Tbry54's Config

[Tbry54]

I’m a novice and like most I guess I would just like the best protection that requires only some maintenance and some configuration.

Like many I read endless reviews and posts, I narrowed it down to
Emsisoft vs Eset for my firewall

My computer is basic:
core i7/8gb ram/Microsoft 10

Right now I have:
----
+Glasswire
+NIR SOFT network watcher
-Not really sure how I really configured glasswire but it is cool to see all the different connections and scary at the same time when using glasswire. I heard of privacy issues with glasswire but I might have been reading it incorrectly.

+Malwarebytes anti-malware
+Malwarebytes anti-exploit

+Reason Core Security by Herd Protect – I am always curious how these are scanning over 60 anti-virus in the cloud + privac

+comodo internet security pro slowly configuring it to suggestions found on this forum
----

Firewalls I have been looking to replace comodo with (the top being most likely):
Emsisoft Internet Security
ESET
BitDefender
Kaspersky (not sure – seen some bad reviews recently)

I was also looking at some extras if anyone thinks its a good idea to install any of the items listed below:
Shadow Defender
NoVirusThanks EXE Radar Pro
App Guard

And some extra security:
Hitmanpro Alert 3.0
Crystal Security

I used the site linked below for some of my information:

http://decentsecurity.com/#/securing-your-computer/

which lead me to install: HTTPS Everywhere / uBlock Origin plugins

And not to take this off-topic too much but since we are here:
What do people think about making the system quicker by using clean-up tools:
Koshyjohn diskmax
Glary utilities
Boost
And is there any programs that free up ram without interfering with programs running?

Thanks in advance for any help

 

[Deleted member 178]

I’m a novice and like most I guess I would just like the best protection that requires only some maintenance and some configuration.

You pinpointed the most important aspect of your security , YOU. As a novice some of your choice won't fit. i will strike them below.

Like many I read endless reviews and posts, I narrowed it down to
Emsisoft vs Eset for my firewall

Emsisoft's built-in FW is simpler and much easier to use than ESET's one.

Right now I have:
----
+Glasswire
+NIR SOFT network watcher

Glasswire free or paid?

-Not really sure how I really configured glasswire but it is cool to see all the different connections and scary at the same time when using glasswire. I heard of privacy issues with glasswire but I might have been reading it incorrectly.

Not worst than any other softs.

+Malwarebytes anti-malware
+Malwarebytes anti-exploit

Good enough

+Reason Core Security by Herd Protect – I am always curious how these are scanning over 60 anti-virus in the cloud + privac

Not needed

+comodo internet security pro slowly configuring it to suggestions found on this forum

if you use CIS you have to remove Glasswire, and not using Emsisoft or ESET. But you said you are a novice; so better remove CIS.

Firewalls I have been looking to replace comodo with (the top being most likely):
Emsisoft Internet Security
ESET
BitDefender
Kaspersky (not sure – seen some bad reviews recently)

Honestly Emsisoft IS will be the best choice. If you have Glasswire paid you don't need any of those. Windows Firewall is good enough.

I was also looking at some extras if anyone thinks its a good idea to install any of the items listed below:
Shadow Defender
NoVirusThanks EXE Radar Pro
App Guard

Not made for novices, unless you have a good knowledge of Windows processes. Shadow Defender wil be better for you.

And some extra security:
Hitmanpro Alert 3.0
Crystal Security

You have and MBAM & MBAE already

HTTPS Everywhere / uBlock Origin plugins

Good enough.

And not to take this off-topic too much but since we are here:
What do people think about making the system quicker by using clean-up tools:
Koshyjohn diskmax
Glary utilities
Boost
And is there any programs that free up ram without interfering with programs running?

i only use CCleaner, best one and most efficient. Ram optimizers are not so needed, you will use them once a month max, if you really need one, you have Wise Memory Optimizer.

 

[hjlbx]

Your stated goal: "Some configuration and some maintenance"

Emsisoft Internet Security - the entire interface is quite user-friendly. On top of that, the Emsi firewall is on par with COMODO's in terms of protection.

The nice thing about EIS is that if you mess up a rule, you can just delete it, and EIS will prompt you again when needed to create a fresh rule.

With EIS there are only a few minor settings tweaks that need to be made; no over-the-top configuration is required for good base-line security.

EIS is quite forgiving for novice + there is good support on their online forum.

For average user that doesn't want to be burdened by security soft, EIS is best option.

AppGuard, NVT ERP, HMP.A are all great softs - but they require intermediate security soft\IT familiarity.

