broadband and network security

what are the implications of security having an always on connection? I am
about to connect broadband, and what do I do to ensure safety? I have
norton AV installed, anything else to recommend?

"Andre" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:c1bair$4dl$(E-Mail Removed)...
> what are the implications of security having an always on connection? I
am
> about to connect broadband, and what do I do to ensure safety? I have
> norton AV installed, anything else to recommend?

Install a firewall.

You can get free ones from http://www.zonelabs.com/ and
http://www.kerio.com/ amongst other places.

Regards
Sunil

Good idea to install a decent firewall, to prevent unauthorised access to
your PC, and anti-spyware software is useful too.

I like Norton Internet Security, as it also provides Parental Controls, so I
can limit the kids' access to the net.

Whatever software you use for antivirus / antispyware, it is ESSENTIAL to
keep it up to date - most have auto-update configuration options.

--
Olly
www.bordersbroadband.co.uk

"Andre" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:c1bair$4dl$(E-Mail Removed)...
> what are the implications of security having an always on connection? I
am
> about to connect broadband, and what do I do to ensure safety? I have
> norton AV installed, anything else to recommend?
>
>

On Sun, 22 Feb 2004 22:30:52 +0000 (UTC), "Andre" <(E-Mail Removed)>
wrote:

>what are the implications of security having an always on connection?

Your drawers are round your ankles unless you start practicing Safe Hex.

> I am
>about to connect broadband, and what do I do to ensure safety?


Buy a proper router with stateful packet filtering.

> I have
>norton AV installed, anything else to recommend?

See above.


greg


>

--
You do a lot less thundering in the pulpit against the Harlot
after she marches right down the aisle and kicks you in the nuts.

> Whatever software you use for antivirus / antispyware, it is ESSENTIAL to
> keep it up to date - most have auto-update configuration options.

For spyware, Spybot Search & Destroy is very good, and i`ve got a newbie-
level intro on setting it up here

http://www.phoenixbbs.dsl.pipex.com/spybot.html

and a few generalised hints on security here (some may be out of date)

http://www.phoenixbbs.dsl.pipex.com/general.html

--
Please add "[newsgroup]" in the subject of any personal replies via email
* old email address "btiruseless" abandoned due to worm-generated spam *
--- My new email address has "ngspamtrap" & @btinternet.com in it ;-) ---

Interestingly I was recently reading a review on AntiVirus software in
Computer Shopper - Feb 04.
Norton Antivirus was slated as not being so hot these days.
They ran some tests against each product and rated the products accordingly
(how well they detected the test viruses etc.)

The ratings they produced were:
* * * * * F Secure Internet Security 2004 £35
* * * * F Secure Anti-Virus Client Security £70
* * * * * Kaspersky LAB Anti-Virus Personal 4.5 £28
* * * * * Kaspersky LAB Anti-Virus Personal Pro 4.5 £55
* * * * McAFEE VirusScan Home Edition 8 £35
* * * * McAFEE VirusScan Professional 7 £40
* * * Symantec Norton AntiVirus 2004 £37
* * * Symantec Norton AntiVirus 2004 Professional £47
* * PANDA Titanium Antivirus 2004 £29
* * PANDA Antivirus Plantinum 7 £50
* * AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition Free
* * AVG 7 Anti-Virus Professional Edition £25
* FRISK SW F-Prot Antivirus for Win 3.14b $29
* FRISK SW F-Prot Antivirus for Win multiuser $50
* * Trend Micro Internet Security II £40

BEST BUY AWARD - FSecure Internet Security 2004
BEST BUDGET BUY - Kaspersky Anti-Virus Personal 4.5
MOST DESIRABLE - Kaspersky Anti-Virus Personal Pro 4.5

Dunno how good these results are but food for thought and my own IT guys
said Norton not as hot as used to be.

