What you will find in this location is a subset of the many choices available to us in the realm of computer security - in particular, while connected to the Internet. I have chosen the products below based on their functionality, their cost-to-benefit ratio, and the integrity of the software developer. Ironically, many "security" applications available are preying upon the average user's lack of time or expertise and intentionally breaching the security of the computer that they are supposedly protecting! Of course, as with anything, you assume a certain amount of risk using ANY product; these I have presented are no exception to that rule. I have not created any of these tools. They are maintained by their respective developers which is why I have been careful to provide a ready means for you to research them on your own if you choose. For updates to this web page, go to www.MKnetworking.com/security where I will be adding information as the PC security landscape continues to evolve.
Happy computing and surfing!
-Matt Kunath
AntiVirusDescription of why this is a good idea |
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Name of software | AVG 6.0 Anti-Virus System |
Home Page | http://www.grisoft.com |
Internet Download Site | http://www.grisoft.com/html/us_downl.htm#FREE |
Local copy of setup app. (on this disk) | .\AVG 6.0 Free Edition (Anti Virus)\avg6456fu_free.exe |
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Spyware BlockerSpyware is software or hardware installed on a computer without the user's knowledge which gathers information about that user for later retrieval by whomever controls the spyware. Spyware can be broken down into two different categories, surveillance spyware and advertising spyware. Spywareinfo.com now has a (free) online spyware scanner which will scan your system for known spyware and adware available at http://www.spywareinfo.com/xscan.php. |
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Name of software | "Spybot - Search & Destroy 1.1" |
Home Page | http://spybot.safer-networking.de/ |
Internet Download Site | http://shinobiresources.com/Downloads/spybot/spybotsd11.exe |
Local "download" (on this disk) | .\Spybot - Search & Destroy 1.1\spybotsd11.exe |
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Hosts File ManagerThe Hosts file is used by your operating system as a quick way of resolving hostnames (www.example.com) into IP addresses (123.234.1.2). Normally, when you type a hostname into your browser, your DNS server (usually specified by your ISP) is queried to obtain the IP address. Depending on the performance of your Internet connection and DNS server, this can take a considerable amount of time. By placing entries into your Hosts file, addresses can be resolved quickly without calls to your DNS server, speeding up the connection to sites you visit often. This is what the Hosts file was originally designed for. By resolving the hostnames for sites that host advertisements to a non-existant IP address, you can speed up your browsing considerably by never downloading these bandwidth-hogging ads! |
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Name of software | Hostess |
Home Page | http://www.smartin-designs.com/hostess.htm |
Internet Download Site | http://www.smartin-designs.com/downloads/hostess.zip |
Local "download" (on this disk) | .\Hostess - db for managing your HOSTS file\hostess.zip |
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Browser Helper Object ManagerA Browser Helper Object, or BHO, is just a small program that runs automatically every time you start your Internet browser. Usually, a BHO is installed on your system by another software program. For example, Go!Zilla, the downloading utility, installs a BHO created by Radiate (formerly Aureate Media); this BHO tracks which advertisements you see as you surf the Web. Some BHOs, however, are placed secretly on your system, and there is certainly no technical reason why they could not be programmed to send information about your system (or your web surfing habits) over the Internet without your knowledge. |
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Name of software | BHODemon 1.0 |
Home Page | http://www.definitivesolutions.com/bhodemon.htm |
Internet Download Site | http://www.definitivesolutions.com/files/bhodmon1.zip |
Local "download" (on this disk) | .\BHODemon - Tracks Browser Helper Objects (freeware)\bhodmon1.zip |
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Startup MonitorDescription of why this is such a good idea |
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Name of software | Startup Control Panel by Michael Lin |
Home Page | http://www.mlin.net/StartupCPL.shtml |
Internet Download Site | http://www.mlin.net/files/StartupCPL.zip |
Local "download" (on this disk) | .\MLin's Startup Control Panel\StartupCPL_EXE.zip |
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Internet Explorer Security ZonesIE-SPYAD adds a long list of known advertisers, marketers, and spyware pushers to the Restricted Sites zone of Internet Explorer. Once IE-SPYAD is in place, most direct marketers and spyware pushers will not be able to resort to their usual "tricks" (e.g., cookies, scripts, popups, et al) in order to monitor and track your behavior while you surf the Net. |
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Name of software | IE-SPYAD: Restricted Sites List for Internet Explorer |
Home Page | http://www.staff.uiuc.edu/~ehowes/resource.htm |
Internet Download Site | http://www.staff.uiuc.edu/~ehowes/res/ie-spyad.exe |
Local "download" (on this disk) | .\IE-SPYAD IE-ADS.REG - - -\ie-spyad.zip |
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Download ManagerDescription of why this is such a good idea |
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Name of software | AppName-----XXXXX |
Home Page | http://www.--------.com |
Internet Download Site | http://www.--------.com |
Local "download" (on this disk) | http://www.--------.com |
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Pop-up Ad BlockerMost people are familiar with freeware, shareware, cookies, media players, interactive content, and file sharing. What they may not realize is that some of the aforementioned may contain code or components that allow the developers of these applications and tools to actually collect and disseminate information about those using them. They can track your surfing habits, abuse your Internet connection by sending this data to a third party, profile your shopping preferences, hijack your browser start page or pages, alter important system files, and can do this without your knowledge or permission. The security and privacy implications of these exploits should be quite obvious and undesirable on any system or network! |
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Name of software | Ad-aware 6.0 Build 0162 (Standard Edition) |
Home Page | http://www.lavasoftusa.com |
Internet Download Site | http://www.majorgeeks.com/getfile.php?file=506&site=2 |
Local "download" (on this disk) | .\AdAware |
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Other reputible sources for security information. . . . . . |
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SpywareInfo:
http://www.spywareinfo.com |
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Scots Newsletter:
http://www.scotsnewsletter.com |
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PestPatrol:
http://www.pestpatrol.com |
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Gibson Research Corporation:
http://grc.com/default.htm |
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Denial-Of-Service attack - A Case History:
http://grc.com/dos/grcdos.htm |
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PC Firewall Guide:
http://www.firewallguide.com |
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Privacy & Security Page from the University of Illinois:
http://www.staff.uiuc.edu/~ehowes/main-nf.htm |
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Guide to Computer Security - Non-Technical Guide:
http://www.cites.uiuc.edu/security/index.html |