[TUT] Security Part 2

Antiviruses
An anti-virus program is essential. You honestly shouldn't go without one. If you don't have one, there is a list of downloads and recommendations in the next post. Don't be worried about the anti-virus slowing down your computer, if you get the right one then your computer will remain at maximum performance.
You want an antivirus that will scan your RAM and system folders constantly, because then you will be alerted if something harmful has been found in them. The average antivirus will only scan and remove when told to, but the best ones will scan constantly, update daily, and give plenty of tweaking options to fit to your preferences.
If there are malicious programs that you want to download such as Metasploit, it is best if you have an antivirus that will allow you to do so. Some antivirus programs will give you no option and will quarantine the file straight away, but others such as Kaspersky will give you the option to clean, remove or ignore.
Viruses can sometimes fully disable your protection, but the stronger programs such as Nod32 can withstand this and will be unclosable. You want something tough if you're going to be downloading riskware.
A good anti-virus will also constantly scan your downloads and running processes. Hopefully you are able to understand now why these are essential.
If you want to run more than one antivirus, you must find a combination that works. If you have a good antivirus, you won't need to. Infact, you shouldn't ever need to run more than one. I remember having Kaspersky running while I installed Nod32, my PC growled. :3 The only antivirus-related programs I have installed at the moment are HijackThis, ComboFix and NOD32. I like to use HijackThis to see what's running on my computer, and I always keep ComboFix just incase, you never know what's round the corner...
I remember having no antivirus software installed whatsoever, and then I received a rootkit that wouldn't let me download any software.. I got rid of them eventually, but it wasn't easy, the rootkit wasn't detected by most AV's because of it being so new/rare - you still can't find it on a few of the AV databases! But I do wish I had it again, so I could send it out as a sample.
I will be listing my favourite anti-viruses in my next post. I strongly recommend you stick to these, as there are many fake ones that you can be easily lead to. Remember to look things up before downloading them. Pick wisely! :3

The Top 5 Anti-virus Programs.
Here's the list of my top five favourite anti-virus programs in order.
You can pick which you want from each picture, but I'd recommend Kaspersky.

Kaspersky:


Nod32:
(Legit version available at
CODE
http://eset.com/)
Reduced: 86% of original size [ 740 x 569 ] - Click to view full image


Avast:
Avast also has skins available, which is great!
Free download:
CODE
http://www.avast.com/eng/download-avast-home.html
Reduced: 82% of original size [ 780 x 464 ] - Click to view full image


Bitdefender:
Free downloads:
CODE
http://www.bitdefender.com/site/Downloads/
Reduced: 88% of original size [ 726 x 542 ] - Click to view full image


AVG:
Reduced: 80% of original size [ 791 x 643 ] - Click to view full image



Essential Additions.
There's a few more tools which I'm sure you'll definetely want to get.
HijackThis is a tool used to scan the areas of your computer which viruses are often located in. It will also scan the registry areas which hold the legitimate programs and, quite often, the infections. It is best not to delete ('fix checked') any entries on HijackThis unless you know what you're doing, as you may be removing something which is a required part of your system.
Another good thing about HijackThis is the fact that it's so lightweight, it uses barely any memory, it's easy to use, and you don't need to keep it running!
This is a great area to check if a process is harmful or not:
CODE
http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/startups/
HijackThis can be found here:
CODE
http://www.trendsecure.com/portal/en-US/tools/security_tools/hijackthis

Browser Protection
There are several great addons for browsers which you can get to protect you from malicious websites.
If you use FireFox, look for "WOT" and "NoScript", WOT will give warnings before you visit a website, and NoScript will disable malicious scripts from running when you visit a website.
If you use Internet Explorer, look for "IE-Spyad", IE-Spyad will redirect you away from malicious webpages and guard you from over 5,000 different URL's.
I'm also working on my own plugin, which you can expect to see in a few months. This will be for IE only, until I fully figure out how FireFox operates.


Okay, now that you're protected (well, I hope you are), it's time to be invisible...

IP Hiders
You can get some great IP hiders to keep you anonymous.
A personal favourite is "Hide-The-IP", which allows you to select the proxy and choose the speed of the one you want.
Hide-The-IP can be found here:
CODE
http://www.hide-the-ip.com/ - Though you may need to find a crack for it!
There are many fabulous IP hiders out there which can be found, and these are a must if you're going to be involved in any illegal activity.

Tor: Anonymity Online
You may want to download "Tor" and TorButton for FireFox. This is a program which will select a proxy for you and allow you to spoof your connection by using that.
TorButton is a FireFox addon which allows you to change your proxy quickly by clicking the button. This is a great tool, and another good reason to download FireFox!
The whole Tor website with information & downloads can be found here:
CODE
http://www.torproject.org/


Alright, grab another cup o' coffee, 'cause we've still got more to do..

Personal Details
Okay, you may want to give out your name and things on your Facebook or MySpace, but if you do, it's wise to use an alternate alias. If someone searched your hacking alias in Google, they'd probably be able to pick up a lot of information on you from that. Think about the name you choose before you choose it, and make sure you don't over-use it - only use it where you think you should. Don't complain about not being anonymous if you're going to splurt out your details everywhere, you can't expect to stay hidden if you're going to give yourself away without realising. Remember that.

Keeping Software Updated
Software should always be kept updated. This is vital. Most security experts will tell you that updating your software is more important than having an antivirus, because malware finds flaws and vulnerabilities in software that it can exploit.
This is what should always be kept fully up to date:
Your operating system (e.g. updating from Windows XP SP1 to SP2).
Java.
Browser.
Antivirus.
Firewall.
Instant messaging or email applications.
Any other software which could be exploited.
There is one website with scanners you can use to check for out-of-date software...
Here's the online version:
CODE
http://secunia.com/vulnerability_scanning/online/
And the downloadable version:
CODE
http://secunia.com/vulnerability_scanning/personal/
Quite obviously, the downloadable version scans for more vulnerabilities than the online version, and it includes more features. This is a great tool to use every few weeks, since you never know what's around the corner ;-)

Active Thinking
Many scams and computer infections require your consent, so you should always be wary. If something doesn't quite look right, make sure to research it. Many people are fooled into giving away their details by fake emails from companies such as banks, social networking websites, etc. You shouldn't believe everything you read. Many scams will lead you on, so you just have to watch out. Keep everything you've learned from this guide in mind, and you'll be safe.
A good quote from The Real Hustle: "If it looks too good to be true, then it probably is".

Passwords
Though it is also important to have a password you will remember, you should also be sure that it can't be guessed. If it's a site containing personal information, I suggest you change your password once a month. A good password would contain letters, numbers and symbols - maybe even words in a foreign language if it helps! An example of a good password would be "A$fao4iz3£p" not "John1982" or "ilovefootball". Passwords should be different for each website you use, because if someone hacked into a forum, for example, and took your details - potentially, they could have access to your PayPal account, Facebook, etc.

Well, you should know just about everything you need to know by now. This guide should keep you well-hidden and protected from now on, just remember to keep everything in mind!