breakin attempts

[2ndAmendment]

denial of service, virus/Trojan/worm/etc writing, and other nasty computer things should be capital offenses. Spammers should get life with no parole.

My firewalls get attacked constantly. I think that I would give them the "money changer" treatment if I could get my hands on the attackers. They come from all over; Germany, Canada, China, Japan, Albania, Czechoslovakia, Russia, Italy, Israel, Hungary, and lots of other countries. I know I am not supposed to hate, but these people, and I use the term loosely, try my resolve.

I have 739 domains and IPs in my email server access denial of spammers and the list is growing almost daily plus spam and viruses that get filtered by Spamassassin and amavis.

Microjunk, in their infinite wisdom, enables their email server when a user enables web services even though most users do not need or want their own email server AND when Micorjunk enables their email server it is enabled as an open relay which means any spammer looking for a relay can find port 25 open and use some unsuspecting computer boob's computer for a spam relay email server.

Sorry. Just venting. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

 

[RadioPatrol]

lol ... save up for a decent MAC , have a hardware & software firewall, as well as Anti Virus and Anti Spyware ( Counter Spy or Spy Sweeper) surf the web with firefox, if you dont have a firewall and only 1 pc directly connected to dsl or cable modem - get a cable modem / DSL Router - this will put behind a NAT and protect you from a lot of crap - Oh and take several PC's to the shooting range the next time you go - something like a dell with lots of plastic to fly off in a satisfying manner ...... hahahahah

PS be careful buying spyware protection on the 'NET some is actually spyware - go figure

I feel you pain brother ........ and the A 1 reason not to use Internet Explorer for anything:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drive-by_download

and if you reall cannot sleep:

http://www.benedelman.org/spyware/

 

[vraiblonde]

Sorry. Just venting. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

You oughta hear David go off about this stuff

 

[PsyOps]

Getting on the internet is like getting on the roads. You take your chances knowing there are kooks out there with the sole purpose of making your life miserable for their benefit. Our reliance on both has resulted in a very unhappy and frustrated society.

 

[2ndAmendment]

lol ... save up for a decent MAC , have a hardware & software firewall, as well as Anti Virus and Anti Spyware ( Counter Spy or Spy Sweeper) surf the web with firefox, if you dont have a firewall and only 1 pc directly connected to dsl or cable modem - get a cable modem / DSL Router - this will put behind a NAT and protect you from a lot of crap - Oh and take several PC's to the shooting range the next time you go - something like a dell with lots of plastic to fly off in a satisfying manner ...... hahahahah

PS be careful buying spyware protection on the 'NET some is actually spyware - go figure

I feel you pain brother ........ and the A 1 reason not to use Internet Explorer for anything:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drive-by_download

and if you reall cannot sleep:

http://www.benedelman.org/spyware/

I am not just a home user. The computer I am looking to buy currently is a dual quad core xenon workstation, 4 Gig of ram, and SAS 15,000 rpm drives, so checkmate on the "decent MAC."

I have a network in my home, mostly for business reasons. I administer the network at my office. I use firewall/vpn routers. I use firewalls on the individual servers. I hate Microsoft anything. I won't use Microjunk Internet Exploder on a bet. I do have Microsoft clients. I prefer Linux and Unix (Mac OS 10 is Unix varient.). I run our email servers. Every email is scanned for spam and viruses before being passed and the email servers are correctly configured to not relay email from unknown clients or accept email for unknown users as well as filtering known spamming IPs and domains that get through the spam scanner. I "black hole" ports that are being attacked. So the networks are well protected. It just torques me off that I have to do all this.

Catch a virus writer and spammer and stand them against a wall, blindfolded, on international TV. That should get their attention. Yes, I know that can't be done. But how about making them pay for all the damage, extra work hours, and loss of productivity?

 

[ylexot]

Speaking of computer security, I'm going to need to talk to an expert on computer/network security for my grad project...2A (or anyone else for that matter), would you be considered an "expert" or know someone who is?

 

[PsyOps]

Speaking of computer security, I'm going to need to talk to an expert on computer/network security for my grad project...2A (or anyone else for that matter), would you be considered an "expert" or know someone who is?

I work with some pretty smart computer security folks. I can pass your question on if you'd like.

 

[ylexot]

I work with some pretty smart computer security folks. I can pass your question on if you'd like.

Thanks, but I'm not quite to that point yet. Right now, I'm just putting out feelers and making contacts so that I have somebody to go to when I need info. I'll keep you in mind when I get some questions that I need answers to.

 

[2ndAmendment]

Speaking of computer security, I'm going to need to talk to an expert on computer/network security for my grad project...2A (or anyone else for that matter), would you be considered an "expert" or know someone who is?

You know what an expert is right? Any ordinary guy more than 25 miles from home.

I am knowledgeable, but I would not consider myself an expert. That said, I can probably field your questions or point you in the right direction.

 

[forestal]

NAT is definitely the way to go for the first line of defense.

Second is to use Firefox, never use IE if you can help it.

