quote:
Originally posted by lopardo
I never used any virus scanner, never found a really good one, so I just don't open suspicious files (common sense) and I never got infected. Windows XP has its own firewall, and does its job pretty darn well, so you don't need third party software. So, I agree 100% with WDZ and saralk.
Include me in.... to many people these days are too paranoid. Using common sense is often forgotten and people install 5 virusscanner/firewalls and all that stuff and then they complain they can't open certain things. Indeed, the firewall included in Windows does his job VERY well. The only negative thing you can say about it is that it doesn't have many features/options to set. But actually that's a good thing for 90% of all people. A decent firewall doesn't need hundreds of whistles and bells. But of course, it is from MS, so everybody says it sux (without any reason, they just believe and repeat everything bad that they see on the net because they are paranoid, and the ball gets rolling)....
quote:
Originally posted by WDZ
and the bad stuff would be loaded without you knowing.
This can be prevented easly with the normal internet settings of Windows and the normal settings in every browser.
Options like: "Ask if an ActiveX which isn't marked as safe must be executed" or "Ask to download/execute ActiveX elements without signature"... those things. Or the "download and execute immediatly"-options in some browsers.......
If you set those options to "ask" instead of "allow", NOTHING will be executed that could be dodgy without you knowing it.
So in short: no need for bloated-3rd-party-scanners-custom-made-for-paranoid-people-tools . Just common sense and sensable settings in Windows and browsers.
But, on topic... Scone, if you scan your PC for trojans and nothing is found, turn on the windows firewall (or your own software firewall) and that "hacker" has no change in doing anything as the firewall will keep the outside connection closed IF the "hacker" even manages to get your current IP (you indeed will have a dynamic IP which changes with every internet connection (unless you payed A LOT for your connection and in that case you will know when you have a static IP)).
A true hacker wont bother hacking your PC, trust me....
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