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#1
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Essential security/utility software
Hi,
My new system will be arriving shortly and although this question is a little on the generic side I'm sure some will have suggestions that I hadn't thought of. Basically, I'm polling to see which softwares people use to secure the ship and keep it running smoothly. So far, it seems that the following are necessaries: Anti-Virus - seems like Norton's Corporate Edition does the job without bloating things up Firewall - not sure which is best here (I'll be subscribing to a cable modem service through Adelphia) although I would rather take time to learn how to set up a complex yet effective firewall than a simple one that leaves you overly vunerable or overly restricted. Norton Utilities - people seem to say it is good for tuning a system, especially the defrager, but all the added thingies negate the good it does. Pop-up Stopper and Ad-killer - lots of varieties. I guess the trick is to find the ones that do the job yet don't plant their own scripts/bots. If you can add/subtract from this list please feel free and if you have a favorite hunting ground (online or offline - I'm in southern California) for this type of software I'd be glad to hear about it. Thanks very much. |
#2
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Kill the Norton utilities it's more trouble than it's worth
Adkiller/AdAware --- Yes NAV ---- yes Firewall -- Yes get a router with a firewall built in , much safer and uses next to no resources POP-up stopper , don't go on the hacker/pirate or porno sites and save some money On Thu, 4 Sep 2003 08:14:08 -0700, Steve wrote: Hi, My new system will be arriving shortly and although this question is a little on the generic side I'm sure some will have suggestions that I hadn't thought of. Basically, I'm polling to see which softwares people use to secure the ship and keep it running smoothly. So far, it seems that the following are necessaries: Anti-Virus - seems like Norton's Corporate Edition does the job without bloating things up Firewall - not sure which is best here (I'll be subscribing to a cable modem service through Adelphia) although I would rather take time to learn how to set up a complex yet effective firewall than a simple one that leaves you overly vunerable or overly restricted. Norton Utilities - people seem to say it is good for tuning a system, especially the defrager, but all the added thingies negate the good it does. Pop-up Stopper and Ad-killer - lots of varieties. I guess the trick is to find the ones that do the job yet don't plant their own scripts/bots. If you can add/subtract from this list please feel free and if you have a favorite hunting ground (online or offline - I'm in southern California) for this type of software I'd be glad to hear about it. Thanks very much. |
#3
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Adkiller: either Spybot or Adaware
Antivirus - Nortons Antivirus, McAfee Antivirus plus free ones like AVG Firewall: Like David said, get a router that has a firewall built in. Safer and uses next to no resourses. If you don't want to get a firewall. ZoneAlarm is free and is very good. Pop: I use Mozilla Browser, it has a pop up blocker. So does the Slim Browser. I only use IE to do Windows Update. "David" wrote in message ... Kill the Norton utilities it's more trouble than it's worth Adkiller/AdAware --- Yes NAV ---- yes Firewall -- Yes get a router with a firewall built in , much safer and uses next to no resources POP-up stopper , don't go on the hacker/pirate or porno sites and save some money On Thu, 4 Sep 2003 08:14:08 -0700, Steve wrote: Hi, My new system will be arriving shortly and although this question is a little on the generic side I'm sure some will have suggestions that I hadn't thought of. Basically, I'm polling to see which softwares people use to secure the ship and keep it running smoothly. So far, it seems that the following are necessaries: Anti-Virus - seems like Norton's Corporate Edition does the job without bloating things up Firewall - not sure which is best here (I'll be subscribing to a cable modem service through Adelphia) although I would rather take time to learn how to set up a complex yet effective firewall than a simple one that leaves you overly vunerable or overly restricted. Norton Utilities - people seem to say it is good for tuning a system, especially the defrager, but all the added thingies negate the good it does. Pop-up Stopper and Ad-killer - lots of varieties. I guess the trick is to find the ones that do the job yet don't plant their own scripts/bots. If you can add/subtract from this list please feel free and if you have a favorite hunting ground (online or offline - I'm in southern California) for this type of software I'd be glad to hear about it. Thanks very much. |
#4
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Might want to check these out:
Anti-Virus: http://www.grisoft.com/us/us_dwnl_free.php System Scanner: http://www.lavasoft.de/software/adaware/ Firewall: http://www.zonelabs.com/store/conten...sp?lid=pdb_za1 Popup Stopper & Spam Washer: http://www.panicware.com/ Great little graphics utility: http://www.irfanview.com/index.htm |
#5
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Infraview just came out with a new version today.
