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Could do with a bit of IT help.
Our home network is currently running with McAfee Firewall, Norton Anti-virus on each PC and 3 Anti-Spyware software products that we run regularly. However, we still seem to be inundated with spyware. Finally, over the weekend Ivan's AOL email account was highjacked and used to send out spam.
What are we doing wrong?
Is there a single product (One Ring to Rule Them All) that could help us out?
Not too bothered about the cost as Mendi says that the company can pay!
All suggestions are welcomed.
Thanks
Our home network is currently running with McAfee Firewall, Norton Anti-virus on each PC and 3 Anti-Spyware software products that we run regularly. However, we still seem to be inundated with spyware. Finally, over the weekend Ivan's AOL email account was highjacked and used to send out spam.
What are we doing wrong?
Is there a single product (One Ring to Rule Them All) that could help us out?
Not too bothered about the cost as Mendi says that the company can pay!
All suggestions are welcomed.
Thanks
no subject
Date: 2005-02-01 01:38 pm (UTC)Don't use AOL or even better, don't use Windows?
Slightly more seriously:
Use Firefox for browsing or at least a good popup blocker. Don't click on anything that says "You have won a price! Click here" and similar things.
Make sure you always have the most up to date databases/libraries for your spyware apps (Spybot Search & Destroy and AdAware seem to work well in conjunction) and make sure they're active all the time (monitor your ports).
Spyware is often very clever and regularly improved. The checkers need to know what to look for first, of course, so you'll always end up with some.
In case of Ivan's AOL account hijack, get in touch with AOL because that's a breach on their end and you have a right to complain.
no subject
Date: 2005-02-01 01:44 pm (UTC)I'm not using AdAware - I will sort that out when I get some time at the home PC
Thanks
no subject
Date: 2005-02-01 01:53 pm (UTC)Ditto.
Date: 2005-02-01 01:47 pm (UTC)OUTLOOK = spam-sending tool for hackers or worse, worm infection.
Norton = v. good
Firefox = v. good (for blocking popups as well)
SpyBot = v. good
Re: Ditto.
Date: 2005-02-01 01:55 pm (UTC)Use Mozilla Thunderbird as your email client, easy to set up and customize. Doesn't have calendar and other gubbins but is very good.
Re: Ditto.
Date: 2005-02-01 02:00 pm (UTC)Re: Ditto.
Date: 2005-02-01 02:02 pm (UTC)Sometimes it's good to have your mails in more than one place, though.
Re: Ditto.
Date: 2005-02-01 01:57 pm (UTC)OUTLOOK = never been opened on any PC I've used at home
Norton = using it
Firefox = using it
SpyBot = will track it down and evaluate it
Thanks sweetie
Re: Ditto.
Date: 2005-02-03 04:28 am (UTC)AOL
Date: 2005-02-03 04:31 am (UTC)Er, this and that would appear to be evidence to the contrary.
Luck.
Re: AOL
Date: 2005-02-03 08:44 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-02-03 11:52 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-02-01 01:52 pm (UTC)Connection isn't too bad mind.
no subject
Date: 2005-02-01 01:56 pm (UTC)I'm only using them for lists now, my yahoo account for everyday things and gmail for important stuff.
no subject
Date: 2005-02-01 01:56 pm (UTC)Only semi-joking
no subject
Date: 2005-02-01 02:10 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-02-01 02:20 pm (UTC)A Mac?
*runs away*
Seriously, if the company is paying get Sophos AV. Also stop using Outlook Express and IE as they are good virus magnets. Eudora and Firefox are your friends.
no subject
Date: 2005-02-01 06:14 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-02-01 06:17 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-02-01 07:36 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-02-01 07:39 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-02-01 09:13 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-02-01 09:16 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-02-03 11:53 pm (UTC)Echos....
Date: 2005-02-01 03:13 pm (UTC)No.
Spybot, Adaware, 'fox.
Train the kids to never install anything and never click on anything on a pop up. Better yet, change the settings on their accounts so that they can't.
Buy more Macs.
Re: Echos....
Date: 2005-02-01 03:25 pm (UTC)Re: Echos....
Date: 2005-02-01 05:30 pm (UTC)Re: Echos....
Date: 2005-02-01 05:42 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-02-01 06:22 pm (UTC)> used to send out spam
This is a bit ambiguous. Presumably you mean a spammer used Ivan's email address as the "From" address in his spamming run. Report it to AOL as abuse, but tough luck. Nothing of yours was highjacked.
Where is your dedicated firewall?
When was the last time you reinstalled windows from scratch?
The one product? MacOSX. (It is unix you know).
When you say "spyware" what do you mean? trojans? If your Norton, and MacAffee NAV Stinger, and AVG can't remove them easily then wipe the hard disk and start again.
no subject
Date: 2005-02-01 07:06 pm (UTC)If you can't cleanse (ie. reboot, rescan and it's clean) your computers with AdAware and Spybot Search and Destroy, it may make sense to back up, reformat and reinstall each one in turn. At the same time, switch to a different ISP - really. It might involve a bit of pain and hate to begin with, but you'll realise just how much AOL censors and controls your PC and content.
Firefox for your web browsing, Thunderbird for your email. A couple of things to note with email addresses. Never post them on a public forum. Treat it with the same level of trust as your direct phone number. If you have to use an email address for something, get a free HoTMaiL one or similar and use that.
I receive NO spam at all as a result of sticking to this advice (plus I have my own dyndns domain as well).
Set up accounts for people on your computers as 'Administrator' and if you can't trust them not to download or install nasties like pop-ups or spyware then set their accounts to 'Limited'.
Keep your computer up to date with Windows Update. Use the Firewall with Service Pack 2 - it's pretty good. Install Grisoft AVG for anti-virus - it's free.
no subject
Date: 2005-02-02 11:35 am (UTC)2. Get a hardware firewall
3. Ditch norton and mcafee, in my experience (8years) they're both crap.
4. Get zone alarm and Grisoft AVG antivirus (both Free)
5. run Spybot and AdAware regularly.
6. Use Firefox, not IE
This is the method I use and so far have not had any problems in 8 years computing.