What Is Your IT Security Objective ?

[hjlbx]

This poll is meant as a general, conceptual poll; it can never cover all the possible user-specific scenarios and objectives.

Please... just have fun with it.

When I first started on my personal IT security quest I made just about every mistake that one can make. Back then, my goal was to build an "impenetrable fortress." That seemed, at that time, like the right thing to do.

As my understanding of IT security has grown, my perspective on home computing and security softs has changed. Today, my goal is not a fortress, but rather system responsiveness along with a high base-line security level. I've learned it is an achievable objective that includes an anti-executable, light virtualization and outbound network filtering modules.

What is the objective of your chosen security configuration ?

Pick the response that best reflects your intended security configuration end-goals...

Please note that, in my experience, while an "impenetrable fortress" configuration is possible, ultimately the toll on system resources or other problems - such as conflicts, complicated and tiresome usage, and system instability - make such configurations so troublesome that it degrades my user experience to a point where I get disgusted and do a complete reconfigure...

 

[Malware Man]

I voted for: System Responsiveness and Speed Over Protection

A couple months ago I went all out security. I used a VPN, different username for every site, different password (still do that today, learned my lesson the hard way after getting everything hacked cause I used the same password for it all), I literally had about 6 different passwords to even get into Windows (I am not even kidding), I had EAM alongside Avast with Comodo Firewall, antikeyloggers, computer would lock itself and ask for a password after 2 minutes of idling, and had various other settings and softwares. It got to the point where I got so tired of maintaining it and putting in my passwords just to get into Windows. Not to mention these passwords were over almost 80 characters each (yes, I managed to remember them all, even to this day, I just use them for other accounts now).

Now I'm running pretty basic protection. Just Avast with Windows firewall, HMP and Malwarebytes as on demand scanners and using group policy tweaks to secure and block malware. Requires very little maintenance once I get all the software I want installed and is lightweight and built into Windows.

All I do is whitelist every software I use and everything else that's new gets blocked. I haven't installed anything new in months. I basically only use my web browser, Skype and Spotify and that's pretty much it.

All my important files and backups are on my USB HDD which is the only thing I now have encrypted. I have tons of data on my iPad too which is pretty secure to my knowledge with iOS and it's automated encryption and brute force resistance combined with iCloud remote location, lock and wipe.

I could really drop Avast if I wanted to and just use my brain.exe since I know what I am doing and never visit anything else besides a handful of sites.

Viruses don't scare me. I enjoy having friends and family come to me and asking me to remove them haha

Back in the day my laptop would get infected every week and be taken to a repair shop. I have no idea how I got so many viruses. It was honestly ridiculous, until one day I got one and decided that I was going to figure out how to clean it myself. So without access to Google or any other device I put in my Windows XP CD and figured out how to install Windows on my own and from then on I learned about how to avoid viruses and how to remove them if I get them and didn't need to pay over a hundred dollars every time I got one to get it removed.

 

[hjlbx]

i vote none because the poll doesn't have "impenetrable fortress with high system responsiveness " (which i managed to achieve)

my path was : found an AV that really works > found it (CIS) > build a ultra-fortress around it (including my famous CIS + EAM combo) > my fortress is too strong (time to have fun with Win8 build-in security) > i love the speed but miss my fortress > found high responsiveness with ultimate protection (my config).

now i try to find new apps to add without hampering my system responsiveness. i will not use any RT AV anymore. i think the next apps i will add will be Smart Object Blocker (from NVT) when it will be stable , seems it has a huge potential.

Yeah @Umbra you are absolutely correct: AppGuard + Sandboxie + (NoVirusThanks Exe Radar Pro) + (Smart Object Blocker) + (Shadow Defender) + (BiniSoft Windows Firewall Control or something equivalent)...

Parenthesis = customized configuration.

As you point out I should have added the Impenetrable Fortress with High System Responsiveness... I just didn't...

 

[jamescv7]

@jamescv7 - you have no need of AV...

As others mentioned, relying to baseline is not a bad idea because I'm primarily keep on eye for autorun based attacks which I mostly inserted many USB on a laptop. (WD and Mcshield totally fine)

 

[Golden King]

I choose Good System Responsiveness with Solid Base-Line Security
I'm an above average user but not yet reach the advance level.
Like jamescv7 , I have to keep my eye open with autorun malware, since I exchange USB with my friends and colleges a lot. I need a good AV so that it can protect me from it.
I have never got infected from the world wide web because I always look and think before I click anything.