Free Anti-Virus & Other Safety Software

August 16, 2008

> You could add SAS to your arsenal of A-S apps.:

> SuperAntispyware - Free

> http://www.superantispyware.com/superantis...efreevspro.html

This gets my vote of a must have scanner. It has quickly solved many issues

for many clients that we fix computers for. Best of all, it is free.

--

http://www.tompangbuddy.com

Share Cab, Carpool and Save Earth in Singapore

"Kayman" <kaymanDeleteThis@operamail.com> wrote in message

news:OM4Fnsm$IHA.3908@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...

> On Thu, 14 Aug 2008 07:06:02 -0700, Dan wrote:

>

>> True, I hate the craplets and would also go with a clean install of my

>> own

>> and a customized machine if and when realistic but I know that cannot be

>> realistic for big businesses. I like SpywareBlaster and Spybot Search

>> and

>> Destroy for anti-spyware.

>

> You could add SAS to your arsenal of A-S apps.:

> SuperAntispyware - Free

> http://www.superantispyware.com/superantis...efreevspro.html

>

August 16, 2008

Re: The truth.

"David H. Lipman" <DLipman~nospam~@Verizon.Net> wrote in message

news:upVpdRY$IHA.872@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...

>> From: "Tom [Pepper] Willett" <tom@youreadaisyifyoudo.com>

>> | But, you are a tin-foil hatted troll that has been banned from

>> several

>> | groups.

>> Y E S !

>> However, the original post was not spam.>

On the Effectiveness of Aluminium Foil Helmets:

An Empirical Study

http://people.csail.mit.edu/rahimi/helmet/

-jen

August 16, 2008

Re: The truth.

Thanks for that illuminating lead, Jen! style_emoticons/

How are things over on U2U ........... Annexcafe.com ?

Is Peter Foldes fully recovered now? Please give him my regards - he doesn't

respond to me here on the MS groups.

Dave

"jen" <jen@example.com> wrote in message

news:e6UQas6$IHA.4512@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...

<snip>

> On the Effectiveness of Aluminium Foil Helmets:

> An Empirical Study

> http://people.csail.mit.edu/rahimi/helmet/

>

> -jen

>

>

August 16, 2008

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure

Thanks Milo! (and Anteaus!)

Another good site to explore here:-

http://www.windowsbbs.com/malware-virus-re...pound-cure.html

Dave

--

"Milo" <jfcoel@hotmail.com> wrote in message

news:43611A9A-09AE-4ABE-B3CE-B9352BE931B2@microsoft.com...

> try this site for Security/Safety Software

>

> http://www.trendsecure.com

>

> http://www.trendmicro.com/download/apac/pr...sp?productid=87

>

> "Anteaus" <Anteaus@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message

> news:D5DC6EDE-5EC4-4BA6-A203-05B8F1C3449C@microsoft.com...

>>

>> The point the OP makes about AV software is a very real one. AV software

>> is

>> sold by way of 'push install' onto new computers, not by consumer choice,

>> and

>> certainly not by quality ratings. In many cases the free offerings ARE

>> better in every respect than the expensive, foisted ones.

>>

>> "~BD~" wrote:

>>

>> Yet it's possible to get legal,

>>> professional quality anti-virus and other protective software,

>>> absolutely

>>> free.

>>

>

August 19, 2008

Thanks. I am using Windows 98 Second Edition on a daily basis now. I also

use Windows XP Professional and have briefly tried Ubuntu Linux. I have

Windows Vista Home Premium on another machine. I now know that Windows 98

Second Edition is a safe internal alternative because the most the bad guys

have been able to do to me so far is just the Denial of Service error and

that just makes me laugh since whoever the hackers were of the APS network,

they certainly appeared to know what they were looking for and how to get it

quickly but with 98 Second Edition all they could do was the Denial of

Service Error because 9x consumer source code is meant as a stand-a-lone

source code and not meant to be networked with lots of other machines and

that is why in my opinion it was a great lose for all of us not to have

Windows 98 Second Edition support from Microsoft anymore.

