Here is a list of programs I recommend for Webmaster PC protection. I always like to help out newbies.

Firewall - Zone Alarm

Anti Trojan Software:

Anti BO - Swift Productions – Trace Hackers with this tool and report IP to ISP
Anti Trojan 5.5 – Anti Trojan Network
Pest Patrol
Norton

I suggest the following:

Norton Internet Security w/NAV - Always keep it up to date and you will be just fine...Even if your surfin' for porn.

-Brian

never go looking for cracks for commerical software, youll get infected staraight away, if click those **** javascript ads. the install like a trojan and stuff. even NAV doesnt remove em. it only notifies me even though i gots the corporate editon which is 31337

Strange... McAffee notifys me about them....

My reccomendations are:
- Keep your software up to date (use Windows Automatic Updates and install them ASAP, check for the latest versions of your applications, apply the updates for your virus scanner as and when they come out or set it to update them automatically - in which case check that its working every now and then)
- Have a virus scanner (Personally I use McAffee)
- Hardware firewalls are good. A NAT router counts as a hardware firewall. And make sure it's set up properly. A badly set up firewall is useless.
- On Windows 2000/XP, don't always be logged in as an administrator. Have a user account set up for day to day use.
- Delete any e-mails which you don't know what they are.
- Don't surf dodgey websites (cracks, pr0n, anything with way too much advertising)
- Don't install free programs that you don't know much about - such as the things that add smilies to your e-mails and stuff like that.

The best anti-hack program is Mac OS X.

The best anti-hack/spyware/virus program is common sense.
(or linux)

The best anti-hack program is Mac OS X.

http://www.us-cert.gov/cas/alerts/SA05-229A.html
http://www.us-cert.gov/cas/alerts/SA05-136A.html
http://news.com.com/Apple+plugs+crit...3-5879187.html

etc...

(or linux)

http://netsecurity.about.com/cs/linu...a/aa022304.htm
http://www.ciac.org/ciac/bulletinsBy...bulletins.html
etc...

There's no such thing as secure software.

Its a matter of degree. I've been using macs daily for almost 20 years. The last Mac Virus that I had was 16 years ago. As far as I know, there are no known OS X viruses in the wild.

Originally Posted by Minaki

Strange... McAffee notifys me about them....

My reccomendations are:
- Keep your software up to date (use Windows Automatic Updates and install them ASAP, check for the latest versions of your applications, apply the updates for your virus scanner as and when they come out or set it to update them automatically - in which case check that its working every now and then)
- Have a virus scanner (Personally I use McAffee)
- Hardware firewalls are good. A NAT router counts as a hardware firewall. And make sure it's set up properly. A badly set up firewall is useless.
- On Windows 2000/XP, don't always be logged in as an administrator. Have a user account set up for day to day use.
- Delete any e-mails which you don't know what they are.
- Don't surf dodgey websites (cracks, pr0n, anything with way too much advertising)
- Don't install free programs that you don't know much about - such as the things that add smilies to your e-mails and stuff like that.

Good advice. Respect due.

I'd add...

Avoid P2P programs (Kazaa, eMule).

Still have a software firewall, even if you have hardware, routers are hackable.

Disable "Allow third-party Browser extensions" in your browser setup (yeah, so you'll no longer be able to have - google toolbar - for example, but it's just **** safer).

Ditto for ActiveX controls - ALWAYS have "prompt" rather than "enable".... In fact, that's generally a good thing for many browser options!

Keep spyware/adware/malware protection up to date and make sure you run their resident clients.

My setup, for what it's worth...
AVG Anti Virus (with its resident POP3 email scanner)
Kerio Personal Firewall
Spyware Search and Destroy (and resident "TeaTimer")
Lavasoft Ad-Aware (and resident "AdWatch")

If you're using any IM apps - make sure your virus scanner intercepts downloads there too. The notes made by minaki about dodgy websites are worth noting too... Think of it like this... if you walked into the ghetto or the red light district, you wouldn't be as safe as you were back in the suburbs so expect trouble. ...same thing with the web.

Cheers,
SC

What's a virus? (Linux user)

Originally Posted by Minaki

http://netsecurity.about.com/cs/linu...a/aa022304.htm
http://www.ciac.org/ciac/bulletinsBy...bulletins.html
etc...

There's no such thing as secure software.

Yeah its true that linux is vulenerable to some forms of exploit/hacks but it usualy requires the user to already have a restricted user account on the machine, and they just evelvate thier privlages.

But you will find that these attacks on linux are a bit hard for the average "skiddy" to pull off. These are normally attacks that can only be done by people who really know what they are doing, so they are less likely to be as destrctive and widespread as attacks/exploits involving a windows machine.

Plus of course a linux user will be more liekly to be technical minded and more clued up on security than a windows user.

So ontop of the fact that linux is harder to exploit, we also have the person sitting in front of it being more clued up and of course the undeniable fact that linux (as a desktop) only makes up a small percentage of all computers on the internet , so people are not going to target them as much as they will a windows machine which makes up the vast majority of computers on the net..

I use them all on my office network - Mac, Linux, and Windows PCs and they all have vulnerabilities. By far the most vulnerabilities exist in Windows, but that's because Windows is by far the most used operating system and new exploits are known to hackers in a matter of hours. While I like the sentiments of the Mac and Linux users above, both those systems have holes too, despite what people may believe. The best approach is to take all precautions and run firewalls, anti-virus programs and anti-spyware etc. Minaki's advice on running a Router with a Firewall and NAT (as well as WEP, WAP, or WAP2) is also definitely sound. All systems have their strengths and weaknesses, good defense is the key.

