Don't you think this is ridiculous?

[hbdragon88]

For a computer user to be secure, safe, and mantain privacy, they really need to download -

• Ad-removal program
• Popup blocker
• Spam killer
• Antivirus program
• Firewall
• Adware and spyware removal tool

I'm running Ad-Aware 6, AdMuncher, Google toolbar (popup blocker), Norton Systemworks, and ZoneAlarm Pro to ensure that I'm safe and secure. Don't you think that's a little too much to be secure?

 

[ainwood]

Another option is to change your hosts file. Someone posted a link to do that somewhere here a few days ago.

 

[Speedo]

Well I only have:

Spybot S&D (but since I've switched to Opera theres almost never anything for it to find so I don't run it often)

Norton Antivirus Corporate Edition

WinXP firewall (practically worthless, but I have 56k am not online that much so its not worth the effort)

And I'm doing just fine. Spybot I run maybe once a month, with it only finding 1-2 things. IIRC Opera has its own popup blockers but I haven't messed with the settings and get almost no popups. Norton just sits in the tray doing its thing. Maybe twice a month it'll catch something.

 

[Jeratain]

Originally posted by hbdragon88

• Ad-removal program
• Popup blocker
• Spam killer
• Antivirus program
• Firewall
• Adware and spyware removal tool

I have a hardware firewall through my router, so there's no need for me to use a software firewall such as zone alarm. I don't use any spam killer because I keep my three main email accounts spam free (through use of spam accounts.) I have an anti-virus program installed but I do not load it, nor allow it to run in the background. I have yet to get a virus. I do not use a pop-up blocker and I only rarely get popups. I have Ad-Aware.

 

[Comraddict]

all you need is hardware router and netscape 7.1. netscape does not support activex and therefore you can't get any spyware and it has popup control built it.

 

[funxus]

Originally posted by Jeratain
I don't use any spam killer because I keep my three main email accounts spam free (through use of spam accounts.)

My problem is that the account I use (through ISP) has two addresses, one with my name that I chose, and one with the number of my account. Most spam I get (not really much) I get through the number address, so I assume that there are people sending emails to all possible numbers to get their spam through. I could probably block all from the number address though.

Hardware firewall/router is a recommendation, I never liked having ZoneAlarm running all the time.

 

[Aphex_Twin]

It's the price we pay for online freedom. Quite frankly, I would rather load 3 ad removals and 5 antivirii, than have some goverment regulate the Internet.

 

[IceBlaZe]

I second that, Aphex_Twin.

 

[funxus]

Originally posted by Aphex_Twin
It's the price we pay for online freedom. Quite frankly, I would rather load 3 ad removals and 5 antivirii, than have some goverment regulate the Internet.

The ISPs can though, and currently are, to prevent spam. Mailing from my ISP-mail to AOL was impossible for some time, because AOL had received too much spam from some of my ISP's users. This is wrong IMO, and anything that can be done about spamming should be done, although I agree govs shouldn't be included very often. Now it's possible to mail to AOL again, and the ISP has changed the rules so that they can cut off anyone spamming or abusing the net.

 

[hbdragon88]

Originally posted by Comraddict
all you need is hardware router and netscape 7.1. netscape does not support activex and therefore you can't get any spyware and it has popup control built it.

I do use a hardware router, but have to use Internet Explorer from time to time. And sometimes when the network isn't working, I have to directly connect the modem to the computer.

But ZoneAlarm Pro has been very helpful to me - I was using IE on a...questionable website...and the site installed some program, probably spyware. ZoneAlarm blocked it from accessing the Internet.