Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 20 of 25

Thread: What Security for you PC/Lan do you implement?

  1. #1
    Senior Member

    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Location, Location
    Posts
    4,054
    Thanks
    1,170
    Thanked 930 Times in 532 Posts
    Rep Power
    418
    Reputation
    4290

    Default What Security for you PC/Lan do you implement?

    Just thought I'd open up a discussion about some of the strategies people use to secure their networks/PCS.

    I read a VERY heated debate (on another forum) which I hope would not happen here, about whats best, whats irrelevant. too many "I've got the biggest ... " on the internet these days.

    Recently I had an older family member that had issues. Now putting that into context, this family member, uses the web and e-mail has a life and has no interest or desire to be a security guru. (of which I believe the masses also fall into this category) so perhaps collectively we could get a bit of a "what to do" going.

    This is not aimed at corporate networks, but more home network, perhaps erring on the side of what "elderly people" should be looking at.

    Personally I think at minimum

    A firewall
    A A/V program
    A Malware detection program

    (which I am sure 99.9%) have/use/implement.

    Some of the things that are interesting (and very common knowledge)
    include

    egress filtering (stopping things going out of the lan from clients)
    Having dummy administrator accounts
    Using VM's
    Having incoming and outgoing firewalls (two - man in the middle detection)
    Preventing certain services for running
    Port blocking

    So what tips/tricks do you think are worth further investigation/or you implement and believe in?

    edit: I'll be putting up a few ebooks, if anyone shows interest.... (i just have to find them.. been months)
    Last edited by z1gg33; 31-08-10 at 07:48 PM.
    If you feed ducks at a pond, chances are your bound to feed a goose or two without even knowing it.



Look Here ->
  • #2
    Junior Member
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Location
    Melbourne, VIC
    Posts
    204
    Thanks
    73
    Thanked 19 Times in 14 Posts
    Rep Power
    183
    Reputation
    102

    Default

    I'd be interested in some Ebooks on it mate. I think the most dangerous thing on a home network is administrative rights, when you create an account in windows by default its an administrator. it should be a limited account with the exception of perhaps yourself and even then only on windows 7 or vista, the "runas" command (ie start > run > cmd > /user:administrator virus.exe) would open your virus with admin rights after requesting an admin password.

  • #3
    Senior Member

    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Location, Location
    Posts
    4,054
    Thanks
    1,170
    Thanked 930 Times in 532 Posts
    Rep Power
    418
    Reputation
    4290

    Default

    sorry I have not forgotten been busy but will make them aval soon

    just happened to be on the sheildsup web site and decided to click on some of the info. I thought this article (written in 2006- yes its a bit old) was very well written/illustrated and might be worth a read (or totally useless to austechians). (I am sure most will already know about it)

    Last edited by z1gg33; 04-10-10 at 05:38 PM.
    If you feed ducks at a pond, chances are your bound to feed a goose or two without even knowing it.

  • #4
    Member GavinSV's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Adelaide
    Posts
    430
    Thanks
    84
    Thanked 114 Times in 59 Posts
    Rep Power
    234
    Reputation
    1124

    Default

    Hi z1gg33, This is what I implemented on my lan:

    At the router level:
    • Rename default admin name and password
    • Turn off DHCP (No point handing out IP address to your neigbours)
    • Enable MAC address filter
    • Disable admin access via wireless
    • Use WPA2 wireless encryption (Don't use WEP)
    • Turn off SSID (Can't connect to a network if you can't see it)
    • Enabled port forwarding for a couple of ports required by the playstation
    I don't worry about using the routers built-in firewall since it causes more problems than it resolves. NAT-routing performs 90% of firewalling requirements anyway.


    At the PC level:
    • Avast for antivirus
    • ZoneAlarm for software firewall (NAT routing only blocks incoming requests).