Heck, all anybody has to do is check out secunia.com and research the

vulnerabilities to see which software has vulnerabilities and which software

has had their vulnerabilities patched. It is quite simple to do the research

from the search box.

It now appears that by the end of the year --- many 3rd party solutions will

be ending as well --- for Windows 98 Second Edition -- sad to say -- and I

hope Microsoft will sell their 9x source code to DHS because we need all the

help that we can get and it is such a loss not to take the full potential of

an operating system that has its roots in Disk Operating System as a

maintenance operating system at least until Microsoft is able to give us a

viable replacement for the NT source code which users seem to forget was

panned by early Microsoft Engineers as the inferior source code because of

its lack of the internal safety of Disk Operating System.

The needed solution to the industry's problems are a combination of closed

and open source technologies that are needed for the future. The industry

has recognized the threat posed by DNS Pollution. Unfortunately, the concern

lies now mainly with the consumer practicing the proper methods and not just

enabling remote source code to be viewed by default, reading all emails in

plain text only at least initially to understand the threat matrix, keeping

their machines fully patched, etc.

The needed solution, in my view for what it is worth, would be a NT external

secure front (Vista), a 9x internal safety front (Windows 98 Second Edition)

with open source solutions like Mozilla Firefox (2.0.x) with its 256 bit AES

encryption even within Windows 98 Second Edition that Internet Explorer lacks

with Windows XP Professional but has with Windows Vista Internet Explorer as

well as using programs like SpywareBlaster that prevent baddies from even

getting onto your computer. I think Gary S. Terhune, Chris Quirke, and

Robear, all Microsoft MVP's are really good at understanding these areas.

http://isc.sans.org/

http://www.kb.cert.org/vuls/id/800113

http://cquirke.blogspot.com/

http://www.grystmill.com/articles/security.htm

http://www.doxpara.com/

etc. --- I could go on all day providing web-sites but I think Microsoft,

US-Cert, and others get the points if interested

"Kayman" wrote:

> On Thu, 14 Aug 2008 07:06:02 -0700, Dan wrote:

>

> > True, I hate the craplets and would also go with a clean install of my own

> > and a customized machine if and when realistic but I know that cannot be

> > realistic for big businesses. I like SpywareBlaster and Spybot Search and

> > Destroy for anti-spyware.

>

> You could add SAS to your arsenal of A-S apps.:

> SuperAntispyware - Free

> http://www.superantispyware.com/superantis...efreevspro.html

>

> > I like AVG 7.5 for anti-virus.

>

> AVG lost its lustre. Good alternatives are:

> Avira AntiVirÃ‚Â® Personal - FREE Antivirus

> http://www.free-av.com/

> (The free version won't scan your emails.)

> You may wish to consider removing the 'AntiVir Nagscreen'

> http://www.elitekiller.com/files/disable_antivir_nag.htm

> or

> Free antivirus - avast! 4 Home Edition

> It includes ANTI-SPYWARE protection, certified by the West Coast Labs

> Checkmark process, and ANTI-ROOTKIT DETECTION based on the best-in class

> GMER technology.

> http://www.avast.com/eng/avast_4_home.html

> (Choose Custom Installation and under Resident

> Protection, uncheck: Internet Mail and Outlook/Exchange.)

>

> Why You Don't Need Your Anti-Virus Program to Scan Your E-Mail

> http://thundercloud.net/infoave/tutorials/...nning/index.htm

>

> > I am still undecided about Windows Live One Care but I am using

> > it on a trial basis for now.

>

> IMO, WLOC is not worth having; Good quality AV apps. are freely available

> including the additions it (WLOC) incorporates.

>

> > What about everyone else and what are your security and safety measures

> > that you use to protect your computers. Thanks in advance for the replies.

>

> If you are really concerned about security measures you may (as an

> average homeuser) wish to consider this:

>

> For WinXP the most dependable defenses are:

> 1. Do not work as Administrator; For day-to-day work routinely use a

> Limited User Account (LUA).

