I've got Norton AntiVirus...

[p_p_man]

...which came bundled with the machine about three years ago.

I do the right thing and update the data base and run a check regularly. But with all these new viruses in the news recently and modified resurgences of the old (today there news of scam32.exe becoming virulent again) are these freebie virus protection programs any good?

And how do they get the news of viruses. Do computer users tell them? Do they wait until they themselves are affected? Or do they use spiders to scour the net?

 

[lickerish]

I was actually wondering the same thing.. I hope somebody answers.

 

[Mensa]

WARNING!!!

I've heard of a particularly virulent virus that strikes when certain people post to BB's , it's supposed to be stopped by&^%$jkl@#!&mnb*%Ynkg:'><%4Ugk9(#$@"|+#gbxrew>;,.'::')$4hvfOY%597

 

[p_p_man]

Mensa...

...and what are you exactly meant to do with &^%$jkl@#!&mnb*%Ynkg:'><%4Ugk9(#$@"|+#gbxrew>;,.'::')$4hvfOY%597

 

[miles]

Norton has a feature that will update the virus definitions as often as you instruct it. Your virus software is useless unless it is updated regularly.

I used to run Norton A/V, Internet Security, and Norton Clean Sweep all the time. But I use my PC all day long, and all three Norton products are a big drain on my computer's resources. I eventually removed all of them and used free downloadable software in their place. I think they are better than Norton and don't hog my system's resources. Go to www.download.com
and see what kind of antivirus freeware they have. I've just never been a big fan of Norton or Mcaffee. I'm using Innoculate, but it isn't free anymore.

 

[p_p_man]

Thanks miles...

...I've now added download.com to my favourite list and will examine it later. That was the information I needed...

 

[shadowsource]

NAV

Mr. PP man:

Norton's not bad. You need to use the live update every couple of days, especially this week. And you should NEVER NEVER NEVER open an attachment of any kind, from anyone, without scanning it with NAV. It takes a minute to do it, and you'll save yourself from worms that charge out of your friends' computers without their even knowing they're in there.

Norton has a very aggresssive outreach. I'm certain they check all of the hacker bulletin boards (lots of these things are posted so even idiots can pick them up and inflict them on folks). when a company gets a virus or worm, you can bet their IT people were not on the stick, unless it's just a simple one that entered via an employee's e mail.

Miles may be perfectly correct about better ones, but Norton's never let me down.

Also: Get yourself a firewall (Black Ice Defender's very good, at $30 online from Network Ice) and then sit back and see how many people attack your computer every day. Since this Code Red thing started yesterday, I've endured 35 or so HTTP Port Probes, which would be just the kind of thing enslaved systems would be sending out in search of new systems to enslave. If your comp isn't protected, it's very likely to be the online corner drunk, abused by passersby. I get Sub 7 Trojan Horse probes all the time, sent by people using other peoples' machines to find machines that already have this virus that will enable total strangers to use my machine to ttack yet further machines. Millions of computers sit there, unknowing, with this crap inside them.

It's a jungle out there. Be careful!

 

[p_p_man]

Thanks shadowsource...

...this is the type of information (how to protect my machine from viruses) I know practically nothing about. And what you've told me raises more questions than answers (through my ignorance not your information).

Firewalls I know about but from your post the thing that interests me the most is exactly how do I use Norton to scan an attachment in my e-mail. I use it at the moment to check complete drives.

I've looked on Norton help but can't find anything there that explains how.

 

[Weird Harold]

Re: Thanks shadowsource...

...is exactly how do I use Norton to scan an attachment in my e-mail. I use it at the moment to check complete drives.

I think Norton works the same way that PC-Cillin does for checking a single file -- save the attachement to disk (in my documents or somewhere it's easy to find,) right click on the file asnd look for an entry that says"Virus scan with NAV" (Mine just says "PC-Cillin."

PC-Cillin BTW is from Trend Microsystems and has a very good real time web filter that stops HTML based worms in your e-mail or embedded in web pages. It is not as memory intensive as Norton or McAfee either.

 

[p_p_man]

Thanks Weird...

...I'm now off to start protecting myself properly...

 

[shadowsource]

scanning individual files

...which came bundled with the machine about three years ago.

PP - I'm concerned that your NAV may be of very old format; three years is a long time. My own NAV, which came in January with a machine, but needed to be resubscribed for more money after 3 months, has clickables that include "Scan one or more drives or folders" and that enable you to select a specific one. I usually save my attachments in My Documents and then I scan the whole My Dox folder. That takes 15 seconds. If yoiurs doesn't do that, it may be because it's so old. In that case, I'd look into buying NAV or Weird Harold's PC-Cillin.

Take care!

 

[TygerEyez]

Can I ask a silly question then? Well, silly because I'm mindless when it comes to interior computer thingy-jobies. Do all firewalls cost? And what's the point?

 

[Weird Harold]

Can I ask a silly question then? Well, silly because I'm mindless when it comes to interior computer thingy-jobies. Do all firewalls cost? And what's the point?

No, there are several good firewalls available that are free to residential users.

Do a search on "Firewall" in this and the How to frums and youshould turn up some links to free firewalls.

The point is that most windows based systems can be "logged into anonymously" by someone over the web. Without a firewall, or very strict computer security settings in your internet options, a stranger can upload and download information to your computer.

One of the threads that will turn up on that search for "firewall" has a link to a site that will test the security of your system for free.

