Full Version: Firewall/scanning Question
Hi guys! I have a couple of general questions. I use ZoneAlarm and was wondering if using more than one firewall was possible (for ex. I was considering enabling XP's firewall). Would it enhance my security to have two or would it cause conflicts? Also, another general question ... is it possible to scan your computer with more than one program at the same time (for ex., scanning using SpyBot and Windows Defender)?
Hello grilledcheese
In answer to BOTH of your questions:
Is it possible? - Yes.
Is it advisable? - Absolutly NO WAY!
Firewall: Only use ONE and only one firewall, you may cause conflicts using two making your system vulnerable to attacks. Also the same goes for Anti-Virus software,only ever use one on your system.
Scanning: Only run one scan at a time, running two would considerably slow your system down and with both trying to access different parts of the hard disk at the same time they will no doubt miss somthing along the way, as well as take forever to complete.
Hope this helps
Happy browsing!
In answer to BOTH of your questions:
Is it possible? - Yes.
Is it advisable? - Absolutly NO WAY!
Firewall: Only use ONE and only one firewall, you may cause conflicts using two making your system vulnerable to attacks. Also the same goes for Anti-Virus software,only ever use one on your system.
Scanning: Only run one scan at a time, running two would considerably slow your system down and with both trying to access different parts of the hard disk at the same time they will no doubt miss somthing along the way, as well as take forever to complete.
Hope this helps
Happy browsing!
Ah, thanks!
One more thing: I'm using my school's anti-virus program (Symantec) and I'm just wondering if it's working properly. Is there any way of checking its efficacy?
One more thing: I'm using my school's anti-virus program (Symantec) and I'm just wondering if it's working properly. Is there any way of checking its efficacy?
Check to make sure you have updated you virus data base on the Anti-Virus, if it looks up to date and it scans without any disruptions, then it should be working fine. Remember to scan on a set regular basis once a week (i do mine on a friday night) update and scan with your AV and then in turn with your Anti Spyware products. I use Spybot, Ad-Aware SE, Defender and Ewido anti-spyware, all of which are free and together create a solid wall against infection. It will take a few hours in total to scan using all of them, but you can keep popping back over to the PC to change scanners when you need to.
Just keep things updated and scanned and you will be fine. Ive noticed you have asked quite a few questions already here at BC and that is a good thing.It shows you are wanting to learn, so just remember to keep asking when you want or need to and those here at BC will do all they can to offer help and advice.
Good luck!
Graveangel
Just keep things updated and scanned and you will be fine. Ive noticed you have asked quite a few questions already here at BC and that is a good thing.It shows you are wanting to learn, so just remember to keep asking when you want or need to and those here at BC will do all they can to offer help and advice.
Good luck!
Graveangel
Yes, I have been pretty busy with the questions! I figure I'm best off throwing my pride out the window and getting to the bottom of things, which means sometimes asking about things people may have learned ages ago, lol. I'm definitely eager to learn! Thanks a lot for the help!!
I often wonder how many people become so knowledgeable about PC's -- any tips or advice (practical or not) on the best way to figure things out?? Are there any sites you know of that teach from the basics up?
I often wonder how many people become so knowledgeable about PC's -- any tips or advice (practical or not) on the best way to figure things out?? Are there any sites you know of that teach from the basics up?
Just about to hit the sack, but before I do, one more q, lol. I actually dl'd ewido and noticed that upon closing the program it remained active in the system tray. Do you recommend that I leave it open and have it programmed to start with Windows (as it does by default)? What will this help with that my AV will not? Thanks again for all the help. Take care.
Well first of all, everyone has to start somewhere when learning, and the most important thing to remember when it comes to computers,It does not matter how long you have worked with them for, you can never learn everything about them, we all keep learning everyday.
As far as learning from the basics, to be honest just visiting sites like BC,looking in on topics will bring you more and more knowledge everyday. I promise, if you do that you will see a very big improvment over a couple of months on what you already know, you may be surprised. But remember that computers are like a whole new language, it takes time to pick things up so dont try to learn everything at once. People learn alot by taking things as they come over time, like i say earlier, in a couple of months you will see an improvement. Im not saying you will become a pro,but will have mastered most of the basics you need. Infact if you keep visiting BC, you will probably be giving advice from personal experience to someone else before you know it.
I am not aware personally of any Basic PC tutorials off hand, but if you Google it,im sure you will find somthing. Just dont mess in areas that you are not yet sure about, and never mess with the registry unless its really needed to be edited, and even then, make a back up, but thats something you should not need to worry about ever doing really. There is a good book out there called 'XP for Dummies'
which will teach you the basics and help you improve upon your PC experience,but thats just one of many.
