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Computer and Internet Security

GreenTea

GreenTea

Is anyone else fascinated by internet security, even if you're just a rank amateur?

 
I'm nowhere near competent in I.T. and security and I have to take a lot of things on faith, because I really don't know if programs are good or not. For example, all these new programs that have become popular lately; VPN tunnels, anti-keyloggers, password safes, etc. For all I know they could be flawed and somehow making it easier for bad things to happen. They say they are “open source and secure”, but that doesn't really mean anything to me if I don't know how to verify.

 
So, what do you do to keep your system secure? If anything. For those of you who know a fair deal about this, what would you suggest the average computer user do to secure their system? And in theory, are there any ways to achieve a high level of security without writing off ease-of-use and functionality?
 
 
tecnologia.jpg

 
 
Been giving NOD32 a go on this laptop and also have malwarebytes installed.  My desktop runs Avira and malwarebytes.  All I need.  Smart browsing, knowing what not to click and what not to click keeps me clean. 
 
Majority of people who find their selves dealing with viruses and such as usually unaware of what could be a bad link, unfamiliar with ad placement techniques, etc. 
 
For the average user I would suggest a simple antivirus such as Microsoft Security Essentials or Avira.  Along side of that run a good malware program like Malwarebytes. Also, make your Windows firewall is turned on.  Don't just click everything that is linked, be smart about your browsing.  When in doubt, X out. 
 
edit-and keep your OS up to date. 
 
im a security researcher, student, etc. I've spent a lifetime studying Information systems security, and pretty much anything to do with computers. I could talk all day about the most up to date methods and technology for securing your computer, privacy, and anonymity ... and then talk even longer about how they could be circumvented, or are being circumvented. I'll touch some on what you asked.
 
VPN's
Simply put, a VPN service provider is only as good as the technology they use, and the location of the actual servers. When picking a VPN service provider, read their terms, confirm where their servers are located, and don't use any located in the states. Here is an article that explains why in more detail, and suggests some good providers. You want to ensure that a VPN service provider 1. Doesn't respond to US legal actions (because they can take legal action these days for just about anything), and 2. That no logs are kept on the physical servers (which in some countrys can also be illegal as they require services to retain data for legal action). You also want to look into how they accept payment, because thats an easy way to identify a user.
 
http://torrentfreak.com/vpn-services-that-take-your-anonymity-seriously-2013-edition-130302/
 
To protect your security and privacy
1. Stop using Windows, switch to linux
2. Stop using social networking
3. use encryption, truecrypt is easy to use.
4. Look into learning how to use PGP or GPG for email encryption. Better yet stop using email as it is intrinsically  bad in regards to privacy (metadata).
5. Stop using javascript
6. Update, often.
7. You dont have a backup, unless you have a backup of the backup.
8. Stop using windows.
9. Use wpa2 on your router, and turn of WPS.  Change the default password. Stop broadcasting your SSID, turn on Mac address filtering.
etc etc etc
10. Dont use membership shopping cards, they collect and sell your data. If you have a smartphone, realize that every app wants access to all of your data, and consider what they are doing with it. Understand that if a service is free, you are the product. Google and Facebook know more about you then you could possibly imagine.
11. Understand that business's and governments have a ton of ways to monitor people, some that are highly successful, some that arent. Example: https://www.eff.org/foia/foia-printer-dots
12. Ask friends not to tag you in photos, understand that if you dont use Facebook, Facebook still uses you. https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2013/04/disconcerting-details-how-facebook-teams-data-brokers-show-you-targeted-ads
13. Use automatic updates, use a firewall, maybe an IDS.
 
Your questions about open source, Open source is the "Gold standard" for encryption which is what counts for all security in the long run. If the source code is closed source, the developers can claim that its the best most wonderful piece of software ever that will never be hacked  (and most do claim this), but there is no way to confirm these claims without examining the source code directly. More importantly, what encryption methods and standards they use. Are they following NIST specs? are they using asymmetric keys, or just a single shared key, how are the keys shared? etc etc.
 
If you really want to get into it, look into TOR, install Kali Linux to learn how hackers operate, learn metasploit, virtual box, etc.
 
There is no easy answer to system security as the attack vectors change according to how consumers are behaving.
 
Wow, that's one heck of a reply!  Thanks. I'll be spending quite a bit of time looking up a lot of those suggestions. Some of it I've already come across, but most not. I agree that Windows has got to go, but haven't got around to it yet. My laptop uses Windows 8 and I have a SSD, so I'll have to do a full wipe and install before Linux will work properly.
 