> 2. Secure (Harden) your operating system.

> 3. Don't expose services to public networks.

> 4. Keep your operating system (and all software on it) updated/patched.

> (Got SP3 yet?).

> 5. Reconsider the usage of IE and OE.

> 5a.Secure (Harden) Internet Explorer.

> 6. Review your installed 3rd party software applications/utilities; Remove

> clutter, including 3rd party software personal (so-called) firewall

> application (PFW) - the one which claims:

> "It can stop/control malicious outbound traffic".

> 7. If on dial-up Internet connection, activate the build-in firewall and

> configure Windows not to use TCP/IP as transport protocol for NetBIOS,

> SMB and RPC, thus leaving TCP/UDP ports 135,137-139 and 445 (the most

> exploited Windows networking weak point) closed.

> 7a.If on high-speed Internet connection use a router.

> For the average homeuser it is suggested blocking both TCP and UDP ports

> 135 ~ 139 and 445 on the router and implement countermeasures against

> DNSChanger. (Is the Firmware of your router up-to-date?).

> And (just in case) Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) has been superseded by

> Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA).

> 8. Routinely practice Safe-Hex.

>

> Also, ensure you do:

> a. Regularly back-up data/files.

> b. Familiarize yourself with crash recovery tools and re-installing your

> operating system (OS).

> c. Utilize a good-quality real-time anti-virus application and some vital

> system monitoring utilities/applications.

> d. Keep abreast of the latest developments.

>

> And finally:

> Most computer magazines and/or (computer) specialized websites are biased

> i.e. heavily weighted towards the (advertisement) dollar almighty!

> Therefore:

> a. Be cautious selecting software applications touted in publications

> relying on advertisement revenue.

> b. Do take their test-results of various software with a considerable

> amount of salt!

> c. Which also applies to their 'investigative' in-depth test reports

> related to any software applications.

> d. Investigate claims made by software manufacturer prior downloading

> their software; Subscribing to noncommercial-type publications,

> specialized newsgroups and/or fora (to some extend) are a great way to

> find out the 'nitty-gritties' and to consider various options available.

>

> The least preferred defenses are:

> Myriads of popular anti-whatever applications and staying ignorant.

>

August 19, 2008

RE: An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure

MalWareBytes is a good product but Adaware SE just is terrible in my opinion

now because of its false positives --- it destroyed my sister Kate's computer

because of false positives and so I do not suggest using such an inferior and

crappy product as Adaware SE. The rest of the suggestions on the web-site

seem okay.

"~BD~" wrote:

> Thanks Milo! (and Anteaus!)

>

> Another good site to explore here:-

>

> http://www.windowsbbs.com/malware-virus-re...pound-cure.html

>

> Dave

>

> --

>

> "Milo" <jfcoel@hotmail.com> wrote in message

> news:43611A9A-09AE-4ABE-B3CE-B9352BE931B2@microsoft.com...

> > try this site for Security/Safety Software

> >

> > http://www.trendsecure.com

> >

> > http://www.trendmicro.com/download/apac/pr...sp?productid=87

> >

> > "Anteaus" <Anteaus@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message

> > news:D5DC6EDE-5EC4-4BA6-A203-05B8F1C3449C@microsoft.com...

> >>

> >> The point the OP makes about AV software is a very real one. AV software

> >> is

> >> sold by way of 'push install' onto new computers, not by consumer choice,

> >> and

> >> certainly not by quality ratings. In many cases the free offerings ARE

> >> better in every respect than the expensive, foisted ones.

> >>

> >> "~BD~" wrote:

> >>

> >> Yet it's possible to get legal,

> >>> professional quality anti-virus and other protective software,

> >>> absolutely

> >>> free.

> >>

> >

>

>

August 19, 2008

On Tue, 19 Aug 2008 03:17:29 -0700, Dan wrote:

> and I

> hope Microsoft will sell their 9x source code to DHS because we need all the

> help that we can get and it is such a loss not to take the full potential of

> an operating system that has its roots in Disk Operating System as a

> maintenance operating system

This won't happen.