As for Ewido, I take you have not yet had it for 30 days. You can see when you open it up, on the right hand side it will inform you.The auto-protection and updates that you have now will stop working in 30days unless you pay for it. Dont worry though, after the 30 days are up you can still use it, which is what i do and everyone else at BC. The only difference is after 30days it becomes the free version. When you scan with it, it will no longer update itself,you have to do that just by clicking Update,easy enough. At the moment, Ewido does a similar thing to what your Anti-Virus does, but for Spyware. So, with it active, its permanently running in the background stopping Spyware getting onto your system, In the same way your Symantec is running in the background stopping Virus from getting on there. Most AV's will not stop spyware aswell as a virus thats why having a Spyware guard running in the background is advisable. Your Windows Defender is doing this now, and will continue to so dont worry about things when ewido expires. But do keep it, as it is a fantastic stand alone scanner, and remember to always run scans at least once a week.
Anymore questions and you only have to ask!
Oh,and you are welcome!
See you around the site
Graveangel
As far as learning from the basics, to be honest just visiting sites like BC,looking in on topics will bring you more and more knowledge everyday. I promise, if you do that you will see a very big improvment over a couple of months on what you already know, you may be surprised. But remember that computers are like a whole new language, it takes time to pick things up so dont try to learn everything at once. People learn alot by taking things as they come over time, like i say earlier, in a couple of months you will see an improvement. Im not saying you will become a pro,but will have mastered most of the basics you need. Infact if you keep visiting BC, you will probably be giving advice from personal experience to someone else before you know it.
I am not aware personally of any Basic PC tutorials off hand, but if you Google it,im sure you will find somthing. Just dont mess in areas that you are not yet sure about, and never mess with the registry unless its really needed to be edited, and even then, make a back up, but thats something you should not need to worry about ever doing really. There is a good book out there called 'XP for Dummies'
which will teach you the basics and help you improve upon your PC experience,but thats just one of many.
As for Ewido, I take you have not yet had it for 30 days. You can see when you open it up, on the right hand side it will inform you.The auto-protection and updates that you have now will stop working in 30days unless you pay for it. Dont worry though, after the 30 days are up you can still use it, which is what i do and everyone else at BC. The only difference is after 30days it becomes the free version. When you scan with it, it will no longer update itself,you have to do that just by clicking Update,easy enough. At the moment, Ewido does a similar thing to what your Anti-Virus does, but for Spyware. So, with it active, its permanently running in the background stopping Spyware getting onto your system, In the same way your Symantec is running in the background stopping Virus from getting on there. Most AV's will not stop spyware aswell as a virus thats why having a Spyware guard running in the background is advisable. Your Windows Defender is doing this now, and will continue to so dont worry about things when ewido expires. But do keep it, as it is a fantastic stand alone scanner, and remember to always run scans at least once a week.
Anymore questions and you only have to ask!
Oh,and you are welcome!
See you around the site
Graveangel
Hey, thanks! I really appreciate you taking the time to inform me on some of the issues that I have encountered. One question (heh!) about WD: I don't see it in my system tray. Is it possible that I need to configure it manually to run automatically in the background?
Hey no problem,thats what BC is here for!
If Defender is not showing in the system tray, as long as you have not disabled it then it will still be running. Open up WD and select tools then options. Scroll half way down and just make sure that 'Use real-time protection' is checked, if it is all is well.
Just a little further down in that section, there is an option to allow the WD icon to always be displayed in the system tray. Its up to you if you want to select that option if its not already, either way it wont hurt. Somtimes the icon will not show in the system tray even if you select it to, so dont worry if it loads up one day and isnt there, it will still be running in the background.
If Defender is not showing in the system tray, as long as you have not disabled it then it will still be running. Open up WD and select tools then options. Scroll half way down and just make sure that 'Use real-time protection' is checked, if it is all is well.
Just a little further down in that section, there is an option to allow the WD icon to always be displayed in the system tray. Its up to you if you want to select that option if its not already, either way it wont hurt. Somtimes the icon will not show in the system tray even if you select it to, so dont worry if it loads up one day and isnt there, it will still be running in the background.
Thanks! I can't believe how helpful you and others on this site have been. God Bless!
QUOTE
One more thing: I'm using my school's anti-virus program (Symantec) and I'm just wondering if it's working properly. Is there any way of checking its efficacy?
There are many on-line internet virus scanners that you can use to validate that your resident AV is doing its job. These will generally scan your hard drive and list the malware they find, but generally will not automatically remove or quarantine the found items. Anything they find after you have run your own AV should be reviewed carefully.
Now there is a trade-off between keeping your computer secure by using real-time protection, and the use of computer resources to do so at the expence of operating efficiency. Obviously, the more applications you have running in the background (even those just "tapping their feet" until you call them) the more computing resources you use.
In addition to your firewall (avoid MS's), limiting your running protection to your AV and one spyware application should be enough to provide you with the protection you need.
I think it is important to remember that the most effecient preventor of malware is an educated and informed user. You are to be commended for your efforts to learn and understand computer security best practices.