Be prepared to have a lot of things not work if you switch to Linux.  For the average user switching off of Windows to Linux is not a feasible option.  I would say switch to a Mac although I can't stand the Apple OS (and more viruses/malware are now being targeted to Apple with the increased market share).  For a gamer you really only have one option.
 
The two worst places to pick up viruses are file sharing and porn websites. 
 
Linux is very easy to hack and unless you know it inside and out, you are going to get hacked moving from Windows to Linux. I started using Linux before it had a single GUI and my original post still stands as the only accurate secure response. :) You'd be better off getting a MAC over going to Linux and Linux has become a disgusting bloatware for the most part since RedHat and SuSe were sold to large corporations. 
 
JoynersHotPeppers said:
Linux is very easy to hack and unless you know it inside and out, you are going to get hacked moving from Windows to Linux.
Click to expand...
 
 
Could you expand on that? How would you get hacked while moving over?
 
JoynersHotPeppers said:
Linux is very easy to hack and unless you know it inside and out, you are going to get hacked moving from Windows to Linux. I started using Linux before it had a single GUI and my original post still stands as the only accurate secure response. :) You'd be better off getting a MAC over going to Linux and Linux has become a disgusting bloatware for the most part since RedHat and SuSe were sold to large corporations. 
Click to expand...
MAC don't make you safe.  You're right though with the powered off and locked in a vault thing, however, with a little precaution and safe browsing you shouldn't run into any issues.
 
Yes, file sharing and porn browsing are two of the biggest reasons computers get infected.  Share with folks you know and trust and if you need a fix, go old school with a magazine, lotion and tissues. lol
 
At the very least find yourself a good VPN as thismembername mentioned. 
 
Linux has its uses, particularly when doing penetration testing of your own wireless network or someone else's.
 
thismembername said:
10. Dont use membership shopping cards, they collect and sell your data. If you have a smartphone, realize that every app wants access to all of your data, and consider what they are doing with it. Understand that if a service is free, you are the product. Google and Facebook know more about you then you could possibly imagine.
 
Click to expand...
 
Who cares if they track I buy 12 rolls of TP, hey, they give me a coupon for $5 off TP next time. I got no issue with that! They can sell the info. That's what they do. They don't sell your personal info just statistics. Some people are a bit too paranoid.
 
Browning said:
MAC don't make you safe.  You're right though with the powered off and locked in a vault thing, however, with a little precaution and safe browsing you shouldn't run into any issues.
 
Yes, file sharing and porn browsing are two of the biggest reasons computers get infected.  Share with folks you know and trust and if you need a fix, go old school with a magazine, lotion and tissues. lol
Click to expand...
I agree MAC does not make you safe but you are safer with MAC as opposed to a base Linux install. I am not an Apple guy at all so it hurts me to type that. :) 
GreenTea said:
 
 
Could you expand on that? How would you get hacked while moving over?
Click to expand...
I was not implying during the migration, I meant once you move over by platform and start using a standard non secure Linux build unless you know what you are doing. 
 
The Hot Pepper said:
 
Who cares if they track I buy 12 rolls of TP, hey, they give me a coupon for $5 off TP next time. I got no issue with that! They can sell the info. That's what they do. They don't sell your personal info just statistics. Some people are a bit too paranoid.
Click to expand...
 
If people are that paranoid, they should not even be on the internet, using credit cards, smartphones, or doing anything that involves living in the 21st century.
 
Runs off to invest in aluminum foil stock. :rolleyes:
 
Linux has become extremely palatable from back in the day. Linux gives its users more choice than windows, and has the potential to be "more secure" than windows.  No operating system is totally secure. For example, you can buy a safe and leave it unlocked with the door open, just like you can disable a firewall, use easy passwords etc. It's all relative.
 
Mac makes good hardware, they are just not consumer friendly. I dont want a new iThing every 6 months, I like being able to replace my own hardware and work on my own machine. I know that Apple works with the NSA to hand over users data, and that they refer to iThing users as "Zombies", and reference 1984 > Steve Jobs > etc.
To quote the NSA "iPhone Users Are 'Zombies' And Steve Jobs Was 'Big Brother,"
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/09/nsa-steve-jobs_n_3895375.html
 
poypoyking said:
Be prepared to have a lot of things not work if you switch to Linux.  For the average user switching off of Windows to Linux is not a feasible option.  I would say switch to a Mac although I can't stand the Apple OS (and more viruses/malware are now being targeted to Apple with the increased market share).  For a gamer you really only have one option.
 