> at least until Microsoft is able to give us a

> viable replacement for the NT source code which users seem to forget was

> panned by early Microsoft Engineers as the inferior source code because of

> its lack of the internal safety of Disk Operating System.

Sorry, but this is a load of crap.

--

Paul Adare

MVP - Identity Lifecycle Manager

http://www.identit.ca

No line available at 300 baud.

August 19, 2008

On Tue, 19 Aug 2008 03:17:29 -0700, Dan wrote:

> Thanks. I am using Windows 98 Second Edition on a daily basis now. I also

> use Windows XP Professional and have briefly tried Ubuntu Linux. I have

> Windows Vista Home Premium on another machine. I now know that Windows 98

> Second Edition is a safe internal alternative because the most the bad guys

> have been able to do to me so far is just the Denial of Service error and

> that just makes me laugh since whoever the hackers were of the APS network,

> they certainly appeared to know what they were looking for and how to get it

> quickly but with 98 Second Edition all they could do was the Denial of

> Service Error because 9x consumer source code is meant as a stand-a-lone

> source code and not meant to be networked with lots of other machines and

> that is why in my opinion it was a great lose for all of us not to have

> Windows 98 Second Edition support from Microsoft anymore.

I do banking and trade in stocks etc. and wouldn't feel safe using an

unsupported and outdated operating system.

> Heck, all anybody has to do is check out secunia.com and research the

> vulnerabilities to see which software has vulnerabilities and which software

> has had their vulnerabilities patched. It is quite simple to do the research

> from the search box.

Well, it's a PC! And provided the OS is kept up-to-date, use common sense,

a PC can be configured to withstand attacks.

> It now appears that by the end of the year --- many 3rd party solutions will

> be ending as well --- for Windows 98 Second Edition -- sad to say -- and I

> hope Microsoft will sell their 9x source code to DHS because we need all the

> help that we can get and it is such a loss not to take the full potential of

> an operating system that has its roots in Disk Operating System as a

> maintenance operating system at least until Microsoft is able to give us a

> viable replacement for the NT source code which users seem to forget was

> panned by early Microsoft Engineers as the inferior source code because of

> its lack of the internal safety of Disk Operating System.

As I said, you can configure NT based OS to your advantage.

> The needed solution to the industry's problems are a combination of closed

> and open source technologies that are needed for the future. The industry

> has recognized the threat posed by DNS Pollution. Unfortunately, the concern

> lies now mainly with the consumer practicing the proper methods and not just

> enabling remote source code to be viewed by default, reading all emails in

> plain text only at least initially to understand the threat matrix, keeping

> their machines fully patched, etc.

The technology is freely available.

> The needed solution, in my view for what it is worth, would be a NT external

> secure front (Vista), a 9x internal safety front (Windows 98 Second Edition)

> with open source solutions like Mozilla Firefox (2.0.x) with its 256 bit AES

> encryption even within Windows 98 Second Edition that Internet Explorer lacks

> with Windows XP Professional but has with Windows Vista Internet Explorer as

> well as using programs like SpywareBlaster that prevent baddies from even

> getting onto your computer. I think Gary S. Terhune, Chris Quirke, and

> Robear, all Microsoft MVP's are really good at understanding these areas.

They sure do. But even they have different views with respect to computer

'cum' Internet security and security related software. Sadly, not too many

advocating the use of LUA etc., oh well.

