Advanced Plus Security Kongo's Computer Security Config 2024

Last updated
Jul 17, 2024
How it's used?
For home and private use
Operating system
macOS 15 Sequoia
On-device encryption
BitLocker Device Encryption for Windows
Log-in security
    • Hardware security key
Security updates
Allow security updates and latest features
Update channels
Allow stable updates only
User Access Control
Always notify
Smart App Control
Off
Network firewall
Enabled
About WiFi router
- Speedport Smart 4
- Firewalla Blue +
Real-time security
Deep Instinct Endpoint Protection
WhitelistCloud
Firewall security
Microsoft Defender Firewall with Advanced Security
About custom security

Hardening tools:
- Firewall Hardening (blocking outbound connections of LOLBins)
- Run by SmartScreen (forces SmartScreen to scan files of choice)

- STOP/DJVU Ransomware Vaccine (immunizes system against this type of ransomware)
- O&O ShutUp10 (recommended settings)
- O&O AppBuster (removed unecessary Windows 11 apps)
- Windows Sandbox



System settings:
- Microsoft Defender running in sandbox (inactive)
- Reputation Based Protections (all modules enabled)
- Smart App Control enabled

- Data Execution Prevention set to AlwaysOn
- Core Isolation: Memory Integrity enabled
-
Kernel-mode Hardware-enforced Stack Protection enabled
- Secure Boot enabled
- Drives encrypted via TPM (BitLocker)
- Windows Update Delivery Optimization disabled
- AutoPlay disabled
- Network Discovery disabled (Public Firewall profile)
- PowerShell --> Constrained Language Mode
- Hide extensions for known file types --> disabled
- Show hidden files --> enabled

- Virtualization enabled (allows Application Sandboxing)
- Custom Exploit Protection Settings for Firefox:
Code:
Block low integrity images - ON
Block remote images - ON
Block untrusted fonts - ON
Control flow guard (CFG) - ON
Data execution prevention (DEP) - ON + Enable thunk emulation - CHECKED
Disable extension points - ON
Force randomization for images (Mandatory ASLR) - ON + Do not allow stripped images - CHECKED
Randomize memory allocations (Bottom-up ASLR) - ON
Validate exception chains (SEHOP) - ON
Validate handle usage - ON
Validate heap integrity - ON
Validate image dependency integrity - ON

Thanks to @oldschool for sharing! :)

ㅤㅤㅤHardware Firewall (Firewalla Blue Plus):
- Active Protect (Strict)
- Ad Block (Strict)
- OISD blocklist enabled in Firewalla
- New Device Quarantine (restricted internet access for newly connected devices)

- Geo-IP Filtering (blocking connections from and to Russian + Chinese IPs)
- Unbound DNS enabled for all devices
‎‎‎ㅤ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎
Periodic malware scanners
Norton Power Eraser, X-Sec and AdwCleaner
Malware sample testing
I do participate in malware testing. See details about my testing environment below.
Environment for malware testing
‎‎‎ㅤㅤㅤ
VMware Workstation Player + Mullvad VPN on host machine while connected to the guest network.

Online Malware Analysis Platforms that I use:


- FileScan.iO
- Intenzer Analyze
- Hybrid Analysis
- VirusTotal
- Sophos Intelix
- ANY.RUN
-
Triage
- Kaspersky Threat Intelligence Portal
- Neiki.Dev
- ThreatZone
- UnpacMe


--> Currently I am barely testing
Browser(s) and extensions

Mozilla Firefox v. 132.0.0

Extensions:
- Ghostery
- SafeToOpen

- Bitwarden


Browser privacy and security settings:
- Tracking protection: Strict (enables Total Cookie Protection)
- Enable secure DNS using: Max Protection
- HTTPS-only-mode enabled
- DuckDuckGo set as search engine
- Pocket disabled
- Sending DNT-requests disabled (enabling makes you more identifiable and barely gives any advantage on most sites.)
- Clearing browsing data on exit
- Search suggestions disabled
- Websites overview disabled
- Blocking incoming location, camera and microphone requests
- AutoPlay for audio and video disabled
- Firefox telemetry disabled (also in about:config)
- Blocking pop-ups
- Warn when websites try to install addons enabled
- Protection against fraudulent content and dangerous software enabled



about:config tweaks:
- network.dns.echconfig.enabled =
true
- network.dns.use_https_rr_as_altsvc = true
- fission.autostart = true
- pdfjs.enableScripting =
false
- network.IDN_show_punycode = true
- security.ssl.require_safe_negotiation = true

- geo.enabled = false
- webgl.disabled = true
- network.trr.mode =
3 (NextDNS)

