Xmetalfanx Security Section

Ad Blocking Software
Encryption Software
Security Programs
Security Links
Scummy Programs and Websites
Small Freewares to Secure your PC
Proxomitron Software Firewalls
Securely Removing Data from your computer
The Proxomitron
"Why IE could be Dangerous?"

Secure Windows XP
Steve Gibson Tools

Where to Buy Good AV's? (department stores)
Virus Protection
Anti-virus Chart
Xmetalfanx Anti-Virus Opinions
AVP/AVX Confusion
Proof of AVP/AVX Mishap
Virus that locks your own files, Comments

What is Spyware?
Spyware Detection and Removal

Spybot 1.4 Final(FW)
Ad-Aware(FW) 6.05 SE
Spyware Blaster(FW) 3.4
Spy Sweeper

PCFlank
Sygate Online Scan
HackerWhacker
Shields UP!

Based on the list below, what programs (of those types) i use and recommend and which one i'd avoid)

(as much as you can ... this is not including the obvious of using common sense when on the web, running a Antivirus, Spyware scanners, and firewalls ....)

Run XP-AntiSpy (XP users)
(BE REALLY CAREFUL WITH THIS) run Security and Privacy Complete (read my description)
Run DComBobulator from Steve Gibson
(this may be fixed/patched when XP-Anti-Spy is ran, but it cant hurt) Run Steve Gibson's UPnP Scanners to see if you are vulnerable and if you are to actually close the vulnerability
WWDC.exe: Get this program that will close many commonly open/vulnerable ports by adjusting some settings in services and other locations

Misc Security "WE ARE HACKING YOUR COMPUTER!" scripts .... Are They for real?... what do they look like?, How to Protect Yours	Spam Spamming Threat from Messenger service - What companies are doing it, and how to prevent yourself from being a victim
Spyware Blocking ads and spyware with Host File	Virus Comments on the New virus that locks your files and tells you to get them back, you have to pay $200...

Get one of the following programs listed below (in each category) ... many TRUE freewares are available ....

Program Types Everyone Should Have

Updater

Ok Ok, this is not so much an software category, as its more an "addon' type of category, but its important anyway... Although I will list Windows Instructions here, I do know how to and may put up general instructions on updating Linux (if your "smart enough" to use Linux, your probably already aware of how to do it.)

Belarc Adviser

Belarc Adviser is a program that will display a profile of your computer (Software installed, Hardware, and MISSING OR FAILED hotfixes) ... for each this program will give a direct link to Microsoft to download the updates. As I just said, failed updates (updates that you think are installed and working, but actually aren't) are listed too.

Windiz Addon (Mozilla Firefox required... most likely the most recent one possible)

This is what Windows Update use to be, before they put in all sorts of "Windows Product Activation" mechanisms that check serial numbers and ...codes for those numbers,..... and its just a a ton of garbage, if you ask me

Not to get too off topic, but this is one of Microsoft's problems. They are so paranoid of people "stealing" their products, they spend more time trying to work on anti-piracy features all over their programs, then the ACTUAL program (or OS) itself is junk. ...

Antiviruses

A good antivirus protects you from viruses, worms and trojans. With a GOOD AV.. there is no need for some programs that are "trojan scanners only". A good one will protect your system from all three of those items.

MY RECOMMENDATIONS -

NOD32
Kaspersky
- (or Defender Pro... Kaspersky under a different names it seems)
**FREEWARE** - Avira - the best of the three freeware Antiviruses if you ask me, ALTHOUGH any of those 3 (AVAST, and AVG being the other two) are alot better than products like Norton or Mcafee
*** COMMON SENSE ** -- go ahead and laugh, but this is VERY IMPORTANT.
- Where did Bit Defender go. Well, it is my third pick at the moment, however, it has gotten consistently more "bloated" with every release and the detection that use to be comparable to Kaspersky.... really "dropped off" if you ask me (or read many reviews)

BHO Manager

Manages Browser Helper Objects - installed on your system. There are separate programs for this, but there is one I like better then the others

MY RECOMMENDATIONS - Win Patrol (Free Edition or Pro

Cookie/ Cache Remover or Managers

These will get rid of Temp Internet files and many will clean out out temp files too... look in the security page of my useful program's section for some that I recommend -

MY RECOMMENDATIONS

Cleanup 4 (FREEWARE for IE and IE Clones mostly)...
overall CCleaner (FREEWARE)

Encryption

MY RECOMMENDATIONS

True Crypt

Firewall

Hardware firewalls are the best, but there are several "good" (never as good as a good hardware firewall), that can protect you from hackers and even some have "basic" or "well known" trojans databases that may be able to prevent your data from being sent out due to a "major" internet trojan or virus (i am not sure of this, however)

Spyware Scanner

Spyware is tricky and sometimes harmful software that installs along side other programs, alot of the time, even without your knowledge.. they collect various bits of information about you... what websites you visit, how long you have been there.... any other items.

Some scanners I think are are good are Spybot: Search and Destroy, Spyware Blaster (a different kind of anti-spyware program)
I have seen others that charge you like $20 or more... most scanners that are the best are free, or are free and offer some extra's in a "plus" version.. I have even seen many of the expensive spyware scanners, like BPS spyware scanner (I have heard and seen alot of reports... i have not debugged the code and seen myself), that actually "steal" the database used by Spybot... Spybot set a special code of some sort in it's database that goes off if someone tries to steal it for their own program... a friend of mine, looked at it and said it went off in BPS

MY RECOMMENDATIONS -

Freewares

Spyware Blaster (a different type of antispyware tools),

Hijackthis (BE CAREFUL WITH THIS ONE),

(maybe) Ad-aware

Shareware

(NOTE: This is the only non-free scanner I like) Spysweeper

IP Blocker

Some Firewalls make it easer to import the list than others... but these are separate programs to block unwanted IP's.... basically think of a mailing address or even spam perhaps... the message body and the subject line (in the spam example) always change, but the SAME EXACT ADDRESS always sends you the junk mail.. what if you could block everything from that address?... this is how ... an IP address is the address your computer when your on the internet (like your mailing address in the real world)...
- PLEASE NOTE: THESE ARE NOTTTTTTTTTT REPLACEMENTS FOR FIREWALLS, BUT THEY CAN BE IMPORTED OR WORK ALONG SIDE OF YOUR FIREWALL.
- More of my comments and explanations of IP Blockers and What they are

Startup Monitor

These Programs will monitor startup Items when they try to install (among other features). THIS IS NOT SAYING anything that tries to start automatically is bad.. It just puts you in control of what happens ... or at least it makes it easier. You may notice an improvement in speed and performance when you remove some of these items.

Just some tips ... You can always click icons to run programs, instead of having them autostart. I would say:

Leave Antivirus and Firewalls running
ANY MESSENGER (for example) type application ("MSN Messenger", "Yahoo Messanger"", ..etc) can be removed
Anything that sounds like a "Toolbar" can be removed.
(not sure) any Driver related (ATI or Nvidia type stuff for example, ... leave ... or if you know how to change this back in Safe Mode... go ahead and try to disable these. ... Just be sure you know how to change this back
IF YOUR REALLLLLLLLLLLY NOT SURE what it is... leave it and then research what that item is online.. usually a simple google search can point you to what that item is

My Recommendation - Win Patrol (at least 14.x) or TeaTimer (found with Spybot)

Win Patrol has some options other then startup monitoring... Spybot has falling in recent times with many reviews saying it doesn't detect spyware well AT ALL anymore (at least "modern" spyware) .. I would think that it is still worth installing Spybot for TeaTimer Alone (IF for some reason, you dont want Win Patrol)