Computer Security

Rule 101 of Computer Security...

1. Don't be on the internet if your computer doesn't need to be.
In short, leaving your computer on leaves your computer connected to the web. People can easily back-hack into your system whilst you sleep at night etc etc.

The likelyhood that you hit is abysmalling tiny (try about 1.0 x 10 E-1,000) but prevention is a better measure than reaction.

2. Have an offline backup of the vital files.
Make sure you own a 100GB external HDD (or larger, I use near 10TB) so you can store the important C: and games/etc etc somewhere than nobody can get to unless they're there physically.

3. Don't save your passwords into .docx
Seriously, if you're at home, use a pad and a safe draw. Don't use a word document, I will say at least half the people I know leave personal-ID stuff on their C: such as drivers licences, personal email messages and passwords. Don't get caught out.
P2P Programs use the default C:/My Documents directory to share back, and LimeWire and I have enjoyed seeing all the common mistakes people have made.

There's millions of counter-measures but I feel these 3 are the more common mistakes people make. I was once taught that nothing is backed up unless it exsists in 3 places, frankly, vital data thats true but the C: of your computer isnt *that* vital, only the CD Key is for that part.

vanhelsing wrote:

3. Don't save your passwords into .docx

their is a software called Lock Note that is like Notepad (.txt) but encripts the data for you untill you enter your password to get into it.

Though this sounds risky it is safe and easy (when you rename it something random such as Birthday list)

if you write down the pass of this .locknote thingo then make the pass hard and random 357kfe9 ect

But yeah a note pad and pen works safer i suppose


and rule 4.


Get Anti-Virus, Anti- Malware and Anti-Spyware!

Madness wrote:

vanhelsing wrote:

3. Don't save your passwords into .docx

their is a software called Lock Note that is like Notepad (.txt) but encripts the data for you untill you enter your password to get into it.

Though this sounds risky it is safe and easy (when you rename it something random such as Birthday list)

if you write down the pass of this .locknote thingo then make the pass hard and random 357kfe9 ect

But yeah a note pad and pen works safer i suppose


and rule 4.


Get Anti-Virus, Anti- Malware and Anti-Spyware!

Whilst I have not tried/used (well, didn't know of until now...) Lock Note, I would say anyone who can crack the WPA password won't be troubled by the encryption of Lock Note, most WPAs are 128-bit to 256-bit encryptions. I don't know, but I doubt Lock Note is that tight in security measures, it might be I don't know.

Pad and Pen works at home if you store it in a box safely, and only reach for it when you forget them. (Though, don't forget where you left to pad either lol)

The problem I was focusing on was being a computer, natively connected all the time. Unplugging your computer from the modem is safe when not in use but people inevitabley forget one night and that might just not be your night!

Rule 4 -- Major Limitations.
How do you know to make vaccine for a virus that nobody has ever encounted before?

Virus checkers dont scan *every line of every file* you download, even the HTML ones. You can't stop new ones being made, and the virus companies only update after a numerous amount have vaccines made for it.

They scan for particular lines such as Trojan17KCE.exe strands which are evidently trojans, and other harmful files.

Tod @ News In Tech wrote:

Revealing that fake anti-virus software in particular was a growing concern, Google said that a detailed investigation over 13 months of 240m web pages showed that 15per cent of viral software fell into this category.

Source

That was written in April, 2010.

Most of the threats, users download certain files they believe to be credible sites, but have problems in them. Whilst this is fairly normal now, few years back this was a major epidemic and every other week I was spending my time re-booting entire network infrastructures because one person downloaded something they shouldn't have.
Even with current and updated anti-malware programs, things slip through the cracks and end up wrecking havoc.

If you dont believe me still, click here! and see how many new virus' are vaccined for from Symantec, and think about how often your anti-virus is updated? Though the reality is that getting a new, nasty bug is low. But its above absolute-zero, so as a IT guru, I try to keep any downtime to a minimum.

With that said, anti-malware is a *VITAL* tool to protection, but don't make it the be-all, end-all. Backups that are stored offline that are infection free is the best way to ensure that you have your data safe.
I'd reccomend having a 30GB partition and the rest free (use a 500GB to be super safe) and make Partition 1 the core OS (basically right after a fresh install) is just there, this is a complete fail safe you should have in-case worst case scenario becomes true. Use the other HDD space (using the 500GB earlier, youd have around 450GB spare) to store games, photos, videos etc etc.
Steam has a 'backups' creation device for most games, I use that and even store the .bak on flash drives for extra safety.

Thanks for the question and suggestions for expanding the field Madness, appreciate more questions/suggestions as knowledge is key to prevention!

There is a general rule to internet security, this is a method to stop a least 60% of all viruses and malicious programs. It's the rule of common bloody sense. If you download stuff off Limewire; CHECK WHAT YOU ARE DOWNLOADING. If a song size is 35kb, reconsider downloading it. If you are browsing the net; don't click pop-ups. If you are talking to someone you only just met; don't click their links if you don't trust them.
Just use abit of good-ol thinking skills.
Of course; have antivirus software installed (Windows firewall, AVG Free; used it for 4 years and never had any major viruses) but what will help more; is if you use common bloody sense. It's that simple.

Jerms wrote:

There is a general rule to internet security, this is a method to stop a least 60% of all viruses and malicious programs. It's the rule of common bloody sense. If you download stuff off Limewire; CHECK WHAT YOU ARE DOWNLOADING. If a song size is 35kb, reconsider downloading it. If you are browsing the net; don't click pop-ups. If you are talking to someone you only just met; don't click their links if you don't trust them.
Just use abit of good-ol thinking skills.
Of course; have antivirus software installed (Windows firewall, AVG Free; used it for 4 years and never had any major viruses) but what will help more; is if you use common bloody sense. It's that simple.

Limewire is a very two-faced application. If you use the search filters very carefully, then you wont get too many potential baddies.

With music, only get the 328kbps bit-rate, its the higest quality computers can synthesize at currently. It's more about making the download destination not into a C: drive, so if you get one, disconnect the driver, and backup the C: then re-connect and try to remove the bug via anti-malware or registry tools.

Microsoft Security Essentials
Spybot! Search and Destroy
Windows Defender

Probably 3 of the better all-round protection applications that I would suggest as well. AVG 9 is charging only, and I think I recall reading 8 stopped getting virus definition updates.

You'd be surprised how in-effective virus checkers are when a new virus that nobody has been suddenly hits and hits big. Virus checkers only work off currently known virus', if you dont know its coming, you cant stop it!

And the clever Spy-Mal-Ware Programs such as


Anti-Virus XP and Security Tool


I have gotten both, was able to remove the first but the secound turned malisious and nC:\ was wiped

Madness wrote:

And the clever Spy-Mal-Ware Programs such as


Anti-Virus XP and Security Tool


I have gotten both, was able to remove the first but the secound turned malisious and nC:\ was wiped

Ouch, that's why I like MSE. It's legit, and you get it from www.microsoft.com

If that ever got infected with a virus, go buy Mac stocks for today, and SELL SELL SELL!! tomorrow (when they arrest Steve Jobs for cyber-terrorism)