 

[Cats-4_Owners-2]

@Tbry54, thank you for sharing your configuration. Well done, it reads well above novice caliber! Such wisdoms as Umbra & hjlbx possess are enough to explode my brain, yet by following their knowledge you will be guided into the light (..Umbra happens to be a Sith Lord with a heart.).

hjlbx is a Jedi master of Emsisoft. If you choose to follow the path of Emsisoft Internet Security, do take it for a test drive before committing to paying for it. Download it first, & try it for a free trial period here: Emsisoft Internet Security This way you shall be able to see first hand how it works for you.

Do not get caught up with cleaning out your registry. Unlike what is often stated in ads (as far as I know) thousands of registry entries present will not effect performance in any noticeable way. CCleaner has often been said to be the safest for this, & what I've used. Although I have only used it (1) time to respectively clean registry files on each of our Windows 7 & 8.1 systems, I no longer do this. CCleaner is primarily a very safe method for clearing out accumulated "junk" files while also protecting your privacy, although I have read Windows 10 native maintenance can also accomplish this task as well which is a nice bonus!
You may download CCleaner here:

• CCleaner - Free Download - Piriform

If you'd prefer the *portable version* to extract onto an external drive, scroll down to the bottom of the page and find it under "builds".
Thanks for sharing, allowing me the priviledge to share, and for reading all the way down to here.

 

[Exterminator]

EIS would be a great choice for a security suite and definitely for a novice user
Consider CCleaner or Privazer
Some type of system back up solution

 

[Tbry54]

Thank you everyone - amazing info here!!!
The glasswire is paid, I turn off/block all connections when I step away or put the computer in sleep mode.

I have glasswire and CIS with no issues right now.

Emsisoft seems to be a clear winner for ease of use - how much harder/simpler is it vs CIS - I have CIS and messed with HIPS/sandbox and it seems like it is working nicely with Glasswire.
I read ESET is good/better vs emsisoft and seems more popular, is it really much more work to configure vs CIS?

But to confirm EMSISOFT has no issues with glasswire if CIS works with it?

I forgot to add that I was looking at zemana also.
I think ccleaner will be my next purchase for sure so I appreciate the advice.
and for Wise Memory Optimizer - does the Wise Care 365 Pro have that included in it? I feel just buying the entire setup would be smarter.

So I will most likely purchase:
EMSISOFT
CCLEANER
Wise Care 365

Is there anything I am missing or do you think that would be good enough for basic security?

Thanks again for the post everyone - amazing forum!

 

[Tbry54]

So I installed EMSISOFT Internet Security - very simple, a first grader could probably set this up. Is there any good place to get suggestions on how to setup emsisoft - doesn't seem able to customize too much, just a few buttons to click, is there HIPS IPV6 etc? I don't see anything about it in the software.

It shut down my computer (windows 10) with a light blue screen and frown face - never seen this! - it said something different - this is not my computer but looked like this:

I'm not sure if it caused any damage... but i restarted my computer - boot time on a brand new PC windows 10 is around 3 minutes which I know is crazy but not sure how to fix it, no programs installed except what I listed above.

-It shut down my glasswire / windows firewall also, to fix I reactivated it and they seem to be behaving well together now.

One thing I like about emsisoft is that it blocked cookies from a website and alerts me to block it, no program I ever had did this so that is a plus.

I'm still debatting:
sandboxie
zumana anti-logger

I feel my system is decent right now with what I have after installing emsisoft.

Any tips on setup would be appreciated!

Thank you

 

[hjlbx]

So I installed EMSISOFT Internet Security - very simple, a first grader could probably set this up. Is there any good place to get suggestions on how to setup emsisoft - doesn't seem able to customize too much, just a few buttons to click, is there HIPS IPV6 etc? I don't see anything about it in the software.

It shut down my computer (windows 10) with a light blue screen and frown face - never seen this! - it said something different - this is not my computer but looked like this:

I'm not sure if it caused any damage... but i restarted my computer - boot time on a brand new PC windows 10 is around 3 minutes which I know is crazy but not sure how to fix it, no programs installed except what I listed above.

-It shut down my glasswire / windows firewall also, to fix I reactivated it and they seem to be behaving well together now.

One thing I like about emsisoft is that it blocked cookies from a website and alerts me to block it, no program I ever had did this so that is a plus.

I'm still debatting:
sandboxie
zumana anti-logger

I feel my system is decent right now with what I have after installing emsisoft.

Any tips on setup would be appreciated!

Thank you

BSOD is a mechanism to protect your system from damage.

You need to report this issue on the Emsisoft support forum: www.support.emsisoft.com

They are very good about assisting users.

 

[illumination]

So I installed EMSISOFT Internet Security - very simple, a first grader could probably set this up. Is there any good place to get suggestions on how to setup emsisoft - doesn't seem able to customize too much, just a few buttons to click, is there HIPS IPV6 etc? I don't see anything about it in the software.

