Stubbornest Config. Yeah baby!

[Stubbornest]

The following Chrome browser extensions are always disabled when not in use : Intel XDK, Ripple Emulator, MetaProducts Offline Explorer integration, Hola Better Internet, Zenmate, Proxy SwitchySharp.

Ad Block Plus is mainly there for blocking annoying mega ads on uk.eurosport.yahoo.com .
Nice side effect is that the pages also load much faster.

I also use all these browsers daily for testing : Google Chrome 31, Firefox 26, Opera 12.16, Internet Explorer 9, Safari 5.1.7.
And these browsers installed in VMware guests : Internet Explorer 10, 11, Opera 15, 16, 17.
The browsers, other than Google Chrome, have no extensions/add-ons added. They are only used for testing.

This Laptop is mainly used for web design and development. Mainly local to a VMware or VirtualBox server. But also to one of my remote VPS'es.
And also for telecommuting, for the occasional IBM AS/400/iSeries/Power project.

Checking webmail. Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo Mail, and Tele2 Web Mail. I haven't used MS Outlook for 2+ years now. But it's still installed, for the unlikely event that I need an old purchase receipt or something other.
Short burst of browsing on github.com and bitbucket.com almost all day, every day.

I watch Grimm, and Once Upon A Time on Hulu with the Hola extension.

Pretty boring, but safe.

System Specs :
CPU: AMD E-350 @1.6Ghz
RAM: 8GB DDR3 @1033Mhz
GPU: AMD HD 6310 384MB System RAM
HDD: 320GB
This bad boy : http://tweakers.net/pricewatch/279702/hp-pavilion-dm1-3125ed-(lm553ea)/specificaties/

I do my more dangerous browsing on Bertha.
She's my trusty old tower PC, Win7 Pro 64-bit, Intel Q9550, 8GB RAM, HD 4870, 3x 1TB HDD, 3x 3TB HDD. A rescue DVD created with Macrium Reflect, and with a full OS backup on it, is available to restore this box. There is nothing else installed than Win7, Chrome, Internet Explorer (unused) and Usenet Explorer for films (only decent ones).

Ironically, the other 2 laptops in our household have much better CPU's (i5 and i7). They also have 8GB RAM. The i5 runs Win7 x64, the i7 runs Win8.1 x64. But they are only used for browsing (Facebook, Twitter, ), emailing, and online shopping.
They both have the same virus scanner, and firewall. And also have never been infected. But the Win 8.1 laptop is just 1+ month in her posession.

On all systems the Firewall will be replaced with PrivateFirewall or Tinywall. I'm testing those on Bertha now.

I'm looking to replace the virus scanner with another one, but only if I can do better.
I'm mostly very pleased with NOD32. Fast and easy on the system resources.

But sometimes it is a bit overprotective, blocking a whole domain because of a detected exploit in a favicon. But the biggest gripe I have against it is corrupted downloads : [Failed - Network Error].
(See: http://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=332920)
This used to be terrible, almost each download over 1MB in size failed. And after many months Microsoft released a hotfix KB2789397. But it did not fix this issue completely. It just occurred less frequent. I also checked with Eset v6 and v7 which the license entitles me to switch between. But the problem persisted. Even after the MS patch. The funny thing is that the trials of Kaspersky AV, Webroot AV, and Avira AV downloaded the same files without any issues.

Anyhow, enough whinging.

 

[Exterminator]

WOW,now that's a Security Config if I have ever saw one

Have entertained updating to EAV 7

Thanks for posting your Security config

 

[Stubbornest]

Hehheh.

I've been reading here through lots of posts (logged in or not). But to be honest, I can't find any reason to make a change away from Eset AV.
Almost 3 years have passed since I purchased the licenses, and all that has changed is that the big players now prefer to push complete security suites. And that there are newer players in the free sector of the market.
Eset AV is still one of the best and lightest. But I'm giving the Webroot AV trial a chance the coming 2 weeks on Bertha (until the Eset licenses run out). The Eset icon has already turned orange, and a message shows up reminding me that the license runs out in 13 days.

 

[Cats-4_Owners-2]

Thank you for your config(-s!) which convey as rich an environment as the entertaining ride you brought us all on along with "Bertha"! Exterminator already expressed it as I would have: "WOW", ..but with my mouth hanging open! So, I'll use a different 3 lettered interjection: OMG! Your config was a delightful narrative, and (truly) so much fun to read with as many (no, More!) surprises than GRIMM! ..& like Once Upon A Time, I look forward to more! BTW, "Sandboxie (used on (2) or our (3) computers as I await 4.07.05 to graduate from beta testing for Win. 8.1) will only make you stronger!" (Obi-wan Kenobi said this slightly differently!).

 

[Stubbornest]

Thanks C4O2.
You like Grimm also then?

