Security for your computer/WoW thread -

Hewwo, all!

Ok, so Blizz has done a restoration on my charas (except Gatlin, who is still missing); Rae is getting her account restored, too. But our accounts are locked until we fax copies of our IDs, and get our secret questions & answers reset.

So, let us try to help you secure your computer better. I know how to do all these things for PC, but I will try not to ramble too much.

1) Unless you are really, really good, there is probably already some thing wrong with your computer - a security hole, some latent virus, adware, spyware, etc.

2) This means we need to clean/fix it as best we can

3) then, we need to get it so it is hard to have things go bad again

4) last, we can talk about prevent-maintenance things.

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Part 1 ~ The basics

Your compy has 4 real areas of concern - the O/S, the firewall, the anti-virus, and the anti-malware.

Your O/S is your operating system. If it is kept updated (auto updates to d/l & install), you should be fine. If your windows is not real/legit, you can stilll find people who host d/l of updates (like SP1, SP2, or SP3), but it is just not the same. Hackers like it if you don't keep the O/S up to date.

the firewall - newer windows has a built-in firewall. It works ok. There are other choices - here is a link for some of them:w http://ww.iopus.com/guides/free-firewall.htm
Don't forget - you will need to let the firewall know you want to play wow You can do that by doing a search for (firewall name) + world of warcraft + configure

The A/V is sooooooo important - there are a couple of things you can do here. First, you need to set your computer to see ALL folders -

http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/tutorials/tutorial62.html


Next, run a free online AV scan - I suggest Panda (look for PandaSecurity online virus scan; register & use), or Symantec (Symantec Security online virus scan). To use either one, be sure to disable whatever AV you are using now.

Then, I really, really think you should choose Avast Home edition for your AV program -

http://www.avast.com/eng/avast_4_home.html

It is free, easy to set up, and can auto-update. It will run scans BEFORE windows loads, which is really good, and has built-in anti-rootkit device, too.

***Whatever you choose, only 1 firewall and 1 AV program!!!*** You can always use lots of different online scans, as long as you disable your AV temp - that is what we do, and it helps.

The next step is anti-malware. By this, we mean ad-ware, spyware, bad host files, popups, keyloggers, etc.

Here is the list of programs you want:

Spywareblaster 4.0 - http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareblaster.html

Spybot S&D - http://www.safer-networking.org/index2.html (in the Advanced interface, there are soooo many good tools!!!)

Ad-Aware 2008 (free or plus edition) - http://www.lavasoft.com/single/trialpay.php

Download and install those, 1 by 1. Update, use, and enable protection.

Next, CCleaner - http://www.ccleaner.com/ You may need to analyze, optimize, run multiple times to get everything fixed. Do this for applications, issues, and registry. Be sure ALL boxes are checked EXCEPT Old Prefetch data.

ALL of these programs can be run in Safe Mode with Network Support, if you need to - including online scans!!! If your computer is doing bad, then you may want to try that.

Next, we will talk about web browsing -

The fact is, web browsing is not safe. Gamers tend to be worse than most others - we game, join forums, D/L stuff, use P2P programs, chat, browse (including pr0n-type things), YouTube, etc. There is a lot of risk in these activity, even if you have up-to-date window, a firewall, good AV, and use your anti-malware programs and scans.

IE is terribly unsafe. But you can help it. First, use the most recent IE available, if you must use IE - that would be IE7. Use the popup-blocker, and the anti-phishing feature. That is a good start.

to make it better, you need to install these 2 programs:

Keyscrambler 2 free - http://www.qfxsoftware.com/
(I know it says for Firefox, but it will install for both)

and SnoopFree Privacy Shield - http://www.snoopfree.com/PrivacyShield.htm
(after you install it, it may pop up a bunch of warning windows - that is ok/normal! just click more info on each one, and make your choices)

with keyscrambler and SFPS installed and running, it will be more trouble than it is worth for people to get your passwords/login info!!!

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Enhanced IE7 is good, but you can do better -

Firefox - I use version 3/beta, but 2 is what you should go with.

www.mozilla.com (T-bird is good e-mail, too)(I would like to recc SeaMonkey, but can't just yet - too many sec holes & not enough safety addins)

it will not take long to get used to Firefox. Disable the bookmarks toolbar, and enable the tabs one. for the SAFEST browsing, d/l & install these addins:

NoScript

AdBlock Plus

SnoopFree Privacy Shield

Keyscrambler

That will provide the SAFEST web surfing with firefox, but we will admit - it is slower, and will take some getting used to. Your pages will not load the same way full open ie pages will. That is your tradeoff

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The safest browsing I know (on windows; not mac or using linux ) is from Opera -

http://www.opera.com/products

Period.

