to fully scan your PC!

 

And you will need to babysit it the entire time..

 

 

Also, it can help to flush out your java cache from time to time, as some of the latest nasties like to hide there I notice.

 

settings/control panel/java/general/tempoary internet files/settings/delete files

[MuckleJoannie]

For passwords I've started using KeePass. It memorises all your passwords in an encrypted form. You copy the encrypted password from KeePass into the website to log on. Your KeePass database has a master password so as long as you close it after you log on to a site nobody else has access to your passwords.

 

http://keepass.info/

[Zog]

the free avg but it slowed my computer so have now uninstalled it

 

AVG free ( I have no experience of the commercial product) is a resource hog. The only reason I used it because it was free. I had to turn it off whilst online gaming. I moved on Kespersky because it had one of the smallest background system footprints you could get. Its just short of £40 for 2- 4 pcs. I never even considered Norton or McAfee because because of past experience with so called "trial" periods left me wondering how the had the nerve to ask money for the product.

There is no "one anti virus fits all". A lot will depend on what you use the computer for, what your browsing habits are and to some extent the actual specification of the computer. Your browser also makes a difference.

More virus are written to exploit Windows Explorer's weaknesses than any other browser. Likewise the Linux is less prone to attack because it is a minority user operating system.

The main thing to remember is anti virus software is only as good as the last known virus in the virus database. You are not protected from a new strain with an unknown virus signature. People have to get infected before a defense or cure can be developed. You can help youself by NEVER accepting a online prompt to do anything that may allow any access to your system unless you are 100% sure it is safe.

[Rivlins]

Heres' another tip - uninstall Java. It's been shown to be a big security hole and a major entry point for malware. And since very few websites use it anymore, there's little point in keeping it on your PC.

[sga]

I use Microsoft secutity essentials, its free and does not slow the computer down. On the odd occasion that a virus does appear I find that mallwarebytes will almost always get rid of it.

 

Usually the paid for software is a real resource hog on a computer, especially if your PC is a bit old and slow anyway. I had norton when I first got my computer and it made the computer take ages to start up, also getting rid of it was almost impossible, had to reinstall windows. It is true that no single program will catch all viruses. I find the best way to get rid of a virus is to do my best not to get one in the first place. Dont click on dodgy looking links and dont open email attachments from anyone you dont completely know or trust, especially not ones from russian girls who want to get to know you better;)

 

With respect to Email, facebook etc password hacking it is very annoying as I had my Hotmail account hacked recently, my own fault as my password was quite simple. It seems the most secure password is a combination of upper and lower case characters and also some numbers. If you use a word try to use something obscure that wont be found in the dictionary. This will make it much harder for the programs hackers use to guess your password.

[MuckleJoannie]

I read somewhere that a good way to make a password that is hard to hack but still easy to remember is to use a phrase that includes a street number or memorable date

 

eg

 

David Cameron lives at 10 Down Street

 

becomes

 

DCla10DS

[Spinner72]

^^ integrating postcodes and memorable dates are other good tips. As are simple thing like reversing the second half of a word, replacing every 3rd letter with a symbol etc etc. Shetland dialect (or any other non-english) is also good to use.

 

Do be wary of pattrens though. A password like qP1)wO2(eI3* may look very secure, but try typing it