The two worst places to pick up viruses are file sharing and porn websites. 
Click to expand...
Steam is now on Linux. Steam is heavily invested in Linux. Gaming on Linux isnt solved, but its getting there. Heck, steam just announced "Steam OS", based on guess what ... Linux. http://store.steampowered.com/livingroom/SteamOS/
 
Tons of huge corporations run their servers, websites, etc .. on Linux. Android .. linux based. Bug #1 for Ubuntu (windows has mass market share) was closed by canonical. It's "fixed".
 
Linux allows for users to inspect their own software, the code. It has eyes looking at everything, and you are free to change it as you please. You have choice by going to different linux distros, removing and adding what you want.
 
The Hot Pepper said:
 
Who cares if they track I buy 12 rolls of TP, hey, they give me a coupon for $5 off TP next time. I got no issue with that! They can sell the info. That's what they do. They don't sell your personal info just statistics. Some people are a bit too paranoid.
Click to expand...
 
The problem is that the grocery store knows everything that you buy, they sell these shopping habits to third parties, who then market to you. Some retailers track users by their cell phone when they enter the premises, so they also know "how" you shop, where you walked, etc. It may not sound like much, but when they build these data bases on your life, where you shop, when you shop, when your not at home, what you buy, who you call, where you drive, what you drive, how much you weight, if your sick ..... is this sold to insurance companies for rates, banks, foreign governments, leaked by accident. You see the problem.
 
I tend to have more hardware work with Linux than with Windows, and any troubles one would have switching to Nix is just as comparable to OSX. Switching to linux now is extremely easy, automated, and you can even give it a test run (live disk). Just understand that if you run an operating system off of a live cd/dvd, its going to be slow until you actually install it.
http://www.ubuntu.com/download/desktop/try-ubuntu-before-you-install
 
We could debate which operating system is more secure forever, but there are bigger fish to fry. Linux, and Free Software, FLOSS, open source etc gives users rights that propriety software tramples on. Propriety software causes a moral and ethical problem between the developers and its users. Software that is developed to be closed source, a secret, that you cannot share with others, or improve upon or fix due to licensing. Software that you don't actually own, and usually have to buy, and upgrade, and buy again .. is bad for me and you. It's only good for people like Jobs, Gates, and their shareholders. It's similar to the issue we are experiencing with software patents. 
 
http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html


 
 
thismembername said:
You see the problem.
Click to expand...
 
Not really. I've gotten some killer deals.
 
If you're that afraid don't even go outside.
 
thismembername said:
The problem is that the grocery store knows everything that you buy, they sell these shopping habits to third parties, who then market to you. Some retailers track users by their cell phone when they enter the premises, so they also know "how" you shop, where you walked, etc. It may not sound like much, but when they build these data bases on your life, where you shop, when you shop, when your not at home, what you buy, who you call, where you drive, what you drive, how much you weight, if your sick ..... is this sold to insurance companies for rates, banks, foreign governments, leaked by accident. You see the problem.
 
Click to expand...
 
That is why I always use some random name/address/info when filling out the paperwork for said shopping cards, some stores will even just fill them out with the stores info, if you tell them you do not give out your personal info.
 
 
And in theory, are there any ways to achieve a high level of security without writing off ease-of-use and functionality?
Click to expand...
 Not really, but there are ways of avoiding becoming the "low hanging fruit" that both criminals and government compromise first.
 
On facebook, have google Picassa, backed up to a cloud server?
 
Too late.
You already gave permission for all your files to be parsed.
 
Got an Android phone? Ditto, and linked to Gmail means everyone who contacts you there has their mail and contacts read, as well as their pictures tagged with everything you entered about them in Picassa, should you have a photo of them in your album.
 
No, Google isn't "evil" nor the only one, but is the most glaring example, and no matter how well you protect your data, there is no guarantee others who have the data you willingly provided to them will protect it perfectly.
 
Asuming you are an honest citizen only worried about being hacked by criminals, and not concerned about privacy.
 
A good AV, AM, and Firewall, avoiding phishing scams, and using Firefox with noscript and ghostery instead of IE is a good start.
 
Take the time to actually read the terms before clicking "I agree" on applications you install, and permissions given on web sites.
 