 

[shadowsource]

I think some are free

My firewall (see above) cost $30, downlaoded. I had read that it was good. I got it because I had reason to worry about my security & privacy. My fireall makes my computer's "place" on the web very fuzzy to intruders. They can tell it's there because it pings them to check THEM out, but they can't get an exact fix on it's entryway. According to my firewall, I am attacked an average of 10 times a day. I have no reason to believe that ANY of these assailants even knows me (but they might...). And they're certainly not acting in my interest. Mostly they're so-called "script kiddies" who have downloaded viruses and worms from hacker sites and are playing with them. Sometimes they could be big-time operators looking to launch a denial of service attack on the Pentagon. While I'll always wish I could have helped levitate the Pentagon during the 1967 march, I have no interest in having my computer attack it for someone else.

Anyone who doesn't protect their computer is taking chances. And that doesn't begin to consider all the ways that web sites invade you. I stop those, too. In fact, one of the reasons I came and fell in love with Literotica was that the site very much respects the privacy of its visitors. That's EXTREMELY unusual!

 

[TygerEyez]

Weird Harold...

..as always, my Knight in Shining Answers. *smooches cheek* Gracias, sugar.

Thanks to you too, Shadowsource.

You guys are my heroes! *tries to ignore the Bette Midler song thrumming through her head*

Get out, get out get out!

 

[Closet Desire]

A couple...

...of things about Norton.

It is a huge drain on resources BUT you can configure it for minimal services (manual virus scans etc). Even in this configuration you can set it up to auto scan emails and attachments without slowing your system down. Then it isn't necessary to manually scan an attachment. It will be scanned before you open it.

I have nearly everything turned off. I use the Norton firewall as well although it isn't as highly rated as some of the "free" ones. I just like that it's integrated into one package that updates regularly. If you're on a cable modem it can be configured to auto update weekly, daily, whatever you want. Early writer is right...if your virus profiles are not current then you're not protected.

I think this has paid off as I have not had any virus infections, but have nailed quite a few in their tracks.

My two cents worth.

 

[Tabby432]

Here'a a link to a thread awhile back on firewalls. It may help you find what you're looking for. The only problem that I had was the leak test, now not then, is that there is a download that isn't liscensed. I really don't know a damn thing about this but I didn't download it just because I haven't had any problems and don't want to go looking for them. But the thread also has some links to free firewall sites. Hope it helps:

http://www.literotica.com/forum/showthread.php?threadid=31088&highlight=firewalls

 

[miles]

Licci~Nicci

Some of the best firewalls are free - like Zone Alarm or Tiny Personal Firewall - you can get both at download.com.

The point is that if your internet connection is cable or DSL, the chances are about 100% that hackers have attempted to access your computer. Once your firewall is installed it will alert you to how many times a break-in has stopped. You will be shocked. Hackers can see all your files and hel themselves to whatever they want. Or worse, they can do nasty deeds to other people and make it look like it came from your computer.

Protect your data the same way you secure your house - lock it.

 

[sexy-girl]

norton and zone alarm are probably the best combo ... just make sure you do live update with norton

 

[Closet Desire]

If you want...

...some real excitement, download neotrace from www.neoworx.com and find out where and who those hackers are. I think they even offer a firewall that automatically traces hackers and forwards the information to some central service. Neotrace lite is free and great fun.

 

[YoungGun69]

I use Norton antivirus Corporate edition and I love it.
I have it set so that web pages that try to write to the registry are automatically blocked. And it scans all email as it is beeing downloaded so that infected files never make it to my inbox. I have had no problem with this product at all.

 

[Shylady]

I used to have Norton's and one morning during the routine scan, it detected a virus. I followed directions from nortons how to take care of it and it completely shut down my computer. I had to take it in and have it worked on all day and still everything was lost.

Pc cillin was recomened to me at that time and I started using it so far it seems to be doing great. It scans every page I open and every time I go to my email.

 

[sexy-girl]

neotrace works but hackers nearly always will mask where they are from by using proxy's (my sister works in computers i pick up stuff)

 

[shadowsource]

Black Ice Defender

My firewall traces attacks, too. I have a massive list of them. You get the IP Address, which you can look up on a link. BUT: Most often if's a computer whose owner doesn't know it's being used to attack others. So notifications would only make a differnc ein the case of a corporation the might worry about liability or resource drain. I am constantly attacked by a dead web site in New Zealand - the dormant server's probably the biggest electronic ho in the South Seas. But Miles is dead on:

The point is that if your internet connection is cable or DSL, the chances are about 100% that hackers have attempted to access your computer. Once your firewall is installed it will alert you to how many times a break-in has stopped. You will be shocked. Hackers can see all your files and hel themselves to whatever they want. Or worse, they can do nasty deeds to other people and make it look like it came from your computer.

It's just something we all have to consider. Then there are all those damned cookies, and bugs, etc....

 

[lickerish]

OK, i've had my computer for about 2 years. I had Nortons installed, but a few months ago my computer did this 'permanent shut down' thing and I had to take 'her' to the 'doctor'. They had to re-install windows and all that jazz, but in the process I lost the Nortons Antivirus that someone downloaded to my computer for me.

Now, I can be pretty competant when it comes to computers, but this anti-virus stuff really confuses me.. all the weekly updates and stuff. I just let my computer do it's thing and I didn't worry about it. After a few months or so, I remember Nortons telling me I was losing a certain feature of the software , but that I could still do some of the weekly downloads.. (does this sound right?!)

As of right now I have zilch, zero, none protection, & need to start over from scratch. I want the most/ best protection possible for either free, or very VERY low cost. (Hey, I'm on a single mom budget). When it says it's (for example) $30, is that a one time cost, or is it something that is billed monthly from a credit card? (cuz I can't do that)

I need recommendations for Antivirus protection (and firewalls it sounds like) cuz I don't know what I'm looking for out there. All that techie mumbo jumbo confuses the heck outta me.

Help?