Virus/Spyware...

[TurboSuper]

Linux may not need to have it's security holes patched every week, but it sure still needs alot of updates. Most well-maintained distros release a new version every 1/2 year or so, and then there's all the individual programs that are constantly being updated. Granted, a decent distro will have a package manager to do it all automatically, but the same can be said of Windows Update....

Anyways, I'm not trying to rip on Linux, 'cos it's pretty awesome in many regards. I just find Ubuntu annoyingly restrictive compared to Fedora, for example.

A decent security package will keep almost all Malware at bay. The only times I've ever gotten an infection were when I disabled my AV to install something and forgot to turn it back on. I don't even bother with a firewall anymore.

[Hotwired]

That's interesting.

I've given up on anti-virus programs but I still keep a firewall. Three years malware free on the internet without an AV chugging in the background or demanding computing time for a full system scan or to update itself.

Anything that would really piss me off* as opposed to scribbling the usual rubbish in the registry, system32, mauling some data files... still has to ask me for permission to access the internet or at least kill the firewall program, either of which is about as subtle as a naval flare in a broom cupboard.

*using my computer as a robot, trojans, keyloggers

[Technician1002]

What filter did tech recommend?

I was out for the weekend and just spotted the question. I recommend one of the filtered DNS services. DNS is most often provided by your ISP to look up a URL such as www.google.com and return an IP address that your router and the internet use to connect to the site.

For example putting in 209.85.227.104 instead of www.google.com will bring up google even when DNS services are down.

A filtered DNS is often used to protect kids from porn, so many of them filter porn sites.

Many filtered DNS services have a reporting feature so if a site has that nasty fake virus scan, when reported, any future links to the site no longer provide the IP address to the malware.

The Filtered DNS does not work for URL's that use the IP address instead of a true URL.

Due to the nature of the filtering, many malware authors and botnet owners are at war with the filtered DNS services, so sometimes they go down in a DDOS attack. Outages are unfortunately fairly frequent.

To use one, simply replace the DNS addresses in your router if you use DHCP or static IP, or on your computer.

A couple I recommend is Open DNS and Scrub IT. This is not software that you install, so it works for Windows, Mac, Linux, and Unix.

http://www.scrubit.com/ Use DNS settings of;
67.138.54.100
207.225.209.66

http://www.opendns.com/
Their nameservers are 208.67.222.222 and 208.67.220.220

Getting a warning page instead of a borwser hijack is very nice. Open DNS can be customised.

Sorry D Hall.. These products may filter your other site..

[c11man]

i use free avg and ive never had a problem. but avg is a preventive software so wont help you