Posted on 07/02/2005 11:27:16 AM PDT by BJungNan
Run Fast, Run Naked
Alternative Approach to Internet Security
Sometimes the best way to win the game is not to play it at all. What has all the net security programs, spy ware blockers, pop up blockers, firewalls and the like gotten you? In many cases, slower net browsing, a whole lot of configuration headaches and time to maintain all those programs.
Running naked may be the answer for you.
Running naked on the internet means running completely open with no spy ware protection programs, no pop-up blockers, no anti-virus software. Just a simple open connection.
Before you go into shock at someone suggesting dropping all internet security measures, read on. Running Naked really means running two computers: One for fun and another with all the normal net security.
What's To Steal?
If you had nothing of value in your car, your car was a low cost clunker that no one would want, would you leave your doors locked? Of course not. No one is going to try and get in it. With a computer on the internet it is essentially the same. If you don't have anything anyone could want, what is the point of locking it up?
Put in terms of the internet, if you don't do online banking, if you don't buy or sell on the internet, if all you do is browse the net for news, entertainment and an alternative to television, what's to protect?
Most people do more on their one computer than just browse the net. Internet banking and bill paying is very convenient, as if buying (and selling) on the internet. It is these other activities that are good reason, very good reason for every security measure you can afford or master.
But everything else you do outside of banking and bill paying and involving money on the internet decreases your security. The longer you are on line, the more you and your computer are exposed. So, for the important stuff, limit your time on the net.
Get A Second Computer - A Clunker
What exactly do you need to browse the internet. The newest latest and greatest computer with tons of megs and clock speed. Nope. You can browse the internet on a P-II, 400 Megahertz computer and a simple graphics card as quickly as you can with any other computer. Go one step further and run completely naked and you net browsing will fly. With a dial-up connection you will zing. Add a cable modem connection or DSL and you will get every bit of streaming video you could ever want to see on the so-called slow, outdated used computer.
Pick one up at Salvation Army, Good Will or other thrift store used for about $50.00. Monitors at these stores are anywhere from $2.00 to $20.00 for a good resolution.
This will be the internet computer you use to read the news, post to online forums, do research and whatever else you do to entertain yourself on the internet.
Now, you can not run this computer forever without some security measures. But this one is simple. You simply format your hard drive once on month (or more often if you like) and wipe away anything anyone may have dumped on your system. Start fresh, new, clean and Fast!
Your Other Computer - The fancy one you bought
This is your second computer. It rarely goes on line, never stays online and only goes online as long as needed to complete your banking, bill paying, buying, selling or other data sensitive activities. And, when you are done with this activities, you unplug the modem or phone cable - the best firewall in the world is a unplugged cable!
For this computer, use all the normal internet security. We have a basic site set up here with our recommendations for your net security.
That's it. That's our solution. Two computers. One for browsing that is completely open, unlocked, unblocked and naked. Another that only goes online for short periods of time and follows all the recommendations for safe internet use.
So now, Get Naked and Run Fast!
And what would you recommend as minimum security to prevent a computer being turned into a zombie?
Correct. The title of this article should have been "Run Fast, Run Naked, Run Stupid".
"Now, you can not run this computer forever without some security measures. But this one is simple. You simply format your hard drive once on month (or more often if you like) and wipe away anything anyone may have dumped on your system. Start fresh, new, clean and Fast!"
This is really stupid. And irresponsible.
Once you are infected the first day or 2 of the month your PC is up, you will spew virusesand worms onto the internet for the rest of the month.
Expect your ISP to detect this and turn off your connection.
"I set them up with XP Pro (bare bones) and then, after configuring them the way I like with Internet favorites, etc used Ghost (Symantec) to create an ISO image of the hard drive."
You just admitted on an online forum that you pirated an operating system.
"How many zombies and trojans stay on a machine after the hard drive has been reformated? I think you missed something there."
He didn't miss anything.
The puter will spew worms between the point it's infected and when you reinstall/reimage again. That is up to one month.
It's very irresponsible. The author of this article should be beaten with a wet noodle.