Cheers :-)

August 19, 2008

Thanks for your reply, Kayman. I hope the future will include open and

closed source technologies with NT, 9x, Linux/Unix and we need solutions and

not more complaining. The thing is that Microsoft is the best one to rally

the troops and support this kind of leadership via a new source code. I can

only hope that this will be a reality someday but not in the case of Windows

7 apparently. <same old source code with new features -- it really is a

tired source code in my opinion for what little worth it is to so many>

Of course, 9x consumer source code is not geared for businesses and

networking and has less services so the hacking potential is much less as

well as not having remote access and other stuff that provides the larger

surface area of Windows 2000 and XP. Fortunately, Windows Vista is indeed

much stronger in external defense than 2000 and XP and with SP1 it is much

better in terms of backwards compatibility but I see Vista as still a work in

progress although it really is coming along great. My Ipod Mini 2nd

generation and using it with Windows Vista Home Premium 32 bit with SP1 and

fully updated now plays fine and did not play the Itunues originally until

the updates by Apple and Microsoft were provided.

Ubuntu Linux definately has potential for the future and I see it as an

exciting growth area.

Apple in my opinion has made me very annoyed because they continue to push

Safari which is a crappy web browser imo on Windows users willy nilly and

without any regard for their machines. In addition, Apple has tied Itunues

with Quicktime and you have to keep Quicktime if you want to use Itunes and

Quicktime keeps having security vulnerabilities. In addition, Apple

originally pushed Safari as an update when it was new software and Safari is

terrible and suffers from constant security vulnerabilities. Finally, Apple

also ties Bonjour in with Quicktime and Itunes and while not required is

annoying because it is just another avenue for a cyber hack and hopefully the

U.S. Justice Department will be willing to investigate Apple as they did to

Microsoft back in 1998 for anti-trust issues because if Microsoft was

anti-trust for tying Internet Explorer with Windows 98 then how much more is

Apple breaking user agreements by shoveling all their tied together junk down

Windows user's throats. grr, I just hope that someday Apple's pride will

lead to its being put in its place by the federal government because the

industry sometimes just cannot regulate itself.

"Kayman" wrote:

> On Tue, 19 Aug 2008 03:17:29 -0700, Dan wrote:

>

> > Thanks. I am using Windows 98 Second Edition on a daily basis now. I also

> > use Windows XP Professional and have briefly tried Ubuntu Linux. I have

> > Windows Vista Home Premium on another machine. I now know that Windows 98

> > Second Edition is a safe internal alternative because the most the bad guys

> > have been able to do to me so far is just the Denial of Service error and

> > that just makes me laugh since whoever the hackers were of the APS network,

> > they certainly appeared to know what they were looking for and how to get it

> > quickly but with 98 Second Edition all they could do was the Denial of

> > Service Error because 9x consumer source code is meant as a stand-a-lone

> > source code and not meant to be networked with lots of other machines and

> > that is why in my opinion it was a great lose for all of us not to have

> > Windows 98 Second Edition support from Microsoft anymore.

>

> I do banking and trade in stocks etc. and wouldn't feel safe using an

> unsupported and outdated operating system.

>

> > Heck, all anybody has to do is check out secunia.com and research the

> > vulnerabilities to see which software has vulnerabilities and which software

> > has had their vulnerabilities patched. It is quite simple to do the research

> > from the search box.

>

> Well, it's a PC! And provided the OS is kept up-to-date, use common sense,

> a PC can be configured to withstand attacks.

>

> > It now appears that by the end of the year --- many 3rd party solutions will

> > be ending as well --- for Windows 98 Second Edition -- sad to say -- and I

> > hope Microsoft will sell their 9x source code to DHS because we need all the

> > help that we can get and it is such a loss not to take the full potential of

> > an operating system that has its roots in Disk Operating System as a

> > maintenance operating system at least until Microsoft is able to give us a

> > viable replacement for the NT source code which users seem to forget was

> > panned by early Microsoft Engineers as the inferior source code because of

> > its lack of the internal safety of Disk Operating System.

>

> As I said, you can configure NT based OS to your advantage.

>

> > The needed solution to the industry's problems are a combination of closed

> > and open source technologies that are needed for the future. The industry

> > has recognized the threat posed by DNS Pollution. Unfortunately, the concern

> > lies now mainly with the consumer practicing the proper methods and not just

> > enabling remote source code to be viewed by default, reading all emails in

> > plain text only at least initially to understand the threat matrix, keeping

> > their machines fully patched, etc.

