Wolfus, do you have AIM or similar... Sarah wanted to know, so she could chat at you.. I would too, but I'm not as cute.

Theo

 

I never use "Instant Messenger" software. It messes up your computer, and opens it up to hackers.

 

You are very wise!! I just thought if you already had it, it would be fun to chat.

 

This is why we have two firewalls, and a router. I am assured by the firewall maker that the use of IM software will not disclose the whereabouts of the network.. It seems to be true, I have not yet been hacked with this system, whereas prior to its installation I lost the entire network to hackers.

Theo

 

I have a router - my firewall software is kind of intrusive though, so I rarely install it. In theory a router makes the system invisible all by itself.

But I.M. software can create conflicts of it's own, especially when un-installing it. I figure if I don't install it in the first place I can skip that part altogether...

(I've been doing this a while. FDISK is still a four letter word in my opinion)

 

You all have the right idea, the router or firewall probably NATs (Network Address Translation) the address, most home devices default to that. So it uses private IP addresses on the inside that the Internet will not route anywhere so no one can connect to you. When you go out to the Internet it tells wherever you go to just send back to the outside of the router, where it is a public IP address and the router keeps track of where to send it on the inside.

Just make sure you have up to date antivirus!

You can get a virus just by going to a website and sometimes viruses can get through IMs but so far only if you use the file sharing part of it.

Sorry to intrude on the thread but antivirus software is sooo important these days I had to mention it. I do network security at work and couldn't help myself.

 

You havenot intruded, gcg82.. you are very welcome, and thank you for the info.

Theo

 

Define "IM" - I'm not sure what you mean about that.

I do know that anything recieved by the inner system is going to execute unless permissions have been set to prevent it under Internet options/security.

All of my E-Mail is routed through theoretically V-Proofed host sites, and if I don't recognise the sender the auto-delete rule applies!

About the only thing I download these days is from windows update, or JAVA Boutique. Both trusted sites.

I think this discussion deserves a thread of it's very own titled net security - this is highly worthwhile info.

It's a PITA to keep on top of the latest AV ware though - my original NORTON and McAffee became un-updateable because the versions were so early.

I'd like to strangle both companies for leaving me high and dry like that!

 

IM - Instant Messengers, AOL, Yahoo, Microsoft has one. Most if not all have file sharing built in. I don't mess with them and I believe file sharing is disabled by default. Just something to be aware of.

You're right about setting the permission it's just annoying if you get a pop up asking if you want to allow things to run, such as a map at mapquest, all the time. I set Internet Explorer to ask before it runs anything, but alot of people just set it to allow things to run.

I shouldn't have been quite so alarmest in my message, I'm a security guy for a DOD contractor though so I can be a little extreme.

I agree with the strangling part. The antivirus companies make a little too much $$. I don't like the way they make you pay every year and force you to upgrade. On the flip side though it is like a security system, you pay and hope it never has to work but if something happens 1 time it may pay for itself.

 

I use a free download Anti Virus program, that has caught everything I have thrown at it, and a few that snuck in by themselves. I update, for nothing, every week, and it scans on boot up, and when asked to. It also runs all the time, and catches things on the fly, just like the very expensive one..

It is called AVG Anti Virus, and can found at WWW.grisoft.com/us/us_dwnl_free.php I have found it more stable than the 'big boys' software, and it is free.


Theo

 

I'll never forget the day I found the custom settings on Norton and ran a real scan on my stuff -

NO file skipping whatsoever, and BINK!

It found a bug that was originally shipped on an install disc for some hardware I had been using for years! It was the old SAMPO virus, and it had systematically taken over every PC I owned for three years after buying the hardware that caused it...

Man was I ever peeved! Someone out there musta got skipped over as employee of the month or something, sheesh!