Under Attack!

[Mysterious Benefactor]

You could be a big part of the problem when it comes to the spreading of viruses and worms on the Internet. Running antivirus and firewall software is no longer just about protecting your own PC. It's also about being a good online citizen - part of the solution, rather than part of the problem.

If you're using any form of Windows and you're not running both AV software and a personal firewall, I'm sure your fellow Windows users would beg you to please check out: Under Attack! from the latest issue of PC Magazine.

[Josette]

I'm trying to keep costs down.  I'm using the free version of the firewall, hoping that level of protection is sufficient, and I found a free pop-up blocker.

Someone on the WordPerfect forum recently said that AV and firewall aren't sufficent - that one really needs an anti-Trojan program too.  I'd really rather not get something else.  Any thoughts?  Is it necessary or are the other 2 likely to do the job?

[Mark Rainey]

The firewall may clue you in to a trojan -- if an unfamiliar program asks to access the internet, for example. Sometimes a trojan will spoof a trusted program name, but a good firewall will know the difference. At the very least, you'd get suspicious if a trusted program suddenly needs new internet access (unless the program has been legitimately modified).

I have The Cleaner, which is a pretty good trojan detector/eliminator. It has a menu that shows all applications running on your computer, and it's far more comprehensive than the Windows program list. It scans everything that's running for trojan activity, and it has an alarm feature to alert you any time the registry gets changed -- which a trojan will usually do so that it will start running when you boot your computer.

--Mark[/b][/color][/font]

[Josette]

Thank you for the recommendation, Mark.  I forget which programs they recommended on the WordPerfect board.  How much is The Cleaner?  I'd still rather not bother with anything else.  It seems every time you turn around you have to get something extra!! 

[Patti Feinberg]

Not only that Josette; alot of FW & AV prohibit places (such as 'here').

Mark...more info on the sweeper please (by chance, is there a free version)?

Thanks

Patti

[Josette]

ZoneAlarm is the firewall I have.  They have more complete versions, but I'm using the "basic" free version.  Tonight I got an e-mail from them offering a program called PestControl.  For a short while it has a mail-in rebate which will make it free.

One has to be a registered ZoneAlarm user.  I'll have to look up my account to make sure the free version entitles me to it.  Since they sent me the e-mail, I assume it does.

[EDIT]
Patti, I just noticed your little kitty - that's so
ADORABLE!!!!!

[Mark Rainey]

Not only that Josette; alot of FW & AV prohibit places (such as 'here').

Mark...more info on the sweeper please (by chance, is there a free version)?

The Cleaner is available from www.moosoft.com, and can be used free for 30 days. Even after it expires, its task list (called TCActive) continues to work; although it doesn't actually scan for trojans after it expires, it still shows you the programs that are running on your computer, which is quite invaluable (since the Windows task list is a joke). And TCMonitor will continue to set off an alarm if your registry is modified. The registered version is $29.99, I believe.

I use McAfee AV, Sygate Firewall, and The Cleaner (registered), and I have never experienced any problem with normal Web activity, such as coming here.

Hope that helps.

--Mark[/b][/color]
[/font]

[Mysterious Benefactor]

I have never experienced any problem with normal Web activity, such as coming here.

I would hope not.    The day that someone experiences a problem caused by visiting the forum is the day that something drastically wrong has happened - particularly because the forum is hosted on a server running Linux, so a Windows virus /worm wouldn't actually be able to compromise a Linux server environment. 

Now, if we were to allow members to upload files with extentions that can often mask viruses/worms (.exe, .pif, .eml, .doc, .vbe, .vbs, .bat, .bas, .bin, .sys, etc), and a member was to upload such a file, whether intentionally or not, problems could result on the PCs of people who might download and execute/open them. But thanfully the forum's system gives us complete control over the types of files that can be uploaded as attachments - we're certainly not about to allow such extentions - and frankly, I can't even foresee any reason why files with such extentions should even be uploaded here...