I very rarely get virus's and almost never have adware or spyware. And I don't use black magic to keep my computer safe.
For starters, my entire network is protected by a router. This offers protection in itself with a built in firewall.
All my computers use either Mozilla Firefox or Netscape. These are strong and safe browsers, not prone to the attacks Internet Explorer is.
All my computers have Avast Anti-Virus or AVG Virus Scanner, Or both. Both are free scanners, both are the best in their fields, in my opinion.
I only have two windows updates installed, which is the fix for Blaster and the fix for Sasser.
Because those two are just too bloody anoying to argue with. I also have the Symantec tools for the removel of both virus's.
Firewall I almost never use, but I feel there is a real security threat, I'll activate BlackICE. Not free, but worth the effort.
Limewire for all my downloads of adult material.
Only a moron falls for the "Worlds hottest girls go wild.exe" so I consider limewire safe enough to use. If I do somehow manage a virus, limewire will tell me of a corruption in the file and Avast will be like "OI! virus!" None of that Free Site crap for me.
Service Pack II for windows XP is installed and the default Windows firewall is disabled.
I do a regular backup of my most important files every friday.
All of the above has kept me pretty well in the clear. If I'm met with a virus Avast or AVG don't kill in 10 seconds. I'll remove the computer from the network. And on another computer, do a symantec search for it. If I can't find it there, I'll go to Microsoft. After they fail. I'll format the computer. And reinstall everything.
That's my secret. What's yours?
Heh, my secret, AVG/SpyBot/Adaware/Brain. The brain being the most important tool.
I have never met a spyware threat that I could not remove(On an XP system, with win98, most of the tools we take for granted today did not exist). My last virus was removed within minutes of getting it, and I will admit, it was my own fault for being an idiot and going to some of my... less than legal... sites without first updating windows past sp1a and using FireFox. Within about 2 seconds I had over 20 viruses and malware attacking the computer I was on. I never saw the site as a threat because I normally go to it in FireFox with a winXP SP2 PC. I was able to clean it in a flash, took about 15 minutes for a full clean up, and no ill affects have been noticed. "A brain is the single most powerful tool against the evils of the internet." --Scoobert (04/05/06) | |
I never put myself in any real position to get a virus but I keep Spyware doctor handy and my computer is protected by a router firewall and Spyware has an active OnGuard feature that really helps, other then that I just back up my files weekly.
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I have my router (w/ firewall), and my ISP has a firewall as well. I use FireFox, and I do not download anything that looks suspicious. That's about all I do. :D
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I use a few things to keep my computer safe. AVG paired with an online virus scan, which are sometimes more accurate. Adaware and SSD + the online virus scan [Happens to check for spyware as well] for my spyware needs. Zonealarm for my Firewall. I personally have never needed a Firewall; however, I do use it sometimes when in similiar circumstances as Tib. I do not hide behind a router either and have had very little problems with any sort of malicious files. If I do bump into something that cannot be taken out, I generally do a large internet search to learn about it and then try in safe mode to take out the file. If it reoccurs and I do not find a way to annhilate the file online, I use HijackThis to scan all the processes [including hidden ones] to see if I can find something out of place. If I can, I usually nuke it and its all good. Sometimes running into regedit is the way to stop a malicious file from reappearing. With all that out the way, while my computer appears safe, there are many new virus' being created and many still undedected; thus, chances are, I do have something on my computer but not a single bad thing has happend to me throughout my lifetime on the computer and I don't store any important information on my computer, so its all good. :) I am not a fan of reformatting...>_<.
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Well...
No internet on gaming/programming PC, internet on family PC. Family PC has ZoneAlarm, Sophos AV and Spybot S&D. It ain't perfect, but it's survived since we got the firewall + Sophos. And, naturally, my beautiful, beautiful brain. *Drools*. Mmmm.... brains.... | |
Mcafee Secuirity Center. I rarely get any virusses, considering I use IE more than FireFox. So, yeah.