polluted MS gear

can we get a thread on solutions?

[chewy]

I recently read (and heard from several sources) than an unprotected brand new MS WIN machine when connected to the 'net directly will become infected with malware within 20 minutes on average.

Smart guys are saying that the gov guys are saying "this whole thing is a mess and we need to start over..."

Other than using non-ms approaches, please what are some of the better approaches? I'm just hearing now about TrendMicro, and clearly there are the AdAwares and AVGs of the world - does anyone prefer one approach over another approach? Suffice to say that most approaches mean buying a newer, faster, better machine and starting over again.

Mods please allow vendor names?

tx

[oddsod]

Other than using non-ms approaches, please what are some of the better approaches? I'm just hearing now about TrendMicro,...

I'm not sure I understand what the question or the problem is. Yes, a machine can pick up an infection immediately it goes online. So you use relevant software to protect your PC. Trendmicro etc are "non-ms approaches".

[chewy]

OK, my mis speaking -

I understand the real NON MS approach is to use Linux or the Mac. Wish I could do that - and I may be going in that direction - but meanwhile ---

What I'm hoping for is a rollicking good thread about software tools (not sold by MS) that are useful on the MS platform that we all love to hate.

Ideally they are better-than-average useful for forestalling problems or cleaning them up when they occur.

TM is one - there have to be more recent others that duke it out fairly with the Nortons and McAfee's of the world, right?

Of course Firefox (I still use Firebird) are also good non MS approaches.

[incrediBILL]

I've got 5 machines online, none are infected, where do they get this stuff?

You think MS is the only one with problems? think again...

I personally have seen more Linux machines hacked than windows. I remember a couple of years ago when there was a vulnerablity for Linux published a full week before RedHat could deliver an update and we watched helplessly as a whole server farm got hacked.

I've also witnessed a Linux machine get hacked while it was being setup [wasn't my machine :)] during an OS update as some automated port trolling machine just happened to be checking that IP, saw this box come online and was automatically checking for all known vulnerabilities at the very split instant someone was trying to close those vulnerabilities. I was mildly amused at the irony.

So much for your non-MS approach :)

Most machines get infected by user stupidity.

The worst part is most people install any old thing on their machine and then whine that they were duped.

The rest of them still get duped by virus email.

Amazing.

[wheel]

For windows desktop, you need the following:
antivirus by avg (grisoft)
-adaware
-spybot
-and then something in the way of a firewall, probably a hardware firewall/modem combo.
- install firefox, uninstall IE
- install thunderbird, uninstall outlook.

Other than the firewall, for home use all of the above is free. I think with all of that installed you should be pretty safe being hooked to the web on an MS machine.

[chewy]

got 5 too - but recently learned that odd network sharing problems were probably caused by a virus on one of them and was informed that I'd probably have to spend a day rebuilding some of the machines. And I believe the guy - he's one of the best tech guys I know - he's a former squid if you know what that means.

I thought I was pretty good about having systems in place to avoid this garbage, but every time something's wrong with a machine, I'm informed it was probably due to an exploit that got past the systems. (Well, that and general Window's bloat and degradation).

Please what do you do, at an advanced level (and are happy to share -- besides not being stupid) that helps avoid exploit problems?