    I'd be interested in your ebook also. -Cheers
    Last edited by GavinSV; 05-10-10 at 07:57 PM.
    “There are 10 types of people in this world, those who understand binary – and those who don’t”

  • The Following 3 Users Say Thank You to GavinSV For This Useful Post:

    mickstv (06-10-10),Mokilok (08-10-10),Seymour Butts (05-10-10)

  • #5
    Senior Member

    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Location, Location
    Posts
    4,054
    Thanks
    1,170
    Thanked 930 Times in 532 Posts
    Rep Power
    418
    Reputation
    4290

    Default

    thanks GavinSV.

    another thing I read the "experts" suggest having windows firewall (on client machnes) on no matter what 3rd party FW you use...

    will make an effort to dig out those ebooks tonight ...
    If you feed ducks at a pond, chances are your bound to feed a goose or two without even knowing it.

  • #6
    Senior Member
    mickstv's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Age
    51
    Posts
    4,173
    Thanks
    2,225
    Thanked 2,404 Times in 1,392 Posts
    Rep Power
    681
    Reputation
    18426

    Default

    The only problem is if you use XP firewall it doesn't block outgoing connections so I would also suggest seperate firewall app.

    Also in Vista windows firewall doesn't block any outgoing connections by default but it can be setup.

    I like the fact that a seperate firewall whether it be Zonealarm, Comodo, online armor, or one of the many others give you an indication of a possible threat and notification. But I guess this is only as good as the enduser.




    Mickstv
    Last edited by mickstv; 05-10-10 at 10:20 PM.

  • #7
    Member GavinSV's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Adelaide
    Posts
    430
    Thanks
    84
    Thanked 114 Times in 59 Posts
    Rep Power
    234
    Reputation
    1124

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by mickstv View Post
    The only problem is if you use XP firewall it doesn't block outgoing connections
    You hit the nail on the head
    “There are 10 types of people in this world, those who understand binary – and those who don’t”

  • #8
    Senior Member

    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Location, Location
    Posts
    4,054
    Thanks
    1,170
    Thanked 930 Times in 532 Posts
    Rep Power
    418
    Reputation
    4290

    Default

    As promised

    sorry perhaps i was not clear, I was not suggesting using windows FW only..... what I was trying to say was those in the know say to use it WITH and existing FW, upon reading that I found the concept strange, but remember the explanation sounded right..... haven never used windows FW

    here is one book (it might be in this where it is explained?? or it could be totally the wrong book, i do recall reading this one so hence the upload), I have too search other drives to find the rest.. if anybody has anything to add book wise I too would be interested.

    thread seems dead which you would think more would be adding too it, as everyone is online. i know my logs show attacks everyday. ps... who uses iinet in perth
    Code:
    http://www.megaupload.com/?d=6MR4GYC4
    33M
    Last edited by z1gg33; 06-10-10 at 07:50 PM.
    If you feed ducks at a pond, chances are your bound to feed a goose or two without even knowing it.

  • The Following User Says Thank You to z1gg33 For This Useful Post:

    best4less (08-10-10)

  • #9
    Junior Member
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Posts
    2
    Thanks
    5
    Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
    Rep Power
    0
    Reputation
    10

    Default

    Firewalls, antivirus, and various malware protection programs are the go on system protections, amongst thousands of software available,however it is important to keep in mind there is local and network based security protection and the method applied at times require different approach.

    As a general rule you need to decide what you want to protect against, piling security software will not increase the benefits.

    I would like to add to earlier comments, by suggesting creation of good security habits to assist the over all process. As mentioned before in the posts the software is as good as the end user. I have included a link to get any one interested started on basic level.

    If visiting gray areas on the net than expect a few presents left on your pc.

    There are large number of places online that would love to inject various codes to your pc using various exploits available, many of which will proceed to attach your pc to the nearest bot net. Performing general house keeping and keeping software and the OS updated is generally a good idea [some updates are known to create problems, a lot of techs generally perform bench test to make sure they don't kill anything by performing an update] As a general rule it is recommended to perform some house cleaning every few months, it will clear all the junk and will give you a fresh start [regular backup is important, many experts fail to backup important data]. If any one is interested in some of the industry methods a practice, than post your interest and perhaps the forum will look at it further.