"PC Gladiator" wrote in message ... Might want to check these out: Anti-Virus: http://www.grisoft.com/us/us_dwnl_free.php System Scanner: http://www.lavasoft.de/software/adaware/ Firewall: http://www.zonelabs.com/store/conten...sp?lid=pdb_za1 Popup Stopper & Spam Washer: http://www.panicware.com/ Great little graphics utility: http://www.irfanview.com/index.htm |
#6
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"Steve" wrote in message
... Hi, My new system will be arriving shortly and although this question is a little on the generic side I'm sure some will have suggestions that I hadn't thought of. Basically, I'm polling to see which softwares people use to secure the ship and keep it running smoothly. So far, it seems that the following are necessaries: Anti-Virus - seems like Norton's Corporate Edition does the job without bloating things up Firewall - not sure which is best here (I'll be subscribing to a cable modem service through Adelphia) although I would rather take time to learn how to set up a complex yet effective firewall than a simple one that leaves you overly vunerable or overly restricted. Norton Utilities - people seem to say it is good for tuning a system, especially the defrager, but all the added thingies negate the good it does. Pop-up Stopper and Ad-killer - lots of varieties. I guess the trick is to find the ones that do the job yet don't plant their own scripts/bots. If you can add/subtract from this list please feel free and if you have a favorite hunting ground (online or offline - I'm in southern California) for this type of software I'd be glad to hear about it. Thanks very much. In addition to the items you mention I would consider a simple wired router, even if you will only have the one computer. I frequently see models like the Linksys BEFSR11 ( http://www.linksys.com/products/prod...id=29&prid=142 ) for less than $50.00. It provides an excellent additional layer of protection. I run my 4 PC LAN with a cable connection through a router and have not seen an incoming hit on any of the computers firewalls ever (3+years). Simply put from behind a router your computer(s) appear not to exist from the outside. In my opinion (others will disagree) in addition to the router it is prudent to continue to run a software firewall as well. While the router provides good incoming protection a software firewall will alert you to and protect you from "phone home" type malware (trojans, spyware, adware etc..) that might conceivably find their way into your system despite other measures. I use Norton Personal Firewall on two of my computers and Zonealarm's free version on the others. I find them both adequate. -- D I'm not an MVP a VIP nor do I have ESP. I was just trying to help. Please use your own best judgment before implementing any suggestions or advice herein. No warranty is expressed or implied. Your mileage may vary. See store for details. Remove shoes to E-mail. |
#7
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Steve wrote:
Hi, My new system will be arriving shortly and although this question is a little on the generic side I'm sure some will have suggestions that I hadn't thought of. Basically, I'm polling to see which softwares people use to secure the ship and keep it running smoothly. So far, it seems that the following are necessaries: Anti-Virus Firewall Norton-like Utilities Pop-up Stopper and Ad-killer If you can add/subtract from this list please feel free and if you have a favorite hunting ground (online or offline - I'm in southern California) for this type of software I'd be glad to hear about it. I can agree with your list, save the lack of an anti-spyware program. However, what I like is not going to agree with what someone else likes. Only you know your own likes and dislikes for any of the things individual programs within your categories might or might not do. e.g., I like Norton, but can assure you that there are thousands out there that will disagree with me and thousands of other Norton users. Go to comp.security.firewalls and watch the wall-to-wall slamming and spirited defenses of every software firewall program mentioned. Go to the websites of the programs in your categories, see what they say they do, and compare with what other programs say they do. Find the best match for what you want to see, and go with it. Expect at least one disappointment with something you spent $$s on and will have to replace. OJ III |
#8
