All the added security on systems

[Jengo]

I was just wondering, when i read the pc config topic from all the members, some go to the max for advanced security, is this really necessary ?
I dont think on 99,9% of all the systems contain top secret NASA information.
And what are the chances you encounter Malware or being infected when you turn on your computer ?

I think we just need a good AV with Firewall and you be safe to go.

Just my thoughts.

 

[Freki123]

I would agree that some of the setups are overkill. For most people here it's also a hobby (would be my guess).
On the other hand the "Windows Malware Removal Help & Support" section here still gets request pretty frequently...

​

 

[mlnevese]

There are a lot of paranoid people on security forums like this that tighten their security so much it must be hell to use their own computers... For the average user, lighter security is all you really need. A good security suite, if you don't want to deal with default deny software, and some Windows hardening.

Some good navigation habits is also a must. For instance, I recently received a very good scam email. It looked like the real thing, every detail of the usual e-mails from that company. But there were a few giveaways, the email links would lead me to an address that didn't belong to the company, for instance. Quite similar but there were differences.

Hardening Windows is a clever idea, but you must know what you are doing. People asking for help to change some Windows setting that is "locked by administrator" are almost as common as people who think they were infected by something in the forum.

Other than Scam E-mails I haven't seem a live malware I didn't download on purpose for quite a few years.

Now if you are a potential target, high profile or work with secret information, then things are different, of course. As a general guideline, if you work with secret information, DO NOT COPY IT TO A PERSONAL COMPUTER. If you do, make sure that whoever deals with security in your corporation/government agency do the tightening for you. There is a reason most companies/government agencies provide pre-configured computers for home use. Just don't blame your security suite for sending the secret malware you are creating for analysis if you decide to do it at home in your own computer

 

[Jonny Quest]

Agree with the above posts. My main concern (other than a good AV and Firewall) is online privacy and security. I do have most if not all of the Windows Permissions disabled, but as of now, I'm going over my website log-ins and passwords and resetting some of the weaker ones and renewing others, as well as enabling 2FA where I can.

 

[TairikuOkami]

I was just wondering, when i read the pc config topic from all the members, some go to the max for advanced security, is this really necessary ?

Every little bit helps, for example I applied EnableCertPaddingCheck last year, because of Zloader and this year it is widely abused by 3CX.
So while you might think, that it is a little thing, hackers are looking just for that, for something to exploit, that it is not protected by default.

Microsoft code-sign check bypassed to drop Zloader malware

A new Zloader campaign exploits Microsoft's e-signature code verification to steal user credentials from over two thousand victims in 111 countries.

www.bleepingcomputer.com

10-year-old Windows bug with 'opt-in' fix exploited in 3CX attack

A 10-year-old Windows vulnerability is still being exploited in attacks to make it appear that executables are legitimately signed, with the fix from Microsoft still "opt-in" after all these years. Even worse, the fix is removed after upgrading to Windows 11.

www.bleepingcomputer.com

I think we just need a good AV with Firewall and you be safe to go.

People, who just use AV, get infected all the time, so it is not really working out. All this extra work now, saves me the work afterwards.
I do not mind getting infected, but loosing access to my accounts, now that is unimaginable, I would do not even know how to recover.

 

[EascapenMatrix]

For most sensible user only firewall and hardening is enough. But we as human are curious and many times due to this nature we make mistakes. That's why I think hardening should be good for such people. Yes, hardening causes issues and user or the person doing should know what they are doing. But if people will just use good browsing habits. It can be avoided.

For inexperienced users I think hardening and teaching good digital habits including av & firewall is must.

 

[Ink]

I have moved this thread to Community Feedback

There seems to be some misunderstanding about the use of Prefixes.

All newly posted threads are auto-assigned as Unverified. This means our SCW moderator has yet to see the set-up. Only once reviewed and feedback has been provided, our moderator will then assign a thread prefix that fits best to the information the thread creator has shared. Less or vague details = more chance of lower rating.

• Danger
• At-Risk
• Basic Security
• Advanced Security
• Advanced Plus Security

There are many threads that will tell you a "Good AV with Firewall" isn't an all-in-one solution to be malware-free.

Hot Take - Who is safer?

The Corona Virus case has shown that people who are interested in health matters (for example doctors) are more vulnerable than average people. So maybe, the people interested in computer security (MT readers) can be more vulnerable as compared to average computer users. Let's assume that...

malwaretips.com

How I got infected last time thread

The purpose of this thread is two fold: To share one's experience and to raise user awareness to both members of MT and guests. A few days ago, after being in contact with WinPatrol, I decided to test out their WinAntiRansom program against some nasties. I followed their guide for...

malwaretips.com