Regards,
John
QUOTE(jgweed @ Aug 6 2006, 01:02 PM) 
There are many on-line internet virus scanners that you can use to validate that your resident AV is doing its job. These will generally scan your hard drive and list the malware they find, but generally will not automatically remove or quarantine the found items. Anything they find after you have run your own AV should be reviewed carefully.
Should I take note of what these online scanners find, and verify that my AV also locates these problems? Anything else? In reviewing carefully, is there any in particular I should look for?QUOTE
Now there is a trade-off between keeping your computer secure by using real-time protection, and the use of computer resources to do so at the expence of operating efficiency. Obviously, the more applications you have running in the background (even those just "tapping their feet" until you call them) the more computing resources you use.
Fair enough. Is there a way of displaying how much my resources are being used by a particular program so I can decide whether or not it is worth keeping running?QUOTE
In addition to your firewall (avoid MS's), limiting your running protection to your AV and one spyware application should be enough to provide you with the protection you need.
I think it is important to remember that the most effecient preventor of malware is an educated and informed user. You are to be commended for your efforts to learn and understand computer security best practices.
I've got quite awhile to go before reaching the educated user status; I really appreciate the tips and suggestions from you and everyone here! I'm extremely pleased I was given the name of this site and I look forward to working with you guys in the future.
I think it is important to remember that the most effecient preventor of malware is an educated and informed user. You are to be commended for your efforts to learn and understand computer security best practices.
I have one more question. If I set my anti-virus or any of my other detector programs to auto-scan at 2am for example, I would have to leave my computer on overnight on this/these days in order for it to scan, right? Could it be left on standby? How does the auto-scan feature work in regards to the computer's state?
Hello, grilledcheese. I'm new to the BC Forums as well, and I really am clueless about these Security stuff for computers. Hopefully, I can learn even half of what you've learned so far.
To check what programs are running and how much resources they are eating, Right-Click on your Task Bar and Click on "Task Manager."
And no, you may not leave your computer on Stand-By Mode. You will need to disable any setting that makes your computer's hard drive "go to sleep." In order for your computer to run the Auto-Scans, your computer must be on at the time.
I hope this helps you understand a bit better. Good Luck and may you and your computer be safe.
To check what programs are running and how much resources they are eating, Right-Click on your Task Bar and Click on "Task Manager."
And no, you may not leave your computer on Stand-By Mode. You will need to disable any setting that makes your computer's hard drive "go to sleep." In order for your computer to run the Auto-Scans, your computer must be on at the time.
I hope this helps you understand a bit better. Good Luck and may you and your computer be safe.
Just to add what has already been said GC (can i call you that?),if you are in the middle of a HJT post at the moment which i believe you are, then the HJT helper will be able to advise you on your security levels and if things are working ok.
Please, for the HJT helpers benefit and more importantly your own, do not go changing (adding) things yet, as everything you display in your HJT log is all what your helper (who i believe is Rawe) has to go on. When you are cleared and everything is fine, ask him if its ok to add certain things that you would like to and he will tell you if they are suitable or not.
You will be fine if you follow those rules. As John (jgweed) said,you can run those online scans, but if you do and they show up anything negative,inform your helper and ask if its ok to post the log of the online scan (they will say yes but may want you to do things in there order of working)
Like i pointed out earlier, if you are in the hands of a HJT helper, then they are great hands to be in.
Stay safe online and just use caution.
One extra thing for you, if you have not already then switch your browser to Firefox (only download and do this after you ask Rawe) if you use google quite a bit and browse around then you might want to download an extension for Firefox (extension- added feature) called McAfee SiteAdvisor from HERE. You can also download it for IE. Then the next time you Google or Yahoo for something you will have either a green tick next to results or a red 'X' informing you if the related site is safe to visit or not. This all helps that little bit more in being safe on line.
Have a good day and God Bless to you too!
Graveangel
Please, for the HJT helpers benefit and more importantly your own, do not go changing (adding) things yet, as everything you display in your HJT log is all what your helper (who i believe is Rawe) has to go on. When you are cleared and everything is fine, ask him if its ok to add certain things that you would like to and he will tell you if they are suitable or not.
You will be fine if you follow those rules. As John (jgweed) said,you can run those online scans, but if you do and they show up anything negative,inform your helper and ask if its ok to post the log of the online scan (they will say yes but may want you to do things in there order of working)
Like i pointed out earlier, if you are in the hands of a HJT helper, then they are great hands to be in.
Stay safe online and just use caution.
One extra thing for you, if you have not already then switch your browser to Firefox (only download and do this after you ask Rawe) if you use google quite a bit and browse around then you might want to download an extension for Firefox (extension- added feature) called McAfee SiteAdvisor from HERE. You can also download it for IE. Then the next time you Google or Yahoo for something you will have either a green tick next to results or a red 'X' informing you if the related site is safe to visit or not. This all helps that little bit more in being safe on line.
QUOTE
I'm extremely pleased I was given the name of this site and I look forward to working with you guys in the future.
Spread the word! Have a good day and God Bless to you too!
Graveangel
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