It shut down my computer (windows 10) with a light blue screen and frown face - never seen this! - it said something different - this is not my computer but looked like this:

I'm not sure if it caused any damage... but i restarted my computer - boot time on a brand new PC windows 10 is around 3 minutes which I know is crazy but not sure how to fix it, no programs installed except what I listed above.

-It shut down my glasswire / windows firewall also, to fix I reactivated it and they seem to be behaving well together now.

One thing I like about emsisoft is that it blocked cookies from a website and alerts me to block it, no program I ever had did this so that is a plus.

I'm still debatting:
sandboxie
zumana anti-logger

I feel my system is decent right now with what I have after installing emsisoft.

Any tips on setup would be appreciated!

Thank you

First, I would grately encourage you to read these to guides on how to post your config and update it.

[MUST READ] How To Share Your Security Config

[MUST READ] How to update your security config without creating a new thread!

Secondly, more then likely there are left overs on your system from the products you did have if you uninstalled them before placing EIS on your system, causing the incompatibility "blue screen". If you have your personal things backed up on your system "which you should" you can then do a Refresh of Windows 10 to make it easier on yourself, and then install EIS.

 

[mal1]

-Not really sure how I really configured glasswire but it is cool to see all the different connections and scary at the same time when using glasswire. I heard of privacy issues with glasswire but I might have been reading it incorrectly.

I have been Googling "Glasswire + privacy" for an hour, and I'm yet to find any feedback on this matter. Would you mind telling us more about this issue please?

 

[Tbry54]

illumination - I will look into those threads and post accordingly. Thanks

For the compatibility, there is no other programs just the ones I listed above, it is a brand new computer (hp) installed with ms10 and nothing else, I am waiting to secure it hence being here before I start to use it for work.

I back-up everything on an external drive but not software I use so that could be an issue with a refresh? I have a new HP computer i7 / 8gb ram but the computer takes about 5 minutes on average to boot with ONLY the programs I listed above. I really wonder why that is or anything can create a faster bootup time.

I have been Googling "Glasswire + privacy" for an hour, and I'm yet to find any feedback on this matter. Would you mind telling us more about this issue please?

I will try to find it, if I recall it was most likely a forum post like this where someone questioned privacy and glasswire so it is why I asked, I don't know, I like glasswire and bought it for 2 computers, it seems like solid protection and user-friendly.

 

[Deleted member 178]

Did you installed Emsisoft IS alongside Glasswire and CIS? if yes , no wonder you had a BSOD.

 

[mal1]

I hope I'm not hijacking the thread, but @Tbry54 with regard to Glasswire privacy issues, are you talking about this post (I found it on their forum) Resource Monitor showing GWCtlSrv.exe activity, but GlassWire doesn't

***I stopped using it as I could not identify the data that was send to your servers, and I believe that the process didn't stop after I closed GlassWire (I waited for at least 5 minutes, and it was still going).
If you can't accurately prove what GlassWire uploads to your servers, then I will discontinue my usage of GlassWire and will not recommend it to my friends and collegues.
It is only for the sake of my own privacy. I understand that the statistical data on my usage is valuable, but it can hardly be only statistics it's uploading.***

And for the sake of fairness, this is what a forum staff had to say
***
We at GlassWire absolutely cannot see any network data on your computer and we have no mechanism in place to access that data even if we decided we wanted to do so. Your network/usage graph or data never goes to our servers at all in any way shape or form.
GlassWire checks for software updates and updates its suspicious host list. We also get a brief connection when GlassWire is installed so we can count how many installs we get. This is all described in our privacy policy https://www.glasswire.com/privacy/1.
If users don't like GlassWire to update its suspicious hosts or check for updates we made GlassWire have the ability to block itself from accessing the network. You can make GlassWire block itself under its Firewall tab, and this blocking is done through the Windows Firewall API.
We don't care if the statistical data on your computer is somehow worth a million dollars. We cannot access it and we have no ability to do so technically, and we don't want access to your data. We make money by selling our software here https://www.glasswire.com/buy/1 not by spying on our users.
GlassWire has a large audience, some of which are security professionals and if we were stealing user data without user permission we'd probably be sued out of existence. Stealing user data is the opposite of what our company is about.
We also have a large number of security professionals testing GlassWire for vulnerabilities and we pay out bug bounties to those professionals on HackerOne https://hackerone.com/glasswire4. If GlassWire had some ability to send your graph data to our servers (which it absolutely does not) please submit a report to HackerOne and we'll investigate and pay a bounty if you're correct.
We at GlassWire are also extremely paranoid about our own security and privacy and we respect your opinion and we want our users to ask questions but in this case I can assure you we cannot see your data even if we wanted to.***

 

[frogboy]

For a good free and reliable backup solution i would like to suggest Macrium Reflect or Aomei Backupper.

If you do not have a portable HDD you could give Aomei One Key a try, it will even help you create a new partition to backup to.