"And what would you recommend as minimum security to prevent a computer being turned into a zombie?"
All the stuff the author of this article advises not running.
Plus if you use the same os license on both pc's, you are pirating.
This requires you to buy *2* Windows licenses.
thanks for clearing that up.
I thought there would be a Bill Klinton joke here!
This is silly, what happens when you transfer files?
What about work related transfer of information.
Whoever wrote this is confusing TV with internet.
Internet is two way communication. TV is one way.
The author must watch CNN.
Did you read the article? It said you do not use the same computer that you use for sensitive activity to also browse the net for fun - like posting here. The idea is to keep your sensitive computer off the Internet as much as possible to limit your exposure.
That means if you are using the same computer to post here as you use to do you on line banking, transferring of files and work related business, then you are being silly.
Get a second computer for Internet fun browsing. I think that is what the article is saying, is it not?
When you want to surf, turn off the computer and turn off the hard drive. Reboot with Linux - which is run off a CD-ROM only (no hard drive required).
Go ahead, ye spy-ware scalawags! Try to write yer tripe on a CD-ROM!
I did read the article, the problem is that it is not so practical.
In the pre-windows days, multitasking meant more than one computer.
The suggestion is just not practical because usinging a sacrificial computer which has to be constantly cleaned is real world impractical.
Asphalt - this may be true if you don't take the time to do all the updates, or if you have an install CD with all the patches slipstreamed onto it.
If you are starting with an original XP installation, it can take about 6 hours of update & reboot, update & reboot, update & reboot just to install the critical patches. If you are starting with SP1, it's about 4 hours.
If you don't do this, in about 12 minutes, your computer isn't yours anymore, and you've now become an active part of the problem.
BTW, my wife and I *love* your "forty reasons not to post your photo ..." work on your "About Me" page. Brilliant!
| In the News/Activism forum, on a thread titled Run Fast, Run Naked - An alternative approach to internet security, BJungNan wrote: |
| This is the definitely the dumbest idea I've seen in quite a while. I tried it and the Internet browsing speed is noticeably faster. Much faster. Why would that be? |
My guess would be that your system was *full* of spyware, adware, 'bots and trojans, and when you reformatted, you got rid of most or all of them ... at least temporarily. Most of your bandwidth,and probably a large portion of your CPU cycles were being used by all the malware, rather than by *you*, since it wasn't really your computer anymore.
Please, BJungNan, take some good advice: use a hardware-based firewall, do ALL the OS updates, turn on auto-updates and the software firewall, dump IE and Outlook in favor of FireFox and Thunderbird, and get AdAware and HijackThis and learn how to use them.
If you do *all* the above, AdAware and HijackThis will only serve to let you know that everything's OK, because it will be.
Your assertion that it's faster and better to allow ads and popups rather than blocking them is (to put it as gently as I can manage) absurd. By using AdBlock with FireFox, you can fairly easily "tune out" most of the servers for ad content on the entire internet ... everything is MUCH faster, since the content is never even requested, let alone displayed.
If you've recommended this "Run Naked..." idea to anybody else, do the entire internet a favor, and get back in touch with them and let'em know you've, ah ... reconsidered.
Please.
Perhaps. It all depends. either way, this idea has some flaws in it that would make it rather unfeasible.
Well, my computer internet connection is running at lightning speed right now after doing what the article said.
I just had a friend over here and we were having a look about the net. He has the same ISP as I do, we live in the same sub division. My computer is way older than his.
He can not believe how fast my connection is.
So what am I supposed to do? Do I do what you say and have slower net browsing or do I keep my present super fast internet browsing set up.
Really, what can happen if I don't do what you say to install all that filtering stuff again?
Oops. I meant my security/countermeasures are free. DSL is not.
You are correct about that (ports, etc.) being a downside to the nekkid approach. Once they found you again (speeded by keeping the same settings) you'd be targetted again. The whole nekkid idea is that you don't care whether or not you're hit, since you'll just reimage soon anyway.
I don't agree with that idea, BTW.
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