Littlebits Config

[Littlebits]

This is my configuration that I have been using for several years and I haven't had one single infection. Of coarse used with my own knowledge.

For the on-demand scanners, I don't use them very much since they never find anything. WinPatrol Plus is the only HIPS based program that I use since it is so light and doesn't interfere with trusted programs. Also don't cause system errors or compatibility issues with other programs.

Get the advanced WinPatrol Registry Protection List here.
Warning you will get notifications when installing Windows Updates.

Real time protection:
-Avast Free Antivirus
-UAC (default setting)
-WinPatrol Plus (advanced registry protection)
-Windows Firewall with Advanced Security

System maintenance tools:
CCleaner
Auslogics Disk Defrag
ASUS Probe II
AMD Overdrive
IObit Advanced SystemCare (automatic care disabled)
IObit Uninstaller
CUPID PC Wizard
Driver Identifier (the best driver update tool)
SpeedFan
WSCC (launcher and updater for Microsoft Sysinternals and Nirsoft Utilities)
DesktopOk (saves desktop icons)
Process Hacker and System Explorer
Maxtor Manager (backs up files and Windows image to Maxtor external hard drive)

Multi-media tools:
Winamp (audio)
JetAudio (video)
DVDVideosoft Free Studio (All-in-one media suite)
aTube Catcher (mp3 and video downloader)
InfraRecorder (CD burner)
streamWriter (records online radio stations)
PicPick (screen capture and image editor)
EagleGet (download manager)
qBittorrent (torrent downloader)

My current custom-built system:

ASUS M4A88T- M motherboard
AMD Phenom II X6 1045T Processor 2.70GHz overclocked to 3.40GHz
Windows Experience Index : 4.9




Thanks.

 

[Valentin N]

I would change from Zonealarm, unless you want a pure firewall that doesn't contain HIPS or similar. Comodo firewall is good and you have the option to make it as pure firewall, Private firewall, Online armor, PC tools firewall + are some alternatives.

I also suggest you make sure that WinPatrol can be with avast; HIPS/HIDS + BB is not a good combo.

Regards,
Valentin N

 

[Littlebits]

I would change from Zonealarm, unless you want a pure firewall that doesn't contain HIPS or similar. Comodo firewall is good and you have the option to make it as pure firewall, Private firewall, Online armor, PC tools firewall + are some alternatives.

I also suggest you make sure that WinPatrol can be with avast; HIPS/HIDS + BB is not a good combo.

Regards,
Valentin N

All I need is a pure firewall, since I never get infection there is no need for me to use advanced HIPS firewalls that annoy me all the time. I already went thorough Comodo, Online Armor, Privatefirewall, PC Tools, etc. for many years and they never blocked a single malware since I know how to avoid malware in the first place. I use ZoneAlarm Free because it is very light and never causes issues with my system or other programs. Don't need the Pro version of ZoneAlarm since they added HIPS features to it as well.

WinPatrol and Avast work very good together no issues at all.

Thanks for your commits;
Good day.

 

[jamescv7]

You can add Hitman Pro as another on demand scanner which you can use too as portable.

 

[Littlebits]

You can add Hitman Pro as another on demand scanner which you can use too as portable.

I really don't have a need for it on my own systems, but I do have a license for it to use on my customers systems. It is an excellent scanner to detect and remove active infections since it uses several engines, but fails to detect advanced inactive infections set to be active at reboot. What I do like about it is it is fast and easy especially for a system that is highly infected. Also like the fact that it can be portable makes it easy to take with me when I have to do a house call. Of coarse since it uses multiple engines, it usually has many false positives.

So I basically just use it as a removal tool for highly infected systems. It usually gets most infections except for rogue security products which MBAM uses gets. If not then I continue to use other scanners and manual removal is required sometimes.

Thanks.
Good day.

 

[jamescv7]

Ok, understood you can just download if its necessarily to you

 

[Mark]

Why are you using ZoneAlarm instead of Windows 7 Firewall?

 

[Deleted member 178]

Why are you using ZoneAlarm instead of Windows 7 Firewall?

with Windows Firewall Control, it become as efficient than Zone Alarm. if i didnt like HIPS, it is what i will do.

 

[Littlebits]

Why are you using ZoneAlarm instead of Windows 7 Firewall?

with Windows Firewall Control, it become as efficient than Zone Alarm. if i didnt like HIPS, it is what i will do.

1. Self Protection- can't be killed by other programs or the task manager. Also protects other processes from editing your program settings.

2. Warns when firewall has a problem or disabled- No telling how may times in the past that Windows Firewall was disabled or had a problem or couldn't start with no warning from Windows Action Center. ZoneAlarm can easily repair itself when it has a problem.

3. Program Manager- very nice display view of your programs that can be edited or removed with ease.

4. Alerts & Logs- Can easy view the history of all incoming and outgoing traffic.

5. Automatic Internet Lock- Can be set to lock the internet when you are away automatically detects inactive or lock when your screensaver is active.

