Mike's Configuration

[Kiwimike]

Incase your wondering the reason why I use what I use.

To be totally honest, I'm not sure. I got Norton for free so I'm just using because why not, after it's finished I'll use Windows Defender. SpyShelter is pretty good and would work fine alongside Defender I feel.
Also, I use EMET because it's free and it works, but I might switch to MBAE in the future because MBAE has some features EMET doesn't have, saying that EMET also has some features MBAE doesn't.

I'm a beilever in disk encryption. I would encrypt it down to hardware level, it would be a lot faster but unfortunately, I think I just can't be bothered.
I frequently take my laptop with me to my high school and use it there on their network, and while thats good it also poses as a risk. Serveral people there, at the college level have actually gotten work stolen, which is really bad considering it's a school!

I don't worry about though, as long as I've got good passwords, use encrypted web connections and have my firewall set up correctly. You can't actually use VPN's in the school network, so that's not a possibility.

 

[Deleted member 178]

Approved by Staff

but:

- i would use a imaging software, to backup the whole system. (at least Windows built-in one)
- use a VM if you download malwares

 

[Kiwimike]

Approved by Staff

but:

- i would use a imaging software, to backup the whole system. (at least Windows built-in one)
- use a VM if you download malwares

Thanks for approving it

Also thanks for the tips. I do create system images on a weekly basis.
But I don't use a virtual machine, I prefer using a sandbox. But, I will use an old, slow computer to run malware on a different network than mine. I also use it as a DMZ so that any crackers can get in it easily and not affect the rest of my network.

 

[Deleted member 178]

Indeed better toying with malwares on a different computer. you can even setup a honeypot to observe penetration attempts.

 

[Exterminator]

I would consider changing UAC to always notify
It would not hurt to add a couple on demand scanners
CCleaner or Privazer if not already installed
Definitely some type of backup solution
Most definitely a VM if you are playing with malware
Thanks for sharing your config

 

[Deleted Member 333v73x]

Hello Aswell as what @exterminator20 and @Umbra have said you should add uBlock Origin, Web of Trust and HTTPS Everywhere to Firefox and Chrome. Furthermore add NoScript to Firefox, it will be a little annoying at first but it's worth it

 

[DracusNarcrym]

Nice overall config! VeraCrypt is an excellent and reliable, free and open-source and based on the ready-tested TrueCrypt.

One thing I would like to note: It is very important to use an imaging application (like @Umbra suggested) for creating full backup images of your system, so that you can use those imaging to restore your system to its exact state, as it was when you created those backup images.

That way, no matter the kind of malware that might be present (so long as they do not modify BIOS/UEFI settings) you can always obliterate that malware in a few minutes (it usually takes less than 15 minutes to restore your system from a backup image).

I recommend the following FREE software for this purpose:

• AOMEI Backupper Standard

OR

• Macrium Reflect Free

Thanks for sharing your configuration with us!

 

[Kiwimike]

Indeed better toying with malwares on a different computer. you can even setup a honeypot to observe penetration attempts.

Good idea. Although I'm primarily checking out the code first, and then if I don't get everything from the source I'll try and run the malware. I just love to do it as a hobby. I enjoy toying with malware, looking at what it does, how it works.

I would consider changing UAC to always notify
It would not hurt to add a couple on demand scanners
CCleaner or Privazer if not already installed
Definitely some type of backup solution
Most definitely a VM if you are playing with malware
Thanks for sharing your config

It would not hurt to add an on-demand scanner. I think the big issue is myself, since I'm actually admitedly quite slack in my security. I think everyone is somewhat, though. But I will get right on it.

I also don't use ccleaner because I think it's not needed however it does help. I use Disk Cleanup, I Trim my ssd with the defrag tool and I mainly just use the built in Windows tools.
I'm a strong beilever that Windows has everything you need built in, and although other tools might help as long as you know your way around the operating system you don't need them.

And I use the standard UAC prompt because I like it when my screen doesn't dim down and so I can leave a uac prompt in the background, finish off my document, and get back to it.

Hello Aswell as what @exterminator20 and @Umbra have said you should add uBlock Origin, Web of Trust and HTTPS Everywhere to Firefox and Chrome. Furthermore add NoScript to Firefox, it will be a little annoying at first but it's worth it

I use Ublock Origin actually, and a script-blocking solution. I always find it best to block javascript unless a webpage needs it. I think that
blocking scripts will also help with speed and security.
As a someone who often develops and designs websites for local businesses, I find it farely easy to use because its default settings are good most of the time.

Nice overall config! VeraCrypt is an excellent and reliable, free and open-source and based on the ready-tested TrueCrypt.


One thing I would like to note: It is very important to use an imaging application (like @Umbra suggested) for creating full backup images of your system, so that you can use those imaging to restore your system to its exact state, as it was when you created those backup images.

That way, no matter the kind of malware that might be present (so long as they do not modify BIOS/UEFI settings) you can always obliterate that malware in a few minutes (it usually takes less than 15 minutes to restore your system from a backup image).

I recommend the following FREE software for this purpose:

• AOMEI Backupper Standard

OR

• Macrium Reflect Free

Thanks for sharing your configuration with us!

I used AOMEI backup for a while but I didn't like it, I'll try Macrium though.

Also, I do like veracrypt, but software encryption is a bit iffy but it works and is more compatible I find.

 

[Chigwells]

I haven't heard of Spyshelter, it sounds like an allround hard-core piece of software. Do you have the Premium lifetime version? I recently uninstalled EMET as I was never too confident about its configuration and now have MalwareBytes Anti-Exploit. The free version protects browsers and java only, but that's enough I think and I like that there is no configuration to get in a tangle over.