Which computer utilities, Anti-virus, Anti-spyware softwares to use?

vanity | 30 December 2005 | NZerFromHK

[Malsua]

In 2 seconds, I found this post from Backhoe from 15 months ago.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1263833/posts?page=33#33

He's been compiling that list and improving it continuously for YEARS. If you note my FR homepage, you'll note MANY of those same links and my page is out of date considerably.

[NZerFromHK]

" What type of ISP do you use?"

It's Telecom New Zealand XTRA's broadband plan (Jetstream) which is here:

http://jetstream.xtra.co.nz/chm/0,,202853-1000,00.html

And it doesn't include any Antivirus software - you need to subscribe it separately (NZ$7.95 per month) or buy an AV software off the shelves or download one. The game of broadband pricing is quite different in New Zealand.

[ThePythonicCow]

He's been compiling that list and improving it continuously for YEARS.

Excellent - thanks for the link. Yes indeed, it seems that backhoe is the original consolidator behind that list.

Hence, as I stated above to backhoe, in that case, excellent work - thanks.

The last words of backhoes post had made it sound sort of like he had cut+paste someone elses posts, when he wrote:

OK, the links appear to work- this is a cut & paste from a couple of sites I belong to.

This comment of his had led me to -ask- what was the case. Thanks for clearing it up.

That's an excellent set of recommendations and links on your Freeper home page, that I had not noticed before Malsua, thanks. I learned of Ad Muncher from your links just now, and added it to my Best Sites list. Thanks.

[Malsua]

I learned of Ad Muncher from your links just now

Great, I have no financial interest in it at all, but it's most definately the best ad killer going.

Backhoe, me and a number of others have been doing the spyware thing here on FR since at least some point late in 2003. I just know that Backhoe has been providing a comprehensive set of links for a long time now which is why I was perplexed at your post.

As to the specifics behind his recent post, he'll have to answer to that, no idea what his intent was or where he got that particular compilation. I just know he's been at it for quite some time.

[ThePythonicCow]

I just know that Backhoe has been providing a comprehensive set of links

Right you are. I hadn't realized that yet, which resulted in my questions that didn't make much sense to those who know better.

[ThePythonicCow]

Well, now I've actually started to use Ad Muncher, and can heartily recommend it from actual (well, a few minutes) experience.

I had used Spybot-S&D before, and given up on it. I just downloaded and tried it again, due to the two recommendations above for it. I am removing it again.

Spybot S&D brought up some dialog boxes that were misdisplayed (perhaps my screen font size confused it), so that I could not select a Yes/No to agree with some installation actions of Ad Muncher. I had to uninstall both, and reinstall Ad Muncher without Spybot S&D interferring. But Spybot S&D wouldn't exit cleanly - kept bringing up some window saying it couldn't exit once a minute, and refused to go away until I killed it. Also the Spybot S&D menus and installation questions I found most confusing. And it falsely claimed I had the CoolWWWSearch spyware due to the redirects in my hosts file of the CoolWWWSearch URL's to 127.0.0.1 (to disable them entirely). And one of the sites I read a couple hours ago recommended against using Spybot's resident TeaTimer - saying it was causing problems (sorry - I've forgotten the details and the URL.)

All in all not a good start for Spybot S&D - back into the bit bucket it goes.

But Ad Muncher, SpywareBlaster, and Spyware Doctor all look good. SpywareBlaster and Spyware Doctor were both rated 5 of 5 on the site: Spychecker.com, which seems at first glance to be one of the more useful spyware web sites I've seen.

[ThePythonicCow]

After all the above - my number one recommendation now is to look for the recommended programs at the site Spychecker.com. It lists both shareware and freeware, clearly distinguishing them. Its ratings on a scale of 5 stars seem ok to me, except that I don't rate Spybot Search & Destroy as highly.

[technomage]

All in all not a good start for Spybot S&D - back into the bit bucket it goes.

All depends on your system I guess. Have used Spybot for years on a number of different computer systems with no problem.

Good luck!

[Tarpon]

Get a NAT router, even if you only have one PC. I use the Linksys BEFSR41, you can find them for about $40. Better than and SW firewall, because you simply don't have to do anything to make it work right.

I use Symantec Anti-virus for the wife and Ubuntu Linux for me.

[Malsua]

Ad Muncher is one of those programs that I willingly paid for. It's a great program. It completlely eliminates ads.

Roxxors.

[ThePythonicCow]

Certainly Spybot is popular enough. I must be in the
minority to keep finding fault with it.

[technomage]

Certainly Spybot is popular enough. I must be in the minority to keep finding fault with it.

Well, I have yet to hear of any software program that works well on every system.

[NZerFromHK]

Thanks, it seems there is quite a range of choices and lots of decisions need to be made as to which ones to be added or ditched! HW firewall sounds viable and I probably need to search for more details.

