What is your security setup?

[JonathanT]

What security programs are you currently running on your computers?

[Anupam]

I have Avast Home as my antivirus.

For antispywares, i have MalwareBytes Antimalware, SuperAntiSpyware, and Spyware Doctor Starter Edition... all for on-demand scanning.

Nowadays i am experimenting with firewalls. So presently am checking out PC Tools Firewall, and i like it.

I earlier checked out Comodo Firewall. I find out to be quite good... with firewall and HIPS. Though as far as i am concerned, i dont want the HIPS. It makes the program bulky too.

I also checked out Jetico Firewall, and i feel it gives a lot of popups... in fact too much, and also its not being developed further, so i removed it from my PC.

I tried NetVeda too, and i liked it. I didnt use it for much time though, as i use orbit downloader, and when i installed NetVeda, orbit couldnt resume downloads... happened with any file i tried to download. So I uninstalled NetVeda for time being. I will check it out later.

Will check out Online Armor, or maybe Sunbelt-Kerio later.

[peter]

That all sounds very fine.
Have you thought of becoming an Editor, so you can add your reviews to the main TSA site?

http://www.techsupportalert.com/category-editors-page

[MidnightCowboy]

In general terms there are so many good free AV, firewall and antispyware applications to choose from (especially since Rising became better known) that which one to use really comes down to personal choice as much as anything else. There are also well documented reasons for not using more than one example of the same type of defence i.e. two AV's, two firewalls or two HIPS etc. One application that I believe deserves more recognition though will work perfectly well with anything else and is worthy of consideration. Dynamic Security Agent (or DSA) is made by Privacyware the producers of the excellent paid Private Firewall and is also included as the defence module within Webroot Desktop Firewall. Basically DSA is a multi-layered defence agent which is, amongst other things, pre-programmed to recognise known Windows vulnerabilities by default. This already makes it a saint in my eyes! It will detect, block and quarantine "activity characteristic of known malware" including that associated with trojans, worms, rootkits, hacking and phishing.

General protections include attempts to:
access a protected registry key
access a protected object
initiate a foreign process
control a Windows service
create a DNS request
initiate outgoing TCP traffic

This is just part of what DSA does, and in addition will advise of any changes to an installed application's profile including things like memory use. There are no signature or other updates to worry about as DSA's architecture is not built this way. There are quite a few pop-ups as it creates rules during its learning process but after that you won't see anything unless it's an advisory or a warning. The only one down side is that it can freeze up when certain programs are launched for the first time but you can work around this by restarting and adding the application concerned into the settings manually before launching it again. If you don't know DSA please give it some space in your setup because it's worth it. No doubt Matousec's confusing addition of DSA into its Firewall Challenge has prevented a lot of people from trying this in the belief that it cannot be used alongside another firewall which is untrue.

[Anupam]

Thanks a lot Peter for the generous offer .

I consider myself as an intermediate PC user. I am certainly no expert. And so, i think it would be beyond my capacity to write reviews for the site. It would also be unfair to the many users if i write about a software, without having sufficient or full knowledge about it.

I would continue to give my opinions on the different softwares that i use, as per my experience, in the comments and here on the forum.

Thanks once again

Anupam

[peter]

Only a few are real experts (I'm certainly not one).
Why not try it and see how you get on. It's easier than you think; all you need is a willingness to test stuff and a certain attentiveness.

Just contact Elizabeth and she'll put you on the right path.

But please keep commenting whatever else you do.

[MidnightCowboy]

I'm at a bit of a loss without knowing all of the circumstances just how Netveda could prevent orbit resuming downloads unless maybe it was launched with a "now only" rule instead of an "always" one? Might also suggest that because NetVeda is such an excellent firewall the way to have gone might have been to use FDM or something else instead as I would never place a downloaders priority over that of a top class security application.

[kendall.a]

Anupam wrote:

I consider myself as an intermediate PC user. I am certainly no expert. And so, i think it would be beyond my capacity to write reviews for the site. It would also be unfair to the many users if i write about a software, without having sufficient or full knowledge about it.

Anupam--I have read many of your posts on these forums. You are well-spoken and have a lot of knowledge. Most of us here do not consider ourselves experts at all. Your knowledge and writing skills are perfect for an editor. Please seriously consider joining us.

I would imagine that we all agree with the last sentence quoted above. That's why I picked areas that I feel that I have decent knowledge and areas I'm willing to do some testing and experimenting.

I think you are very much like the rest of us; knowledgeable about some aspects of PC's, willing to share, and a desire to help others. That's all you need.

[kendall.a]

MidnightCowboy--I am very intrigued by DSA. I've never heard of it until your post. Is it similar to ThreatFire?

How well does it work with antivirus and/or firewalls? How much of a resource hog is it? Is it resident?

I did check out the website, but I would like to see a full review.


BTW--check out this link about DSA:
http://membres.lycos.fr/nicmtests/Dy.../DSA_index.htm

Originally Posted by Anupam

I consider myself as an intermediate PC user. I am certainly no expert. And so, i think it would be beyond my capacity to write reviews for the site. It would also be unfair to the many users if i write about a software, without having sufficient or full knowledge about it.

I would continue to give my opinions on the different softwares that i use, as per my experience, in the comments and here on the forum.

Anupam, there is another function I'd like you to consider. It would involve leaving plenty of comments, helping people with their problems, and maybe become an editor also:

join the moderators for the forum.

This is not as time consuming as being an editor, you'd still be part of the 'crowd', and surely soon discover, how well you'll fit in. Have a go! Please!!