Genom
08-15-2003, 09:02 AM
Hey people. Seeing as how it seems a lot of people got hit with the latest virus and seeing how much crap some people are finding on their computers, here's a little public service anouncement.
How to ensure trouble free computer usage, by Genom (and a lot of links).
1.- ALWAYS run Windows update at least once a month. This is if your like me and like to do it by hand. Otherwise, leave the automatic updates setting turned on so it automatically gets the updates for you when your online. If you have turned it off, go to Start/Control Panels/System and click on the automatic Updates tab and turn it on. Put in the settings you want and your set.
2.- Always run an antivirus scanner on your machine, unless your gaming and need better performance, or are installing/uninstalling certain aplications. They will let you know if they need the scanner disabled for instal, so if it doesnt ask for it to be turned off, dont. Also, I can udnerstand not being able to afford a scanner for some, but there's free options out there, such as Grisoft's personal license. Their free product works well, just doesnt have the advanced admin tools. Get it here: http://www.grisoft.com/us/us_index.php
3.- If your on any kind of internet conection and your NOT running a router, install a firewall program. At the very least enable Windows XP's built in firewall for those that are running XP. To do so go to Start/Programs/Control Panels. Open the Network conections panel and right-click on your ethernet adapter. Click on properties from the popup menu. In the window that pops up click on the advanced tab and turn on the Internet Connection Firewall. If your not running XP or want something a little better, ZoneAlarm is free for personal use with again, an advanced version available for cheap. Get it at www.zonealarm.com. Make sure to read the documentation so you can udnerstand the messages it will be reporting and use them properly.
If your running a router such as a Linksys, D-link or any of the zillions out there, it probably saved yer butt since they typically have all TCP ports blocked unless you specifically open them. Read up on the firewall capabilities of your router and make sure that it IS blocking all your ports. To test it out you can go to www.dslreports.com. Click on their tools button on the left hand side of the window, then run the security test and to enhance speed, the tweak and speed tests as well if your so inclined.
4.- Run a spyware/adware detection and removal program such as Spybot Search and Destroy. You can find it at http://www.safer-networking.org/ It is free and very good. However, again read the documentation that comes with. A lot of all that "free" software people use for managing contacts, getting cute icons in outlook, etc. are riddled with spyware and adware that can do something as little as sending the links you visit most frequently back to the company that snuck it in, to outright installing and running software on your computer without your permission. After running spybot and using it to clean a system a lot of the software might be non-funcitonal, due to the built in spyware components going missing. And if they cant spy on you, they dont want you to use it for free.
Again, I cannot overstate this enough, READ THE DOCS and make sure to update the software. If you just run this and fix stuff it finds and dont pay attention you might lose data!
5.- I suggest some sort of Popup blocker. Freesurfer MKII is an excellent program and the free version is very solid. Again there is a better featured pay versiopn available for you. Get it at http://www.kolumbus.fi/eero.muhonen/FS/fs.htm Another option is for those that use the google toolbar (or want to) the 2.0 version has a popup blocker built in. I like it a lot so far, and it integrates with the toolbar that I use all the time anyways. To get it go to http://toolbar.google.com/
6.- Finally, dont download and install every free and cute looking aplication you find out there. I would suggest just using a quick google search for that aplications name and the word spyware and see if anything comes up. For example, do a search at www.google.com for "Comet cursor" AND "spyware" and you get this back:
http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=%22Comet+cursor%22+AND+%22spyware%22
I hope these tips help some people stay trouble free. Just follow up all this with regular updates to the antivirus and spybot detection software and a bi-weekly scan should be more than enough to rpevent any further issues. At least all this helped me keep my companies systems clean and trouble free :D
How to ensure trouble free computer usage, by Genom (and a lot of links).
1.- ALWAYS run Windows update at least once a month. This is if your like me and like to do it by hand. Otherwise, leave the automatic updates setting turned on so it automatically gets the updates for you when your online. If you have turned it off, go to Start/Control Panels/System and click on the automatic Updates tab and turn it on. Put in the settings you want and your set.
2.- Always run an antivirus scanner on your machine, unless your gaming and need better performance, or are installing/uninstalling certain aplications. They will let you know if they need the scanner disabled for instal, so if it doesnt ask for it to be turned off, dont. Also, I can udnerstand not being able to afford a scanner for some, but there's free options out there, such as Grisoft's personal license. Their free product works well, just doesnt have the advanced admin tools. Get it here: http://www.grisoft.com/us/us_index.php
3.- If your on any kind of internet conection and your NOT running a router, install a firewall program. At the very least enable Windows XP's built in firewall for those that are running XP. To do so go to Start/Programs/Control Panels. Open the Network conections panel and right-click on your ethernet adapter. Click on properties from the popup menu. In the window that pops up click on the advanced tab and turn on the Internet Connection Firewall. If your not running XP or want something a little better, ZoneAlarm is free for personal use with again, an advanced version available for cheap. Get it at www.zonealarm.com. Make sure to read the documentation so you can udnerstand the messages it will be reporting and use them properly.
If your running a router such as a Linksys, D-link or any of the zillions out there, it probably saved yer butt since they typically have all TCP ports blocked unless you specifically open them. Read up on the firewall capabilities of your router and make sure that it IS blocking all your ports. To test it out you can go to www.dslreports.com. Click on their tools button on the left hand side of the window, then run the security test and to enhance speed, the tweak and speed tests as well if your so inclined.
4.- Run a spyware/adware detection and removal program such as Spybot Search and Destroy. You can find it at http://www.safer-networking.org/ It is free and very good. However, again read the documentation that comes with. A lot of all that "free" software people use for managing contacts, getting cute icons in outlook, etc. are riddled with spyware and adware that can do something as little as sending the links you visit most frequently back to the company that snuck it in, to outright installing and running software on your computer without your permission. After running spybot and using it to clean a system a lot of the software might be non-funcitonal, due to the built in spyware components going missing. And if they cant spy on you, they dont want you to use it for free.
Again, I cannot overstate this enough, READ THE DOCS and make sure to update the software. If you just run this and fix stuff it finds and dont pay attention you might lose data!
5.- I suggest some sort of Popup blocker. Freesurfer MKII is an excellent program and the free version is very solid. Again there is a better featured pay versiopn available for you. Get it at http://www.kolumbus.fi/eero.muhonen/FS/fs.htm Another option is for those that use the google toolbar (or want to) the 2.0 version has a popup blocker built in. I like it a lot so far, and it integrates with the toolbar that I use all the time anyways. To get it go to http://toolbar.google.com/
6.- Finally, dont download and install every free and cute looking aplication you find out there. I would suggest just using a quick google search for that aplications name and the word spyware and see if anything comes up. For example, do a search at www.google.com for "Comet cursor" AND "spyware" and you get this back:
http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=%22Comet+cursor%22+AND+%22spyware%22
I hope these tips help some people stay trouble free. Just follow up all this with regular updates to the antivirus and spybot detection software and a bi-weekly scan should be more than enough to rpevent any further issues. At least all this helped me keep my companies systems clean and trouble free :D