Kaiman

"What's a virus? (Linux user)"

Interstingly thiings like worms or trojans are all NIX in origin but they seem to have moved on to hacking (smashing your stack and that) while script kids and macro developers tend to create wonderfull anti microsoft utils that make a mess of your PC (normall delivered by email)

On linux the real threat is via fake users gaining access to the system, this they will try relentlessly via sshd or by smashing the stack of one of your daemons "thats a server to windows lot" (which is now virualy impossible via the use of strncpy intead of the old strcpy).

I think windows gets a hard time of viruses NOT because its the most used OS but more on the line of it been easier to exploit vi email macros and especially IE. And besides any closed source OS who releases unfit software (while relying on the user they just sold it to to test it) deserves to get bitten.

Cheek of it.

But finally to be secure on the verge of paranio you must shut down your machine and never use it again.

"Plus of course a linux user will be more liekly to be technical minded and more clued up on security than a windows user."

hmmm organ grinders comes to mind.

But just how do you lock down a windows box? With all its jazzy (media players and web browsers) been built into the OS it opens a can of worms.

You have to ask yourself if windows is the be all and end all then why did such a bad design make it through to make life hell for windows users.

My simple answer is they want your money and nothing else. If your machine breaks good for them they make more money helping you fix it.

Its a closed source world I am afraid.

Ibbo

And besides any closed source OS who releases unfit software (while relying on the user they just sold it to to test it) deserves to get bitten.

Are you seriously talking about Windows here? The software is perfectly fit for its purpose, and if you did your research, you'd know that Microsoft, unsurprisingly, actually hire people to test their software:
http://members.microsoft.com/careers...retesting.mspx

But just how do you lock down a windows box? With all its jazzy (media players and web browsers) been built into the OS it opens a can of worms.

For a start, follow the simple steps I outlined in my first post to this thread. It's common sense, really.
In a business environment, you can use the tools provided by Microsoft (i.e. Group Policy) to lock it down even more.

Come on Minaki that does not prevent people attacking it.

People just love to attack windows and I seriously believe its because they can. If they could bring down SUN machines they would but they find themselves in a completely different game and find it near imposible to do so.

That in itself speaks volumes to me.

New windows specific viruses are released probably daily and some of the more potent ones can seriously cost your business money.

Is this a user fault or is it a bigger fault (I dont use windows so i dont care) but if i had to I would say its a design fault. IE in the past has been a security nightmare (allowing people to install 3rd party software and what have you, browser extensions and the likes "and without your knowledge"). XP had made some great advances i know this but it has still cost you a fortune for them to get where they are today and having a "well it works OK now" mentality would not go down well in accounts I am sure.

And Bill does charge you then get your feedback on how many times his latest product has fallen over. Sure it would be folly to release an untested product BUT Microsoft is a money making machine which tells me that testing of its products would be done quickly to get it out and get money in.

When people like yourselves find a bug they will create a patch (though they still sold you bad software) but that does not change the fact that it cost you money.

And the greatest part is they would probably charge for an upgrade to V2 because of a bug you found in V1.

I have seen many tools running on windows the allowed the user to do next to nothing (run a few programs etc) but even then this did not prevent it from going to pot.

And such drastic actions remove the enjoyability of using your machine (though at work your not supposed to have fun I know).

Ibbo

never go looking for cracks for commerical software, youll get infected staraight away, if click those **** javascript ads. the install like a trojan and stuff. even NAV doesnt remove em. it only notifies me even though i gots the corporate editon which is 31337

The only thing corporate editon does is scan for viruses. If you get Norton Internet Security you will be protect from those javascript ads. Even if you go to those crack websites and you get a virus or trojan. Norton Internet Security will delete it before you get the warning. I rarly get virus because i know how to protect my computer!

People just love to attack windows and I seriously believe its because they can. If they could bring down SUN machines they would but they find themselves in a completely different game and find it near imposible to do so.

No, it's because Windows machines are far more common. People do hack SUN boxes, you just don't hear about it so much.

New windows specific viruses are released probably daily

Why do you think that is? Because Windows machines are far more common and more likely to be used by someone who doesn't know how to protect themselves. You'd have exactly the same issue if Linux was the dominant OS. You've got to look at the bigger picture - there's far more factors involved than just 'secure' and 'insecure'.

Windows may be more common in the homemarket, but they make up a tiny percentage of servers. yet windows servers are hacked more than linux servers.

The trouble is, windows concentrates on making things easy to use.
And the trouble with making things easy to use is you end up catering for people who need things to be easy to use.

The security issue with windows is shared between MS not having security at the forefront, and the user not being security minded.
Its not too dificult to lock down a windows machine, but the average windows user wouldnt know, or want to know, about something like security. Most of them just like to check email and look at funny flash movies.

but they make up a tiny percentage of servers.

Care to cite your sources?

The trouble is, windows concentrates on making things easy to use.

That's not a trouble - that's a good thing. That's one of the reasons it's so hugely sucessful. Granted though, part of the problem is the stupidity of the users.

Its good that software is easy to use, but not when its at the expence of security. The thing about microsoft security is its all based around restricting what the user can do instead of educating them to make smart choices.

It's like saying "instead of teaching people how to drive we will tie their hands behind their back and lock them in a cupboard under the stairs. That way they won't need to be taught how to drive."

Sign up for any hosting, see what OS is on the server.
The only people who use windows are people who need a warentee that they can claim against when it all goes wrong. So basically big business'.
Everyone else uses linux.