New build of ZoneAlarm

[fstroupe]

If any of you guys use Zone Alarm, and haven't downloaded the new build...DON'T. It sux!

Among other things, it won't remember your configured programs when the computer is restarted. (a read of their forum shows that the "pay" version does the same thing)

And when uninstalled, it leaves stuff in your registry that causes the older versions to do the same thing. (I ended up having to use both RegClean AND RegScrub XP to get it all out)

[jurtje]

Oh well, I just answered "the .. is attemtipng" question 30 times again.

[silenze]

You guys are funny with your software firewalls. :lol:

[siq]

Tell me about it. I think the only way to keep your computer safe is not to hook it up to the net. I get hit tons of times a day from random ips. Doesn't matter there's still ways around the software.

[Beemer]

Well, I have had this plan for quite sometime, keep all important stuff backed up.....if you get hacked, a virus, or whathaveyou - just reformat :wink: (takes a lot of time, but a fresh install is good every once in a while)

[fstroupe]

You guys are funny with your software firewalls. :lol:

I use both software (in stealth mode) and a router...afraid of using nothing, after being a victim of being hacked...

What do you use, if anything?

[silenze]

Keep in mind I'm a freakin' geek, on a computer 24/7... fixing these kind of things all the time.... (got a network of about 100 windows machines at work across 3 stores..)

I use nothing. At the moment my linux box is the DMZ (unfirewalled) in my linksys router, or my main windows machine would be the DMZ..

I keep update to date on windows updates -- use spyware blaster (which works wonders, by the way) adaware, spybot search & destroy, and hijackthis. Also a free handy online virus scanner that doesn't need to be installed locally, and obviously, only checks when you go to the site and run it: http://housecall.trendmicro.com (I've *NEVER* ran a native virus scanner... those are MY system resources!) Also note; I run a virus scanner on the linux server -- any virus found is deleted before being delivered to the local mailbox before you even "send/receive" your email.

Unless you're running a backdoor that you're unaware of, exploitable software (at one point or another, someone figured out how to backdoor people through a first person shooter, forget which.. anyway), or someone discovered an exploit in a windows service that is running and accepting connections... there isn't much anyone can do. (Also keep in mind spyware/adware.. if you happen to fall for something in any kind of situation you can accidentally click "yes" to installing something bad... which could lead to more things being installed/etc...)

The random connections you may see are usually a machine scanning for others on it's local network to add to 'network neighborhood' or 'my network places' -- this service runs by default in 2000 and XP, it is a pain in the ASS in XP because it will go and install every shared printer on your network locally... and flood the network with pointless traffic... but anyway..

They can also be a machine with a backdoor... scanning for other vulnerable machines... or some wanker scanning for anonymous FTP's to stick his warez on. (Or for any other type of service... scanning entire IP ranges aimlessly... and annoying us admins.)

This is by no means thorough... I'm not telling you to not run your software, use whatever makes you feel safe & secure, but that's all I use.

[silenze]

Well, I have had this plan for quite sometime, keep all important stuff backed up.....if you get hacked, a virus, or whathaveyou - just reformat :wink: (takes a lot of time, but a fresh install is good every once in a while)

Beemer has a great approach, that I, and most all of my geeky admin/webmaster/programmer friends, all do. Keep everything backed up, we don't trust windows very much... no one should. I do a clean install about every 6 months regardless.

[fstroupe]

Guess I'm just paranoid, I dunno. I run an A/V, Zone Alarm, run thru a router, go to Windows Update site every Thurs morning, run Spybot S&D and AdAware weekly...that's all I can think of now.

I know lots of people that don't use anything and have never had a problem.

Let's see...I've had several nasty viruses/trojans, though only one was fatal, that was several years ago, the day before I started using an A/V, was hacked once and given a trojan...was using a firewall but not in stealth mode...I watched it happen. The hacker turned off my firewall and injected me. I didn't realize what was happening until it was too late. It wasn't fatal, but took the better part of a day to get rid of it.

I've also stupidly got the same trojan twice from downloading cracks from Kazaa. Seems like it was a crack for mIRC. A really nasty bastard.

Actually, lately I've gotten average 1 infected email a day, though my A/V has caught all of them. And of course we don't open attachments...though that doesn't mean much nowadays.

I've considered different browsers/email programs and Linux...but I've been using M$ products so long I hate to change, especially having to teach the rest of my family how to use them. :?

Yeah, amen on the backups...though to be honest, I don't have much of anything to back up on here anymore except for photos, and I do keep them backed up.

[silenze]

You should check out spyware blaster, it keeps a list of known annoyances just like a virus scanner does, and updates frequently. It modifies the registry so that the known annoyances can't be installed in the first place. I've been using it for 6+ months, I never have any spyware/adware aside from cookies.

Well if you want everything to work... use windows, besides, need it to play all of the games.

An old saying; Windows is my playstation, *Nix is my operating system.

Though linux isn't something you learn in a day, a week, or a month..