 

[Cats-4_Owners-2]

Thanks C4O2.
You like Grimm also then?

Yes, Grimm is Spooky Good! ..and now I'll look into watching on Hulu with the "Hola" extension. This would free up lots of space on the nearly full DVR! Recently, I installed "Privatefirewall" on my older XP desktop, my slower tortoise version of your "Bertha". It was recommended highly, along with comodo, by helpful people whom know. My first choice would have been "Online Armor", but that's because extremely good advice literally comes out of the woodwork here!

 

[Stubbornest]

So how is PrivateFirewall holding itself on the tortoise?
I find it very good. But so is TinyWall. Although I find TinyWall a lot easier on the resources when the firewall has to block a lot.
With PrivateFirewall pages sometimes load slow and I have to set the log level to "off" to speed things up.

About Grimm : Exactly, "Spooky Good!". I love it.

If Hola doesn't work for you, or just 1 or 2 of the sites it attempts to unblock, don't unblock, then there is also a ZenMate extension (Chrome only I believe). I've heard good things about it where Hola sometimes doesn't work, like the BBC iPlayer. But I don't use that one.

 

[Cats-4_Owners-2]

Today, my family & I were just discussing "loving Grimm"! I'd learned about TinyWall here, and also based my decision from here to use a 3rd party firewall only on my XP "tortoise" rig w/Sandboxie. The (2) other laptops: 1 has Win 7 & Sandboxie. The 2nd Win 8.1, is protected "As Is" with UAC. Buggy reasons, & the link, to why I'm waiting for beta version 4.07.05 to clear for Win 8.1: http://www.sandboxie.com/phpbb/viewforum.php?f=41&sid=c47e006facdb636f3dbbd87a85c050a9
Additionally, I've read how some attach greater importance toward blocking outbound when compared to inbound. "Spooky Bad". I do little to no banking using passwords. Have you noted any such security differences as you've compared the two. Sometimes, I wonder, "do lessened speed performance (firewalls) balance out longer time through equalizing greater security? So far, the PrivateFirewall has provided a secure "shell" for this toroise!Another good security solution mentioned on the forums, while schooling me, has been the option of using a "virtual keyboard" which can be downloaded from a number of different forms to choose from.

 

[Exterminator]

Hehheh.

I've been reading here through lots of posts (logged in or not). But to be honest, I can't find any reason to make a change away from Eset AV.
Almost 3 years have passed since I purchased the licenses, and all that has changed is that the big players now prefer to push complete security suites. And that there are newer players in the free sector of the market.
Eset AV is still one of the best and lightest. But I'm giving the Webroot AV trial a chance the coming 2 weeks on Bertha (until the Eset licenses run out). The Eset icon has already turned orange, and a message shows up reminding me that the license runs out in 13 days.

yes but your on version 4 Eset nod 32 Antivirus is on version 7.You can download it and install right over the old version.

I always like a fellow ESET fan so check your inbox,I sent you a 90 day ESET Nod32 Antivirus key to get you green again,and update that to version 7

 

[Stubbornest]

There is a misconception about TinyWall. It actually adds outbound connection control to Windows Firewall.
I posted about it here : http://malwaretips.com/threads/best-firewall-for-windows-8-1.19695/page-2#post-152550

Where I live, The Netherlands, online banking is protected with a small device/code generator with a unique number, and challenge and response codes exchange with the bank.
Or by first registering your mobile device with the bank to receive payment authorization codes by SMS.
Logging into your bank a/c is by user+password or user+password+same challenge and response as described above.
So it's pretty safe.
I don't do my online banking on my laptop. I do that on one of the Android tablets for testing. These get a factory reset at least once a day because of all the the testing on them. I have to test with previous and current OS versions. But not being very rich, I can't buy all devices out there for testing. That's why I keep resetting and loading different OS versions. (It's slow and boring. But it pays the bills eventually.)

Virtual keyboards, are not for me. That's even worse than a tablet keyboard.

 

[Exterminator]

Stubbornest check inbox (I sent you a 90 day ESET Nod32 Antivirus key)

 

[Stubbornest]

Hey exterminator20 thanks very much for the license man.

I did have the trials of v6 and v7 loaded to see if the download corruption would disappear. But it didn't at the time (Jan/Feb 2013).
At the time v6 and v7 didn't feel as light as v4, so I went back.
I'm putting v7 on probation for 90 days later today.

 

[Exterminator]

Hey exterminator20 thanks very much for the license man.

I did have the trials of v6 and v7 loaded to see if the download corruption would disappear. But it didn't at the time (Jan/Feb 2013).
At the time v6 and v7 didn't feel as light as v4, so I went back.
I'm putting v7 on probation for 90 days later today.

Ride the 90 out and I will see if I can hook you up for a year

 

[Stubbornest]

You bet! I will. Smiling ear to ear here.