Third is to buy a computer that isn't targeted so much, like a Macintosh, or use Linux as your OS of choice.

lol ... save up for a decent MAC , have a hardware & software firewall, as well as Anti Virus and Anti Spyware ( Counter Spy or Spy Sweeper) surf the web with firefox, if you dont have a firewall and only 1 pc directly connected to dsl or cable modem - get a cable modem / DSL Router - this will put behind a NAT and protect you from a lot of crap - Oh and take several PC's to the shooting range the next time you go - something like a dell with lots of plastic to fly off in a satisfying manner ...... hahahahah

PS be careful buying spyware protection on the 'NET some is actually spyware - go figure

I feel you pain brother ........ and the A 1 reason not to use Internet Explorer for anything:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drive-by_download

and if you reall cannot sleep:

http://www.benedelman.org/spyware/

 

[AndyMarquisLIVE]

Speaking of computer security, I'm going to need to talk to an expert on computer/network security for my grad project...2A (or anyone else for that matter), would you be considered an "expert" or know someone who is?

You'd be in solid shape talking to someone at the board of education. Dop an email to Rhonda Meleen (rmeleen@ccboe.com). We have a few people who are quite avant in network security.

 

[AndyMarquisLIVE]

NAT is definitely the way to go for the first line of defense.

Second is to use Firefox, never use IE if you can help it.

Third is to buy a computer that isn't targeted so much, like a Macintosh, or use Linux as your OS of choice.

I like BlackIce for firewall security and Windows Defender for anti-spyware. Also, Vista's new so if you jhave a machine good enough, aim there.

Windows 2000 is generally a rare gem anywhere except in widespread network areas (government, media). Windows 2000 Server and Windows 2000 Professional is good bets. They're reliable.

 

[2ndAmendment]

I won't use Windows or Microsoft anything unless there is no alternative.

I "grew up" in the secure IT world. Windows is counter to security. If you want security, use Linux with selinux like in Fedora Core 6.

Almost every router is NAT capable, but if you want NAT to protect you you have to disable NAT redirects.

Sometimes I really wonder if people read threads before posting looking at some of the advise given in this one. Funny. I guess everyone on a forum is an "expert."

 

[RadioPatrol]

Sweet Setup - I never claimed to be an expert .... just offered my .02

Oh Yeah and Windoez anything sucks, but it is what i am forced to make a living @ since bill was the master marketer not programmer .........

 

[2ndAmendment]

Oh Yeah and Windoez anything sucks, but it is what i am forced to make a living @ since bill was the master marketer not programmer .........

Isn't that the truth. Microsoft is the best at marketing less than good products and convincing supervisors that are basically computer illiterate that they are the best thing since bottled beer.

Guy (supervisor) here at the office asked me why he couldn't send his email. Showed me the error message. I said, "One of your addressees' email address is wrong." He says, "Why doesn't the error say that?" I say, "Ask Bill Gates." He looked at the addresses. I looked at them. He says, "Which one?" I say, "Probably the one without single quotes around it." He says he has used that address before; "it came from my address book." I asked if there had been any updates by Microsoft. He says, "Yeah." I said, "You have to learn how to 'drive' again."

We would not put up with cars that screw up like Microsoft stuff does.

 

[alex]

Okay so can you recommend a good internet security program? I have Trend Micro on 3 computers at home and only 1 - the hubby's gets a whole lot of junk and viruses. I can't figure out why. I have the same setup on all 3 computers and his is constantly getting hit. He hardly ever uses email so he is not opening stuff there and he hardly surfs the net. Mostly he plays games in standalone mode. Never plays online games.

Oh - and I also run Spybot and Adaware on his system as well.

Any suggestions? I tried to download AVG but it cause his computer to crash so I removed it.

 

[bcp]

." I asked if there had been any updates by Microsoft. He says, "Yeah." I said, "You have to learn how to 'drive' again."

Once I get a system working like I want it to, I make sure to turn off the automatic updates and just run it until I am forced to add some new .DLL or other file to keep current. and when I do that, I do it in a selective manner after running an image of my current set up in case their update screws me over.

We would not put up with cars that screw up like Microsoft stuff does.

And yet, Chrysler products continue to be sold every day.

 

[PsyOps]

NAT is definitely the way to go for the first line of defense.

Second is to use Firefox, never use IE if you can help it.

Third is to buy a computer that isn't targeted so much, like a Macintosh, or use Linux as your OS of choice.

NATing is something most home users wont even grasp. By buying a Linksys router (or some equivalent) this will be accomplished automatically and add the other benefit of firewalling (which I feel is the best firstline defense). I would recommend everyone install one even if you have one computer on your home network. But NATing does nothing for outside intrusions via spyware or viruses. It only helps prevent a direct outside attack. I personally didn’t like Firefox because it crashed my XP machine the moment I ran it. But I know a lot of folks swear by it. But now the hackers on to it just like they are MAC (which I wish I had bought for a bunch of reasons). Nothing is safe anymore. Running a good antivirus (with active updating) and spyware protection is your best bet. Running daily scans, staying off those risky websites and not opening questionable mail are your other best bets.

 

[ylexot]

Firewall - I use Sygate Personal Firewall...which I don't think you can get any more. All the other firewalls I used caused problems or didn't block anything (kinda useless).

Anti-virus - I use Avast...it auto-updates and seems to work well.

Anti-spyware - I use two different ones, but I can't remember their names. Unfortunately, they don't auto-update.

Oh yeah, and all the stuff I use is freeware and I've never had a problem.

 

[forestal]

And then you have to worry about your kids bringing something home.

If you get a rootkit implanted on your system you in a really tight spot.