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"HillBillyBuddhist" wrote in message ... "Steve" wrote in message ... Hi, My new system will be arriving shortly and although this question is a little on the generic side I'm sure some will have suggestions that I hadn't thought of. Basically, I'm polling to see which softwares people use to secure the ship and keep it running smoothly. So far, it seems that the following are necessaries: Anti-Virus - seems like Norton's Corporate Edition does the job without bloating things up Computer Associates ETrust Anti-virus. Firewall - not sure which is best here (I'll be subscribing to a cable modem service through Adelphia) although I would rather take time to learn how to set up a complex yet effective firewall than a simple one that leaves you overly vunerable or overly restricted. A hardware firewall would be nice. At one time I was fond of Zone Alarm software firewall, but the newer versions seemed as much to intrusive and a hassle to use. Norton Utilities - people seem to say it is good for tuning a system, especially the defrager, but all the added thingies negate the good it does. Bloatware. Pop-up Stopper and Ad-killer - lots of varieties. I guess the trick is to find the ones that do the job yet don't plant their own scripts/bots. Pow! from analogX pop up stopper, and Lavasoft's AdAware for spyware/ad cleaning. snip A hardware router is a wonderful thing. Stew |
#9
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I have to agree with others about Norton for anti-virus. I've used it for years--and never had problems. Although I strongly suggest againest any of the Norton Utility packages (System Doctor,etc). They're all bloatware and (in my past experience) just mess thinks up more than they fix. Personally, I just use the Windows built in Defragger and Disk Cleanup. Ad-Aware is a great spyware/malware scanner. I also strongly agree with what others have said about a hardware firewall. I'm using a Linksys WRT54G (4port switch, firewall and wireless router) I'm also using BlackIce software firewall on my main box, mostly because as others have noted, the hardware firewall wont alert you if programs are making outgoing connections. A software firewall will do this... -jmnugent "Steve" wrote in message ... Hi, My new system will be arriving shortly and although this question is a little on the generic side I'm sure some will have suggestions that I hadn't thought of. Basically, I'm polling to see which softwares people use to secure the ship and keep it running smoothly. So far, it seems that the following are necessaries: Anti-Virus - seems like Norton's Corporate Edition does the job without bloating things up Firewall - not sure which is best here (I'll be subscribing to a cable modem service through Adelphia) although I would rather take time to learn how to set up a complex yet effective firewall than a simple one that leaves you overly vunerable or overly restricted. Norton Utilities - people seem to say it is good for tuning a system, especially the defrager, but all the added thingies negate the good it does. Pop-up Stopper and Ad-killer - lots of varieties. I guess the trick is to find the ones that do the job yet don't plant their own scripts/bots. If you can add/subtract from this list please feel free and if you have a favorite hunting ground (online or offline - I'm in southern California) for this type of software I'd be glad to hear about it. Thanks very much. |
#10
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"Steve" wrote in message ... Hi, My new system will be arriving shortly and although this question is a little on the generic side I'm sure some will have suggestions that I hadn't thought of. Basically, I'm polling to see which softwares people use to secure the ship and keep it running smoothly. So far, it seems that the following are necessaries: Anti-Virus - seems like Norton's Corporate Edition does the job without bloating things up I'd go for Norton or Trend's PC Cillin. Firewall - not sure which is best here (I'll be subscribing to a cable modem service through Adelphia) although I would rather take time to learn how to set up a complex yet effective firewall than a simple one that leaves you overly vunerable or overly restricted. It depends on what you want to spend. Don't rely on the low-cost routers to have much of an effective firewall - though there are good hardware firewalls, they cost quite a bit more than a SOHO router - I'm referring to the Symantec SOHO Raptors, SonicWalls, WatchGuard, etc. appliances. Zone Alarm is as effective a software firewall as you'll find - you don't need it with one of the true hardware firewalls, but you do with a simple router-firewall. Norton Utilities - people seem to say it is good for tuning a system, especially the defrager, but all the added thingies negate the good it does. VCom/Ontrack's System Suite is less intrusive than Norton and its utilities just as useful. Pop-up Stopper and Ad-killer - lots of varieties. I guess the trick is to find the ones that do the job yet don't plant their own scripts/bots. AdSubtract works well; so does the new Google Toolbar (which is free and has search features). |
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