6. Zone Manager- can easily manage zones for all networks, also displays hidden networks not displayed by Windows.

7. Right click on tray icon- allows me to easily engage internet lock or stop all Internet activity.

8. Easily configured- ZoneAlarm hasn't changed its settings much over the years. Unlike some firewalls that have to move everything around with each new version and confuse users.

Thanks.

 

[Ink]

So is ZoneAlarm Free a non-HIPS Firewall?

 

[Littlebits]

So is ZoneAlarm Free a non-HIPS Firewall?

Yes it has no HIPS features at all, just a basic two way pure firewall with no BS added

Thanks.

 

[Jack]

Solid config...You could add an on-demand sandbox ,like SandboxIE....
Zone Alarm : Did you try to run the CLT test to see what score it gets?

 

[Valentin N]

Solid config...You could add an on-demand sandbox ,like SandboxIE....
Zone Alarm : Did you try to run the CLT test to see what score it gets?

CLT is made for firewalls with HIPS and not for firewall. it will fail in other words because it's made for that and ZA-plus won't pass either.

Littlebits... comodo firewall can also only act as a pure firewall

Regards,
Valentin N

 

[Littlebits]

Solid config...You could add an on-demand sandbox ,like SandboxIE....
Zone Alarm : Did you try to run the CLT test to see what score it gets?

CLT is made for firewalls with HIPS and not for firewall. it will fail in other words because it's made for that and ZA-plus won't pass either.

Littlebits... comodo firewall can also only act as a pure firewall

Regards,
Valentin N

Yes CLT is a full blown HIPS testing suite, why is is called a leak test is beyond me because it really doesn't test many firewall or network features like open ports.

Many users have had negative commits about CLT such as it performs several tests that isn't even used by any known malware, why test for something that doesn't exists? It doesn't give accurate results, for example; if you run the CLT in Virtual System or sandbox with your HIPS and firewall disabled, it will say that you are Vulnerable when you are actually Protected. Many of the tests if used by malware requires a system reboot to be active, some HIPS like WinPatrol, Privatefirewall, etc. only detect changes not just access to the system, therefore CLT will say these HIPS fail when they actually pass because other HIPS will notice the changes at the time they are made or at system reboot and still allow you to block them with no harm done.

I consider CLT to be irrelevant to testing other HIPS programs other than Comodo which it was designed to test and make Comodo look better than the rest. Of coarse since CLT was released many other HIPS, like Online Armor and PC Tools added the ability to pass CLT because they could look as good.

As the end result, the HIPS programs got too aggressive protecting against non-existent threats to make they themselves look better on testing sites.
It's a shame what the business world will do to security vendors.

Why I don't use Comodo as just a pure firewall? simple answer it has too many bugs and ZoneAlarm doesn't have any bugs that I can notice. I couldn't count the number of times Comodo lost all of my setting and wouldn't allow me to import my saved configuration. I really don't care if this bug is fixed now, Comodo doesn't get another chance with me.

I'm sorry, I don't mean to offend Comodo in general. I used it for several years, I really liked v.2.14 (I believe that is the correct version). It was the most stable version that I have ever used but after that version, it appears they got a new set of developers that don't know how to iron out the bugs before releasing final versions. They did excellent the new GUI, but the same old bugs were still there last time I tried it a few months ago.

Thanks.

 

[Valentin N]

All I wanted to say that comodo can be a pure firewall ZA is good but of what I know there are better options.

 

[Ink]

I'm tempted to try ZA Free, how much/what resources does it use?

 

[Littlebits]

I'm tempted to try ZA Free, how much/what resources does it use?

It is actually a very light firewall. Uses two processes a total of about 11,000k Memory and CPU under 2% when PC is in idle. Downloading a torrent at speeds of about 800kB/s ZoneAlarm Free only uses a total of about 20,000k memory and under 6% CPU.

Thanks.

 

[Valentin N]

what cpu do you have?

 

[Littlebits]

what cpu do you have?

Funny that you asked, I bet your thinking that I'm using one of the latest quad-core processor.
But I built this system from scratch and ended up getting the wrong size motherboard (Intel 848P-A) when I ordered it online. I got it for just a faction of the regular costs so I decided to use it and intended to put the PC up for sale. So I had to buy a full tower case to fit the motherboard, the only size CPU that would fit it was Socket 478, so I went with Intel Pentium 4 3.20E GHz with hyper-threading which acts like a dual-core but really is only a single core. The fastest CPU compatible with this motherboard. I was thinking, this is going to be a slow PC, but I was amazed how fast it really was. When I benchmarked it, I was really impressed that it ran as fast as some of the more modern CPU's and decided to keep it as my main system. Not as fast a a gaming system, but fast enough for what I use it for. Both the motherboard and CPU was made in 2004 and still fully supported Windows 7.

One of the best systems that I have built.

Thanks.

 

[Ink]

That's interesting because my first desktop was built in 2004 too and I probably have the same CPU (P4 3.2GHz with HT).
Currently I have no installed OS, but plan to install either Ubuntu or XBMC during the Summer holidays.

At the moment, I am using my 2008 laptop. Hopefully tomorrow I will install ZoneAlarm Free tomorrow and tell you what I think of it.