>

> The technology is freely available.

>

> > The needed solution, in my view for what it is worth, would be a NT external

> > secure front (Vista), a 9x internal safety front (Windows 98 Second Edition)

> > with open source solutions like Mozilla Firefox (2.0.x) with its 256 bit AES

> > encryption even within Windows 98 Second Edition that Internet Explorer lacks

> > with Windows XP Professional but has with Windows Vista Internet Explorer as

> > well as using programs like SpywareBlaster that prevent baddies from even

> > getting onto your computer. I think Gary S. Terhune, Chris Quirke, and

> > Robear, all Microsoft MVP's are really good at understanding these areas.

>

> They sure do. But even they have different views with respect to computer

> 'cum' Internet security and security related software. Sadly, not too many

> advocating the use of LUA etc., oh well.

>

> Cheers :-)

>

August 20, 2008

Re: An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure

Thanks for posting your view, Dan.

BD

--

"Dan" <Dan@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message

news:28EB1CE6-FCA4-4679-80D3-3E7C44F6BA21@microsoft.com...

> MalWareBytes is a good product but Adaware SE just is terrible in my

> opinion

> now because of its false positives --- it destroyed my sister Kate's

> computer

> because of false positives and so I do not suggest using such an inferior

> and

> crappy product as Adaware SE. The rest of the suggestions on the web-site

> seem okay.

>

> "~BD~" wrote:

>

>> Thanks Milo! (and Anteaus!)

>>

>> Another good site to explore here:-

>>

>> http://www.windowsbbs.com/malware-virus-re...pound-cure.html

>>

>> Dave

>>

>> --

>>

>> "Milo" <jfcoel@hotmail.com> wrote in message

>> news:43611A9A-09AE-4ABE-B3CE-B9352BE931B2@microsoft.com...

>> > try this site for Security/Safety Software

>> >

>> > http://www.trendsecure.com

>> >

>> > http://www.trendmicro.com/download/apac/pr...sp?productid=87

>> >

>> > "Anteaus" <Anteaus@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message

>> > news:D5DC6EDE-5EC4-4BA6-A203-05B8F1C3449C@microsoft.com...

>> >>

>> >> The point the OP makes about AV software is a very real one. AV

>> >> software

>> >> is

>> >> sold by way of 'push install' onto new computers, not by consumer

>> >> choice,

>> >> and

>> >> certainly not by quality ratings. In many cases the free offerings

>> >> ARE

>> >> better in every respect than the expensive, foisted ones.

>> >>

>> >> "~BD~" wrote:

>> >>

>> >> Yet it's possible to get legal,

>> >>> professional quality anti-virus and other protective software,

>> >>> absolutely

>> >>> free.

>> >>

>> >

>>

>>

>

August 20, 2008

Thank you Kayman. The need is for a new source code that Microsoft is

currently developing but details are mostly secret. What is needed is to tie

the internal safety of 9x (Windows 98 Second Edition) that has Disk Operating

System as its underlying maintenance operating system that Vista lacks

according to Chris Quirke, mvp with the outstanding external security of NT

(New Technology that has its best showing so far in Vista) and these closed

source technologies have been thankfully provided by Microsoft. Windows 98

Second Edition may be unsupported but it is critical in my research for

Microsoft and US-Cert. You bring these two closed source codes -- one

consumer 9x (98SE) has the internal safety with the external security of NT

(Vista) with the help of Unix/Linux open source technologies and it provides

the ultimate safety and security solution for all. A good example of open

source technologies that I like is Mozilla Firefox which even has 256 bit AES

(Advanced Encryption Standard) within Windows 98 Second Edition. Happily, I

have been running tests and seeing if people can hack into 98 Second Edition

but so far all the hackers can do is denial of service errors to Internet

Explorer and as shown in the previous example to VPN.

BTW, forgive my ignorance and stupidity but what is LULA and explain better

for my knowledge and others who may not have all the background experience

expertise in the security industry within banking that you have Kayman.