[ThePythonicCow]

As for hardware firewalls, the key feature to look for is "Stateful Packet Inspection" (SPI). That feature keeps track of your outgoing requests to the web, and refuses to allow in any packets that are not in response to a recent request that you sent out. That dramatically reduces the amount of crapolla that gets in.

Then the other features to consider are the optional ones that you choose as meets your needs, such as:

• shared printer port (USB or parallel port or none)
• how many ethernet wire connections (typical is four)
• wireless base station support
• fancy kid filters by site and time for your children
• VPN tunneling to connect safely to your companies computers

And then the big boys start to distinguish by how many thousands of network connections can be simultaneously active without any delays - which can requires much more memory and compute power, and turns a $50 router into a $3000 router in a hurry.

I've been partial to Linksys of late, though sooner or later every brand I've used (Netgear, D-Link, ...) has caused me enough grief that I've sworn off them and converted to the next one. So if I didn't need wireless, I'd perhaps go with LINKSYS BEFSX41 10/100Mbps Cable/DSL Firewall Router ($66.99), and if I did want wireless in the same box, I might go with LINKSYS WRT54GL IEEE 802.11b/g,802.3/3u Wireless-G Broadband Router ($63.99). Yes - it seems that wireless is a few dollars less. Perhaps the price competition is tougher for the wireless routers.

I see a U.S. Robotics Broadband Router USR8004 10/100Mbps Broadband Router ($31) which might be ok - but I would be leary of it. A couple of the reviews complain it quit working in a few months. If you are not a network wizard, you really don't want your router flaking out on you. You will go through hell to figure out what is causing the odd symptoms you are seeing.

I've been happier running with separate boxes for the (1) router/firewall, (2) the wireless basestation, and (3) whatever print servers I need. I've got six network boxes with a rat's nest of ethernet cables in front of me right now. The LINKSYS BEFSX41 is my main firewall. It has been doing that job well for a couple of years now, if my memory serves, without a hiccup.

[goldstategop]

Norton used to be good but its gotten bloated and slows down a computer. I've switched to Microsoft's new OneCareLive which integrates anti-virus with an extension of the built-in Windows firewall to give protection out-bound as well as in-bound. I also have Microsoft Anti Spyware and Spywareblaster installed. And I have Ewido's anti-malware (trojan scanner) along with Steve Gibson's patches for turning off unnecessary and dangerous Windows features. That's pretty good protection. One can always install Agnis with Zoned Out to keep dangerous websites from running Active X content and drive by downloads. In sum, what I have listed is more than enough to keep Windows secure. If that's not enough, there's a good host prevention software like Pre-empt or Computer Security Tool that keeps the crud at bay. A multi-layered defense should keep most people from ever ecountering the nasties on the Web.

(Denny Crane: "I Don't Want To Socialize With A Pinko Liberal Democrat Commie. Say What You Like About Republicans. We Stick To Our Convictions. Even When We Know We're Dead Wrong.")

[backhoe]

As I mentioned, it's a cut & paste, mostly from these excellent anti-malware forums:

http://forums.spywareinfo.com/index.php?b=1
SWI Forums

http://www.spywarewarrior.com/index.php
Spyware Warrior Forum Index

Some other good ones:

http://castlecops.com/forum67.html

http://www.wilderssecurity.com/forumdisplay.php?f=26

http://www.geekstogo.com/forum/index.php?s=4b224f07b3e0d797d7cdac5dfe673b2b&showforum=37

[goldstategop]

Check out OneCareLive which went beta. Finally there is a use for Microsoft's firewall. And you get an anti-virus software too. Why pay extra?

(Denny Crane: "I Don't Want To Socialize With A Pinko Liberal Democrat Commie. Say What You Like About Republicans. We Stick To Our Convictions. Even When We Know We're Dead Wrong.")

[backhoe]

This?

Computer Security: Microsoft OneCareLive Antivirus - Minitokyo
Computer Security: Microsoft OneCareLive Antivirus. Hardware, Software & Internet.
Minitokyo » Forum » Computers & Internet Fora » Hardware, ...
forum.minitokyo.net/thread/41334/computer-security-microsoft-onecarelive-antivirus/ - 15k - Cached - Similar pages

[ThePythonicCow]

Good links - thanks.

That same post, give or take some details, seems to be floating around several places, for a while now. Malsua pointed to a post of yours from October 2004 that looks to be an earlier version of this post.

It's good stuff.

I'm beginning to suspect that we might not know who first posted the original ancestor of this post, nor where, and that it has been passed around and improved by several experts on several forms.

Just guessing ...

[Xenophobic Alien]

I'll second that..

I've had cable internet for years now and I run a hardware firewall and AVG anti-virus and I have picked up one virus in 4 years and that was that damn windows messenger one.

Smart surfing is your best defense.