Ian


"Olly" <newsgroups2004-(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:c1bbe3$s5s$(E-Mail Removed)...
> Good idea to install a decent firewall, to prevent unauthorised access to
> your PC, and anti-spyware software is useful too.
>
> I like Norton Internet Security, as it also provides Parental Controls, so
I
> can limit the kids' access to the net.
>
> Whatever software you use for antivirus / antispyware, it is ESSENTIAL to
> keep it up to date - most have auto-update configuration options.
>
> --
> Olly
> www.bordersbroadband.co.uk
>
> "Andre" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:c1bair$4dl$(E-Mail Removed)...
> > what are the implications of security having an always on connection? I
> am
> > about to connect broadband, and what do I do to ensure safety? I have
> > norton AV installed, anything else to recommend?
> >
> >
>
>

"Ian Nelson" <(E-Mail Removed)(AT)neltek.com> wrote in
news:c1bk7u$q4$(E-Mail Removed):

> Interestingly I was recently reading a review on AntiVirus
> software in Computer Shopper - Feb 04.

> Dunno how good these results are but food for thought and my own
> IT guys said Norton not as hot as used to be.

The standard advice is "beware of magazine reviews". The anti-virus
tests are not authoritative, take no account of the long term
performance of the product, and often concentrate on the 'look and
feel' of the product - which frankly is not as important as the ability
to combat malware.

Start by having a look here: <http://www.virusbtn.com/>

Hope this helps

--

Richard Perkin
To email me, change the AT in the address below
richard.perkinATmyrealbox.com

It's is not, it isn't ain't, and it's it's, not its, if you mean it
is. If you don't, it's its. Then too, it's hers. It isn't her's.
It isn't our's either. It's ours, and likewise yours and theirs.
-- Oxford University Press, Edpress News

Sunil Sood wrote:
> "Andre" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:c1bair$4dl$(E-Mail Removed)...
>> what are the implications of security having an always on
>> connection? I am about to connect broadband, and what do I do to
>> ensure safety? I have norton AV installed, anything else to
>> recommend?
>
> Install a firewall.
>
> You can get free ones from http://www.zonelabs.com/ and
> http://www.kerio.com/ amongst other places.
>
> Regards
> Sunil

Sygate worth a look too. It is possible to set individual ports and
addresses on the free version.

http://smb.sygate.com/products/spf_standard.htm

ed



--
"Everyone looks like Ernest Borgnine."

A router with a built-in firewall is certainly a good start - that and a
tinfoil hat.

If you're connecting to ADSL, then two good routers are the Netgear DG834
here:
www.itchest.co.uk/dg834.aspx
and the more expensive but excellent Draytek 2600, here:
www.itchest.co.uk/draytek2600.aspx

If you're getting cable (ie NTL or blueyonder), the Netpassage 16 is decent
value at £39:
www.itchest.co.uk/np16.aspx

The hardware firewalls built into these routers will keep out external
attacks, random port scanning, and so on. However, no hardware firewall can
defend against an attack initiated from the inside. For example, if someone
downloads Kournikova.scr, and the trojan makes an outgoing connection to the
internet, then no router can distinguish that from a legitimate connection
made by, for example, Outlook Express.

For that, it's worth running either a software firewall like Zone Alarm,
which will block unauthorised connections, or a virus scanner which will
detect the trojan. I do the latter myself.

Benedict.
--
Add the 'co' to reply
www.itchest.co.uk
Tel: 0870 162 0840

"Greg Hennessy" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> On Sun, 22 Feb 2004 22:30:52 +0000 (UTC), "Andre" <(E-Mail Removed)>
> wrote:
>
> >what are the implications of security having an always on connection?
>
> Your drawers are round your ankles unless you start practicing Safe Hex.
>
> > I am
> >about to connect broadband, and what do I do to ensure safety?
>
>
> Buy a proper router with stateful packet filtering.
>
> > I have
> >norton AV installed, anything else to recommend?
>
> See above.
>
>
> greg
>
>
> >
>
> --
> You do a lot less thundering in the pulpit against the Harlot
> after she marches right down the aisle and kicks you in the nuts.