    The provided link is a basic guide which might assist as a starting point. Keep in mind that like all things keep your security in moderation, over doing it in some cases may effect performance of your pc and cause other difficulties.

    I hope I haven't rambled to much, hopefully I have generated some food for though. Cheers.

  • #10
    Senior Member
    mickstv's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Age
    51
    Posts
    4,173
    Thanks
    2,225
    Thanked 2,404 Times in 1,392 Posts
    Rep Power
    681
    Reputation
    18426

    Default

    Hi z1gg33, No I just didn't read what you said correctly sorry about that, but I guess if you had two firewalls running concurrently on the same machine this would cause problems with connectivity ie: some programs having access whilst others blocked.



    Mickstv

  • #11
    Senior Member

    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Location, Location
    Posts
    4,054
    Thanks
    1,170
    Thanked 930 Times in 532 Posts
    Rep Power
    418
    Reputation
    4290

    Default

    look not a hassle mickstv, (I am in no way an expert as I believe most are not) and really appreciate your input.

    I guess I feel a bit sad, for the end user that plugs in does a bit of browsing and ends up screwed.... thats all..

    cheers
    If you feed ducks at a pond, chances are your bound to feed a goose or two without even knowing it.

  • The Following User Says Thank You to z1gg33 For This Useful Post:

    mickstv (06-10-10)

  • #12
    Senior Member
    mickstv's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Age
    51
    Posts
    4,173
    Thanks
    2,225
    Thanked 2,404 Times in 1,392 Posts
    Rep Power
    681
    Reputation
    18426

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by z1gg33 View Post
    look not a hassle mickstv, (I am in no way an expert as I believe most are not) and really appreciate your input.

    I guess I feel a bit sad, for the end user that plugs in does a bit of browsing and ends up screwed.... thats all..

    cheers

    Your spot in z1gg33 I'm the same I'm definately not an expert none of us really are.


    With regards of the poor old end user. Maybe they should only make internet access avaiable once certain criteria has been met ie: a sufficient internet security package.





    But what better way to figure out problems than to come onto a forum like Austech and learn about problems others are having and how to fix issues with the help and experience of alot of good people.



    Mickstv

  • #13
    Senior Member
    intelliGEORGE's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Sydney, AUSTRALIA
    Age
    43
    Posts
    4,106
    Thanks
    884
    Thanked 1,484 Times in 691 Posts
    Rep Power
    478
    Reputation
    7236

    Default

    I have found MAC filtering, WPA2 and Disabling remote management of the router is more than sufficient for home networks (in regard to locking down the network). Most hackers will use malware such as rootkits/keyloggers/trojans etc to access sensitive information rather than sit outside your house trying to brute force your network key or spoof a MAC address to get 'free internet'.

  • #14
    Senior Member

    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Location, Location
    Posts
    4,054
    Thanks
    1,170
    Thanked 930 Times in 532 Posts
    Rep Power
    418
    Reputation
    4290

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by mickstv View Post
    With regards of the poor old end user. Maybe they should only make internet access avaiable once certain criteria has been met ie: a sufficient internet security package
    good timing article/blog about just that today



    edit: I tend too agree with what has been said re: MS. (upfront:I am bias) but people go on about how much money they give away, how about producing a product that prevents this stuff in the first place.
    I guess their 64bit O/S's are a step in that direction
    Last edited by z1gg33; 07-10-10 at 05:20 PM.
    If you feed ducks at a pond, chances are your bound to feed a goose or two without even knowing it.

  • The Following User Says Thank You to z1gg33 For This Useful Post:

    mickstv (07-10-10)

  • #15
    Senior Member
    mickstv's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Age
    51
    Posts
    4,173
    Thanks
    2,225
    Thanked 2,404 Times in 1,392 Posts
    Rep Power
    681
    Reputation
    18426

    Default

    Hi z1gg33, This is going a bit off topic but might be worth a read. Sandboxie looks like you can isolate interaction between the internet and the pc's OS. I know some internet security packs are now including scanbox.