 

[Tbry54]

BSOD is a mechanism to protect your system from damage.

You need to report this issue on the Emsisoft support forum: www.support.emsisoft.com

They are very good about assisting users.

I honestly didn't get time to see what the entire thing said, it had a windows file as the cause of the shut down but by the time I saw that on the bottom it shut down.

Did you installed Emsisoft IS alongside Glasswire and CIS? if yes , no wonder you had a BSOD.

no CIS, that is not installed on that computer, but yes I did have glasswire - glasswire/windows firewall shut down when the install process started, after it was done I turned it back on and that is when the blue screen happened.
I tested it on the new computer first which has everything I listed above except CIS.

But Fabian Wosar said that it SHOULD work with glasswire with no issues and another user on the forum said the same thing and that is why I installed it.

So far no issues and I like emsisoft.

mal1 - thanks for sharing! That is not what I read, it was a similar concern / question like that one but I figured it was someone speculating with no facts and that is why I only asked briefly, like I said I bought 2 glasswire licenses so I like it.

I only buy my software even if they have a fully free version as I believe in supporting the people who take the time to create this software and if it works I am more than willing to give them my hard earned money!

I am contemplating uninstalling CIS for emsisoft since I bought it for multiple computers, I wasn't sure which I will install it on yet but I will keep the forum updated on any issues.

I am still reading the forum section on emsisoft to see if I am going to try eset instead on my other computers. I understand it takes more skill but I feel like I might be able to learn the settings and what works best.

Thank you again for the help though, I hope this thread help others!

 

[Tbry54]

For a good free and reliable backup solution i would like to suggest Macrium Reflect or Aomei Backupper.

If you do not have a portable HDD you could give Aomei One Key a try, it will even help you create a new partition to backup to.

Thanks, that is a good idea, I am very new to backing up files, normally I place all important files on a external hard drive and remove it from my computer, I don't have anything on my computer but programs I use.

Sorry to sound very new now but with these programs are you saying:
install all programs on external drive and use them like normal?
able to reformat main computer without having to reinstall programs later?

I know I sound pretty new here. Sorry.

And I don't mind buying a backup program if it works and gets the job done.

Thank you

 

[frogboy]

Thanks, that is a good idea, I am very new to backing up files, normally I place all important files on a external hard drive and remove it from my computer, I don't have anything on my computer but programs I use.

Sorry to sound very new now but with these programs are you saying:
install all programs on external drive and use them like normal?
able to reformat main computer without having to reinstall programs later?

I know I sound pretty new here. Sorry.

And I don't mind buying a backup program if it works and gets the job done.

Thank you

Install your backup software on your machine and backup to your portable hard drive is what i do.

 

[Tbry54]

Install your backup software on your machine and backup to your portable hard drive is what i do.

I can only install many of these programs once so I don't think I can install them again on a portable drive now.

 

[Cats-4_Owners-2]

I can only install many of these programs once so I don't think I can install them again on a portable drive now.

Hello Tbry54. Thank you for sharing!
It was good to read your favorable impressions of Emsisoft I.S. too. Having been away for a time, I've enjoyed catching up on your progress. ESET NOD 32 was, and now Smart Security is, strictly my wife's favorite security choices for the past three years, and has been a delight (for her) to set and forget. There are threads & discussions for setting finer hardened adjustments which I must study myself.

Our frogboy is A Prince of The Kingdom of Backup Readiness! ..and I could benefit from that magical contagion myself.
Whereas I've installed (2) respective backup software, Macrium (mentioned above) & Paragon, on our 2 separate systems, I have not yet purchased an external HDD I've needed in order to create a system image which would greatly simplify restoring the system back to square one should an unexpected Apocalypse completely upend ones well oiled machine!
Your programs, as I understand them, can all be re-installed later should you ever need to perform a clean re-installation. Do keep all of your license keys safely (and separately) recorded where they can be retrieved. The programs themselves can be downloaded again when you are ready so long as your have the activation keys. Primarily it is the act of creating, and having your system's backup image ready, should you ever need it, that truly validates the immensity of the portable hard drive you hold.

Finally, what we've come to dread when sighting those unwelcome "Blue Screens..." "..of Death" can often continue to leave us puzzled, but most assuredly are far better when we no longer see them! Among the very last Blue Screens which plagued our 8.1 system which read:
"Unexpected_Kernal_Mode_Trap" which appeared two times, midway & then late in the year 2015.
I have not seen one since!

I agree with what has been suggested, that compatibility would most likely be the causes. Since software is constantly changing, and by keeping vigilant for known software clashes & problems, hopefully you won't see a blue screen ever again.

 

[Tbry54]

Thank you ! appreciate it.

Well one is adobe photoshop, can only install on 2 computers, that was the second, I doubt I can do a third install?

Yes, I have all keys and license protected on an external USB drive.