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Author Topic: Windows firewall configuration  (Read 4483 times)

leandrojardim

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Windows firewall configuration
« on: January 15, 2013, 01:16:38 AM »
I have many problems with invasor users in my computer. :(

I am trying to configure the Windows firewall to protect it. I see many people scared with this too, and even using  firewall from other companies, thinking that without proper configuration it will more safe than the Windows firewall. I even tried this too, but to be true, at that time the firewall I used was plagued by bugs, and I did doubt my computer was protected.

On my computer, I blocked all ports, both on the router and on the firewall, but the port 80 (Web) and another port for uTorrent (this program is a very big security risk, no? Its producers says that it is safe, apart from viruses that you may download with the files, but I dont believe fully on them).

I blocked also all IP addresses, even the the address of the router, but the mine "logical" address of the provider, and checked the DNS address for infection, too.

Does there are other things that I can do, (or not do) to protect my computer from hackers? Doles there are secrets that only a professional knows? I must know about it, because hackers even melted my shiny video board and also another time that they controlled my mouse cursor. I am scared!

I am losing interest in my project that I am trying to terminate for years, and losing all my inspiration that I had before. Without all this I cant think in all problems of my project, correct the bugs in my source code, or believe is feasible to terminate it. :)
« Last Edit: January 15, 2013, 01:40:37 AM by leandrojardim »

Offline Bitbeisser

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Re: Windows firewall configuration
« Reply #1 on: January 15, 2013, 02:34:51 AM »
Does there are other things that I can do, (or not do) to protect my computer from hackers? Doles there are secrets that only a professional knows? I must know about it, because hackers even melted my shiny video board and also another time that they controlled my mouse cursor. I am scared!
Well, the secrets are only to use common sense and a real firewall in front of your computer! All those software firewalls are IMHO just snake oil...

And of course keep your operating system patched and run a proper, up to date anti-virus program (I can only recommend the free version of Avast, it works just perfectly fine and is the least intrusive one).

If you can't stay away from possibly infected web sites, only use the web browser from within a sandbox (Sandboxie (http://www.sandboxie.com/) works for this for several customers of mine just fine as well).

Ralf

CommonTater

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Re: Windows firewall configuration
« Reply #2 on: January 15, 2013, 03:11:20 AM »
I gotta throw down with Ralf on this one...

If you are running a half decent router (My preference is D-Link) you have all the firewall you need.  I run my lan through a router and the firewall is enabled to allow outgoing connections only.  Nobody can even tell if my setup is online from the WAN side... Inside my LAN all firewalls are disabled.  Anything else I do inside the lan is, as Ralf puts it, "snake oil" (useless).

As for uTorrent... I've been using it for 4 or 5 years and not one... let me repeat that... not one virus in all that time.  Because of the way uTorrent works it's almost impossible to spread a virus using it.  Hash detection would declare any altered version of a torrent or file invalid and ban the peer immediately.

Don't fall into the trap of thinking that 3 of this or 2 of that is better... most often it's worse.  A dose of common sense, a good hardware firewall and a decent virus scanner are all you need.  (I don't even use virus scanners...)

Finally ... are you certain your system is being invaded?  Many times people get all hopped up about nothing. For example, my router shows an average of 5 or 6 "twinge attacks" (attempted outside connections) a day and nobody has ever gotten past it.  They can't even ping it, so I'm pretty sure these are just random probes, nothing orchestrated.  From their side it looks like an unused IP address.

If course there's the other question... "What makes you so important as to warrant a hacker's attention?"
Really... these guys are going after big servers, governments and corporations... what makes you so special...




Tino

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Re: Windows firewall configuration
« Reply #3 on: February 05, 2013, 05:41:23 AM »
You could set up a fresh installation,
use a Linux Live CD and backup the windows system to external media.
(Those Live CD s also great for cleaning infected Hardware)

You could also use Virtalisation like VMware or Virtualbox,
setup a Linux guest and surf a bit safer in those virtual systems.

You SHOULD allways save your work on external media
and since Pelles C Projects files are non-compiled
99 % of viruses will fail to destroy them (can allways open them under Linux or Mac and "clean" them)

Modern Malware is evil but there are ways to get on :)