Let's try to create our own suite for internet security.

[40hz]

@Bamse - I was familiar with Ketarin. Use it all the time. But SARDU was a new one for me. Thanks for sharing that. Looks likely to become a very useful addition to the toolkit.

[Bamse]

That and X gb of iso downloads New version now also burns cd/dvds but tool is updated frequently because not everything works perfectly. Latest beta is most likely best choice. He has a forum at Reboot so easy to spot bugs and get in contact with http://reboot.pro/forum/100/ I see there is a problem with Avira cd right now, how it is but he fix problems.

Ubuntu probably works fine on most computers. Same cannot be said for AV boot isos so having more than 1, preferably all of them, is not silly. I am not even sure all work via usb drive, Dr. Web does today but up until recently it did not - or Sardu could not handle it. Bitdefenders is build on Knoppix so that is kind of a guarantee for hw support while others seem experimental and home made Best to just grab them all and see what works.

[sword]

I'll second the use of 'live' Linux and Puppy in particular for safety.
see: www[dot]ciphersbyritter[dot]com and the Nov '10 Online Security with Puppy 5

[tslim]

Well, maybe we have our answer for the antivirus/firewall categories.

I'm under the impression that the Windows firewall was extensively improved for Windows 7 (or perhaps Vista, I'm not sure), but that it's not so good for Windows XP.  Am I mistaken?

It was introduced with XP SP2, and it was just fine back then - what you really need is incoming stuff blocked, and the XP firewall does that just fine.

I use Outpost Pro for firewall.
Can MS firewall block all hidden outgoing traffic (program call home)? I am particular about this issue unless it is something like checking for newer version (that I allow).
I have never use MS firewall before, is the one built in Win7 good enough to do the above?

[40hz]

For this discussion, do we also want to consider boundary defense measures?

There are several free (or mostly free) products available for download that can provide a major boost to security and network performance over the consumer grade (Netgear, Linksys, D-Link, et al.) router/switch combos most people use.

I'm thinking of the community editions of products like:

• The Untangle Gateway  
• ClearOS
• Endian Firewall
• Vyatta
• SmoothWall Express
• mOnO wall
• etc...

None of these products are difficult to work with. Maybe they'e not suited for absolute beginners - but none of them should pose much challenge to a moderately experienced PC user. Nice browser-based front ends too. No need to keep a keyboard or monitor attached once they're set up.

Just to give you some idea :


[attachthumb=#]    [attachthumb=#]

All of the above have community editions that are free for the download. Most are licensed under some flavor of GPL. However, if you're going to use them in a business setting, please be sure to double-check the EULAs. Some of these products may also include supplemental software that is not under GPL. In most cases, free personal use is permitted.

Since these are dedicated 'security appliance' applications you'll need something to run them on. All can be loaded on relatively low-end PCs. You could build a bespoke mini-PC, or use almost any old desktop or laptop you haven't gotten around to recycling.

Take that 'old box,' throw in a second NIC, run the installer, and you're ready to go.  

Cool tools.  

-----------------
@SB- If not in this thread, maybe we could start a second one?

[superboyac]

Comodo Firewall and Superantispyware added.

[superboyac]

For this discussion, do we also want to consider boundary defense measures?

I'm not very familiar with those things, but if you recommend them I'm sure they are valuable.  Let me look into them and I'll probably add it to the list.  No!  I think it's very appropriate to discuss it here.  Discuss away!  Tell us how it works and why it's useful.

[superboyac]

Do we still recommend CCleaner as a useful system cleaning tool?

[kyrathaba]

I use CCleaner.  Also like Glary Utilities.

[superboyac]

I use CCleaner.  Also like Glary Utilities.

Sure.  There are a million so-called "cleaners".  i seriously have no idea how to judge which one is better than another.  How does anyone do that?  I mentioned CCleaner because from what I understand, it is VERY widely used and has largely received praises.  I'm not going to list lesser known programs unless it does something uniquely, and remarkably well.

This is also similar to the anti-malware software.  There are a million different ones.  I list Malwarebytes and Superantispyware because they are used by TONS of people and there aren't many bad things said about it.  People used to say a lot of good things about Spybot and SpySweeper.  But not so much in recent years.  I don't know why.  It may be a case like MSE where a free version came along that was just as good, so why bother paying for it?  Look at me...I've dropped Kaspersky after years of using it because MSE is just better in a lot of ways, and Kaspersky over the years has just gotten slower and bigger.  It's still a great AV software, but so is MSE and it's less bloated and faster, so why bother with Kaspersky?  I think the same may have happened with SpySweeper.  These free programs are doing a pretty good job, it seems like.

Another one that has fallen off the radar: Ad-Aware. What happened to that?  Does anyone still use it?

[f0dder]

Another one that has fallen off the radar: Ad-Aware. What happened to that?  Does anyone still use it?

I stopped using it several years ago, after reading this - the triggering part being

1.5. !!! Multiplying the number of entries in the def file with constant
    1.46 to make it look it has more definitions !!!

[Bamse]

Ad-Aware is doing fine, according to PC-Mag http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2375637,00.asp and them self http://www.lavasoft.com/products/ad_aware_free.php?t=overview

So they got caught but not really that much difference to inventing new buzzwords for feature list no one understands. Or doing creative and selective work with "tests" and "reviews". Security companies and related media cannot be trusted