As for Linux distros?
 
You are reading a post from one.
 
Ubuntu, and can run many windoze apps with Wine.
 
Though I usually run Win7x64, that drive is failing, so using this one (dual boot with Ubuntu on an SSD for emergencies ) while I await delivery of a replacement drive.
 
thismembername said:
Linux has become extremely palatable from back in the day. Linux gives its users more choice than windows, and has the potential to be "more secure" than windows.  No operating system is totally secure. For example, you can buy a safe and leave it unlocked with the door open, just like you can disable a firewall, use easy passwords etc. It's all relative.
 
Mac makes good hardware, they are just not consumer friendly. I dont want a new iThing every 6 months, I like being able to replace my own hardware and work on my own machine. I know that Apple works with the NSA to hand over users data, and that they refer to iThing users as "Zombies", and reference 1984 > Steve Jobs > etc.
To quote the NSA "iPhone Users Are 'Zombies' And Steve Jobs Was 'Big Brother,"
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/09/nsa-steve-jobs_n_3895375.html
 
Steam is now on Linux. Steam is heavily invested in Linux. Gaming on Linux isnt solved, but its getting there. Heck, steam just announced "Steam OS", based on guess what ... Linux. http://store.steampowered.com/livingroom/SteamOS/
 
Tons of huge corporations run their servers, websites, etc .. on Linux. Android .. linux based. Bug #1 for Ubuntu (windows has mass market share) was closed by canonical. It's "fixed".
 
Linux allows for users to inspect their own software, the code. It has eyes looking at everything, and you are free to change it as you please. You have choice by going to different linux distros, removing and adding what you want.
 
 
The problem is that the grocery store knows everything that you buy, they sell these shopping habits to third parties, who then market to you. Some retailers track users by their cell phone when they enter the premises, so they also know "how" you shop, where you walked, etc. It may not sound like much, but when they build these data bases on your life, where you shop, when you shop, when your not at home, what you buy, who you call, where you drive, what you drive, how much you weight, if your sick ..... is this sold to insurance companies for rates, banks, foreign governments, leaked by accident. You see the problem.
 
I tend to have more hardware work with Linux than with Windows, and any troubles one would have switching to Nix is just as comparable to OSX. Switching to linux now is extremely easy, automated, and you can even give it a test run (live disk). Just understand that if you run an operating system off of a live cd/dvd, its going to be slow until you actually install it.
http://www.ubuntu.com/download/desktop/try-ubuntu-before-you-install
 
We could debate which operating system is more secure forever, but there are bigger fish to fry. Linux, and Free Software, FLOSS, open source etc gives users rights that propriety software tramples on. Propriety software causes a moral and ethical problem between the developers and its users. Software that is developed to be closed source, a secret, that you cannot share with others, or improve upon or fix due to licensing. Software that you don't actually own, and usually have to buy, and upgrade, and buy again .. is bad for me and you. It's only good for people like Jobs, Gates, and their shareholders. It's similar to the issue we are experiencing with software patents. 
 
http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html


 
Click to expand...
 
 
Yeah, I'm not worried about being marketed to. You can't turn on the TV without ads and marketing. Nor can you drive down the street without seeing/hearing it..... there's marketing everywhere. The harmless thing about marketing is that I'm the one with a choice to buy. I don't have to buy what they are trying to sell me. It's not the same as internet "security", to me.
 
Matter of fact, look at the bottom of this page at the ads..... I'm seeing ads for Computer Security, the ad company's computer knows the subject of this thread and it spits ads at you
 
I agree with most common sense security measures mentioned here.....
 
1.) smart browsing....don't go clicking on everything you see. Especially downloading "free" music and games. Spend money and get legit copies. My son had over 4,000 viruses on my computer from downloading games.
 
2.) unplug completely. Don't go online. Use a rotary, land-line telephone. Throw the smart phone in the nearest lake. If you have/use any online computer based system, be it your Onstar in your car/truck, your phone, a laptop, or a refrigerator that tells you the weather, know that you and your behaviors are being monitored. Make decisions on purchases with that knowledge. Buy the cool new hipster phone and you accept the risks.
 
3.)ESET NOD32!!!! Paired with Malware Bytes like Browning said, you should be good to go. Oh, and BUY your copy of ESET NOD32.... don't scour the web for free copies with hacked serial numbers. That's a good way to get a virus. And it's chickensheeit....
 
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