Re: Firewall turns off on Restart--Zonealarm installed

Tech-Archive recommends: Repair Windows Errors & Optimize Windows Performance

On Mon, 12 Jan 2009 11:10:17 -0500, Willy wrote:

What's LUA?

For WinXP the most dependable defenses are:-
1. Do not work as Administrator; For day-to-day work routinely use a
Least-privileged User Account (LUA).
Applying the Principle of Least Privilege to User Accounts on WindowsXP
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb456992.aspx

2. Secure (Harden) your operating system.
http://www.5starsupport.com/tutorial/hardening-windows.htm

3. Don't expose services to public networks.
Windows XP Service Pack 3 Service Configurations
http://www.blackviper.com/WinXP/servicecfg.htm

4. Keep your operating(OS)system (and all software on it) updated/patched.
How to configure and use Automatic Updates in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/306525
http://www.update.microsoft.com/windowsupdate/v6/default.aspx?ln=en-us

4a.Got SP3 yet?
Why Service Packs are Better Than Patches.
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/archive/community/columns/security/essays/srvpatch.mspx?mfr=true

5. Reconsider the usage of IE and OE.
Utilizing another browser application and e-mail provider can add to the
overall security of the OS.
Consider: Opera,FireFox or Seamonkey and PegasusMail,Thunderbird,or WLM.

5a.Secure (Harden) Internet Explorer.
Internet Explorer7 Desktop Security Guide.
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=6AA4C1DA-6021-468E-A8CF-AF4AFE4C84B2&displaylang=en

6. Review your installed 3rd party software applications/utilities; Remove
clutter, *including* all Anti-WhatEver ware and 3rd party software
personal firewall application (PFW) - the one which claims:
*"It can stop/control malicious outbound traffic"*.

7. If on dial-up Internet connection, activate the build-in firewall.
Windows XP: How to turn on your firewall.
http://www.microsoft.com/protect/computer/firewall/xp.mspx
Uncheck *all* Programs and Services under the Exception tab.

7a.Configure Windows by using:
Seconfig XP 1.1
http://seconfig.sytes.net/

7b.If on high-speed Internet connection use a Router and
implement Countermeasures against DNSChanger.
http://extremesecurity.blogspot.com/2008/06/use-default-password-get-hijacked.html

7c.And (just in case) Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) has been superseded by
Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA).

8. Utilize one (1) each 'real-time' anti-virus and anti-spy
application.
Consider: Avira AntiVir® PersonalEdition Classic - Free
and Windows Defender.

9. Employ back-up application(s).
Windows XP Backup Made Easy
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/setup/learnmore/bott_03july14.mspx
Consider: Acronis, Casper or Norton Ghost and ERUNT.

9a.Utilize vital operating system monitor utilities/applications but you
need to know the nature or meaning of what those programs are
disclosing.
Consider: Process Explorer, AutoRuns, TCPView, WALLWATCHER, Wireshark,
Port Reporter Regmon/Filemon, rootkit detection tools like Rootkit
Revealer, Gmer Rootkit or Hook Analyzer etc.. There are more but beware
computer forensics is a quite difficult and complex field.

10.Routinely practice Safe-Hex.
http://www.claymania.com/safe-hex.html

The least preferred defenses are:-
Myriads of popular anti-whatever (*real-time*) applications and staying
ignorant.

Good luck :)

Avoiding Rootkit Infection.
"The rules to avoid rootkit infection are for the most part the same as
avoiding any malware infection however there are some special
considerations:
Because rootkits meddle with the operating system itself they *require*
full Administrator rights to install. Hence infection can be avoided by
running Windows from an account with *lesser* privileges" (LUA in XP and
UAC in Vista).

I've got a Linksys router which I've set it secure so neighbors can't use
it.

Excellent! Read and implement #7b above and ensure your router is compliant
with the latest firmware upgrade!

I've got Windows Defender installed & set to update & scan each day.

It's a good application.
Windows Defender - Free
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/software/default.mspx
WD monitors the start-registry and hooks registers/files to prevent spyware
and worms to install to the OS.
Interesting reading:
http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,136195/article.html
"...Windows Defender did excel in behavior-based protection, which detects
changes to key areas of the system without having to know anything about
the actual threat."

Of course it's a joke as I've run Lavasoft's Ad-Aware immediately following
& it found Spyware that Defender didn't. I run Ad-Aware about once a week

Ad-Aware lost its lustre. Try these apps instead (you'll be glad you did):
SuperAntispyware - Free
http://www.superantispyware.com/downloadfile.html?productid=SUPERANTISPYWAREFREE
--and--
Malwarebytes© Corporation - Anti-Malware
http://www.malwarebytes.org/mbam/program/mbam-setup.exe

I had AVG 8.x installed and it seemed like a good Free Antivirus/Spyware
program, had it set to update & scan daily.

AVG has become bloated and cumbersome to use.
Good alternative:
Avira AntiVir® Personal - FREE Antivirus
http://www.free-av.com/
(The free version won't scan your emails.)
Why You Don't Need Your Anti-Virus Program to Scan Your E-Mail
http://thundercloud.net/infoave/tutorials/email-scanning/index.htm
Ensure your e-mail program is configured to display e-mail messages in
'Plain Text' only.
You may wish to consider removing the 'AntiVir Nagscreen'
http://www.elitekiller.com/files/disable_antivir_nag.htm

The ZA I have is just a 15 day trial.

Uninstall this useless application!

I used to use ZA back before XP as a Firewall on my Win 98SE PCs.

3rd party firewalls were a kind of essential on Win98 but not on WinXP!

What's your recommendations, besides uninstalling ZA, as far as Folders to
scan, etc.?

Good luck :)
.

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