    Mickstv
    Last edited by mickstv; 07-10-10 at 06:39 PM.

  • The Following User Says Thank You to mickstv For This Useful Post:

    z1gg33 (07-10-10)

  • #16
    Senior Member

    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Location, Location
    Posts
    4,054
    Thanks
    1,170
    Thanked 930 Times in 532 Posts
    Rep Power
    418
    Reputation
    4290

    Default

    Cheers MickStv,

    yeah I think i posted about it in pc software a while ago. NOT that I have implemented it yet...doh! (i am a bit busy errr lazy)

    but good to have your link added to this thread, as it will possibly give other's a bit of exploring to do and the ability to look at some other options.

    what do you make of this setup... (sorry on a machine with out adobe reader) else I would just screen capture the diagram and post it....
    Last edited by z1gg33; 07-10-10 at 08:58 PM.
    If you feed ducks at a pond, chances are your bound to feed a goose or two without even knowing it.

  • The Following User Says Thank You to z1gg33 For This Useful Post:

    mickstv (07-10-10)

  • #17
    Senior Member
    mickstv's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Age
    51
    Posts
    4,173
    Thanks
    2,225
    Thanked 2,404 Times in 1,392 Posts
    Rep Power
    681
    Reputation
    18426

    Default

    Thats definately going to be an interesting read i've only skimmed it at the moment because I'm doing invoicing at the moment. But it's an interesting concept for blocking and or filtering ports using rulesets.

    your right he's gone to all the trouble of setting multiple pc's etc the just puts a timer on the power to shut the net down. I wonder what his power bill is lol.


    I was thinking maybe a program like "peer guardian" might be useful with blocking certain sites using ip ranges like they do with blocking anti-p2p. But that would have to be on every computer on the network.




    Mickstv
    Last edited by mickstv; 07-10-10 at 10:01 PM.

  • #18
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Posts
    855
    Thanks
    59
    Thanked 94 Times in 70 Posts
    Rep Power
    238
    Reputation
    609

    Default

    I have used peer guardian in the past as it adds the block list to the hosts file rather well, it's just that the last time I tried it has compatibility issues with W7. I also like to copy and paste a block of certain addresses into the router if possible but ATM if I did that I'd have to deal with the mates missus on a rampage, and it's not worth it. My anti virus does a little bit of what I need it to but the current system isn't anywhere near up to my own standards.

  • #19
    Junior Member
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Location
    Melbourne, VIC
    Posts
    204
    Thanks
    73
    Thanked 19 Times in 14 Posts
    Rep Power
    183
    Reputation
    102

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by GavinSV View Post
    [*]Turn off SSID (Can't connect to a network if you can't see it)
    If the person is good enough to crack a wep or wpa key then they would be good enough to scan for a network even if they can't see the SSID. But still a good suggestion.

  • #20
    Senior Member

    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Location, Location
    Posts
    4,054
    Thanks
    1,170
    Thanked 930 Times in 532 Posts
    Rep Power
    418
    Reputation
    4290

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Redwight View Post
    I have used peer guardian in the past as it adds the block list to the hosts file rather well, it's just that the last time I tried it has compatibility issues with W7. I also like to copy and paste a block of certain addresses into the router if possible but ATM if I did that I'd have to deal with the mates missus on a rampage, and it's not worth it. My anti virus does a little bit of what I need it to but the current system isn't anywhere near up to my own standards.
    yep valid point.... i have not used in a while seems most p2p people dont like it. i LOVE the idea... maybe have a look at , mind you never used it on a windows machine.... but its on my mind too.
    If you feed ducks at a pond, chances are your bound to feed a goose or two without even knowing it.

  • Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast

    Bookmarks

    Posting Permissions

    • You may not post new threads
    • You may not post replies
    • You may not post attachments
    • You may not edit your posts
    •