ㅤㅤ
Secure DNS

- NextDNS with DoH + OISD blocklist (Firefox exclusively)
- Unbound DNS (Network-wide)


Desktop VPN
Proton VPN with Secure Core, NetShield and Permanent Kill Switch
Password manager
Bitwarden Premium
Maintenance tools
PatchMyPC, RuckZuck, UpdateHub, HiBit Uninstaller and Windows built in tools for cleaning and optimization
File and Photo backup
backup to external drive when necessary
Subscriptions
    • Google One Standard 200GB
System recovery
Aomei Backupper
Risk factors
    • Browsing to popular websites
    • Browsing to unknown / untrusted / shady sites
    • Opening email attachments
    • Buying from online stores, entering banks card details
    • Downloading software and files from reputable sites
    • Gaming
    • Streaming audio/video content from shady sites
    • Downloading malware samples
Computer specs
GPU: Nvidia Geforce RTX 360 TI
CPU: Intel I5 12600K
RAM: 16 GB DDR4-3200 Crucial
Hard disks: 500 GB Samsung 970 EVO Plus + 1 TB Western Digital Blue
Notable changes
- Updated for year 2024
What I'm looking for?

Looking for minimum feedback.

Kongo

Level 36
Thread author
Verified
Top Poster
Well-known
Feb 25, 2017
2,585
You may would like to share your settings of Sandboxie Plus, any special options enabled or default only?
- only allowing internet access for Firefox (Internet Restrictions)
- blocking access to my private folders (Resource Access)
- killing all processes after exiting sandboxie

I am open to any recommendations as I am quite new to Sandboxie :)
 

Shadowra

Level 36
Verified
Top Poster
Content Creator
Malware Tester
Well-known
Sep 2, 2021
2,586
- only allowing internet access for Firefox (Internet Restrictions)
- blocking access to my private folders (Resource Access)
- killing all processes after exiting sandboxie

I am open to any recommendations as I am quite new to Sandboxie :)

I'm interested in your settings on Sandboxie because I have to make a video on it, and I would like to evaluate it completely 😉
 

Kongo

Level 36
Thread author
Verified
Top Poster
Well-known
Feb 25, 2017
2,585
I'm interested in your settings on Sandboxie because I have to make a video on it, and I would like to evaluate it completely 😉
As I said I am not that experienced with Sandboxie so I don't know if I am the right person to ask. But I think it depends on what test you are planning to do. Are you trying to test the capabilities of isolating malware from the rest of your system? If so, then you could try to set up internet restrictions for that specific malware sample. Maybe try to execute a RAT or Botnet and see if it can connect to it's C&C server or if it can drop a file in autoruns for example. :unsure:
 

silversurfer

Super Moderator
Verified
Top Poster
Staff Member
Malware Hunter
Aug 17, 2014
11,108
I'm interested in your settings on Sandboxie because I have to make a video on it, and I would like to evaluate it completely 😉
You can asking @bjm_ for his settings, he probably has advanced user experience with Sandboxie Plus, all new versions are kindly here posted by @bjm_

 

Kongo

Level 36
Thread author
Verified
Top Poster
Well-known
Feb 25, 2017
2,585
- replaced Sophos Home Premium with Malwarebytes Anti-Malware trial.
- replaced AdGuard with Malwarebytes Browser Guard
- replaced AdGuard VPN with Surfshark VPN (Wanted to try the new IP-Rotation feature)
 
Last edited:

Shadowra

Level 36
Verified
Top Poster
Content Creator
Malware Tester
Well-known
Sep 2, 2021
2,586
- replaced Sophos Home Premium with Malwarebytes Anti-Malware trial.
- replaced AdGuard with Malwarebytes Browser Guard
- replaced AdGuard VPN with Surfshark VPN (Wanted to try the new IP-Rotation feature)
So, it works well the novelty of Surfshark :)
 
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Moonhorse

Level 38
Verified
Top Poster
Content Creator
Well-known
May 29, 2018
2,728
I am only using it on my main browser Firefox. So far I am okay with the blocking capabilities but it doesn't block youtube ads which is a big downside...
Last time i tried it probably month ago it did block them, maybe they will fix it in new version, good thing is that extension gets updated very frequently
 
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Kongo

Level 36
Thread author
Verified
Top Poster
Well-known
Feb 25, 2017
2,585
Faced the same problem as @blackice that Malwarebytes doesn't register in Windows Security after reboot.
Trying G-Data now once again.

Also, I went back from Quad9 to Cloudflare for system-wide DNS and only using NextDNS for ad-blocking without any other content filtering extension.
 

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