Next, we can deal with passwords -

People can be lazy. I think I must have 100 logins/passwords for sites, games, forums, programs, etc.

The problem is, most of them are the same. That is easy for me, but also unsafe & good for hackers.

Your first step is to be sure your compy is completely clean. I will assume you did all the things above we talked about.

Now that you are SURE you have no virus, malware, spyware, keylogger, and are using a safe browser, protected with Keyscrambler, we can start redoing your passwords

Change your wow password first. Honest, I don't know if you can reset/rechoose your secret question, but I would do that, too.

***As of just now, BIG/little letters make no difference*** This is a little bad/stupid of blizz - they will change the login style soon, i think, to prevent bots hacking away at PWs.

So, you need a combination of letters and numbers. There are lots of ways to do it. Here is one link - it is short & good. The most important thing is that it works for you -

http://www.bsacybersafety.com/protecting_yourself/safepassword_article.cfm

I have a few e-mail address, but many of my user name & password are the same, or very close. Same for Rae. We are lazy like that, and it costs us some game time & sleep. So get to making a few really, really good passwords, and then change the ones you need - wow, e-mails, forums. But ONLY do this if you are SURE your computer is safe first!

D0YuUnn3rst@nD

Now, related to this, if anyone has problem or question about computer - making it faster, run better, more secure, less problem, less lag, better internet speed, etc., I may can help. Just let me know, and I will try - or at least give a link to what/where

whoops! maintenance/protection -

1) set your stuff to auto-update if possible. Windows, IE, Avast!, FireFox & some of the others will do it auto, or you cna schedule. Other, like Spywareblaster, you will have to do manual when you use them.

2) try do do your scans/updates at a set time - like, during maintenance, or set them to do when you are having a bath, eating long meal, watching movie, etc. We run Spybot, Spywareblaster, Ad-Aware 1 time/week. CCleaner auto-runs every time computer starts, and i usually run it same time as other programs, too.

3)only turn off your AV if you are running another online scan. After the scan, turn your AV back on

4) be careful where you surf, and what you d/l or watch!!! Bad code & scripts can be found almsot everywhere - Thottbot, Allakazam, GuildPortal, Curse! Gaming, and other sites have all recently been hacked/attacked/infected. I would guess editboard will, as will other game-related sites. If you start turning off protections, then it makes it easier for them.

5) now that web links can be linked in-game, be careful about those, too!!! A lot of people get hacked following links about fake WotLichKing sites or other announcements

6) if you do d/l something, alwys scan it with your AV before open/install. Be sure to set it to scan inside file/archive, and even if it is from some person/company you usually trust

Thanks a BUNCH for all this info Darq, just have 1 question, i D/L keyscrambler and snoopfree privacy but Snoopfree is tellin me that keyscrambler is bad and that i should use it with extreme caution,did this happen to you?

For now ive just denied keyscramble on my comp until i figure out if its safe or not.

Thanks again ,Drel

Darq, thanks for all the info

Key scrambler is safe. I am useing it now, alot of the programs that are up their are goin to show up on other tools. Besides askin Darq, which we all know she's brilliant, ask any tech's that you may know personally. That's what I'm gonna do. I wub my friends. I wub you guys. But the best way to make sure of ANYTHING is to find out for yourself from the most reliable sources that you know. I know alot of tech's. I am gonna ask them.

Their are only a few programs that Darq gave us links to I dont know off hand. But the rest work really well. Although you may see that Spybot S&D will have a reaction to AD-Ware and snoopfree will have a reaction to KeyScrambler, this is normal. But make your best decisions on what to do. the programs are tryin to make your machine safe (or I like to think that since they dont think).

But as Plumb has said, thak you. I got the programs. Now it is to see how well they work with eachother (boys play nice!) and how well protected I am when useing my machine.

See you all in game.

SnoopFree will say that, because Keyscrambler is working at a deep level - it is a sort of anti-keyhook keyhook.

If you watch the little panel as you type, you can see it changing each letter randomly to different letter/symbols. That is how it works - so if someone DOES try to keylog you for e-mail, bank stuff, login info, all they will get is a bunch of garbage.

It is mucccchhhh too much trobule for casual, botted WoW-type hacker to deal with.

You may get some occasional message from SnoopFree like that - if you are not sure, move the window to the right, and open up a new tab/window to do a google search. That should help you decide ^^

Hey Darq!!

Thank you so much for this information. I am SO sorry to hear this has happened to you.

Would you mind if I posted this on my guildportal.com site for my rp guild? I know the best defense against this crap is actually being informed..but if you'd rather I not repost this for them, I totally understand. I wanted to ask first.


Thank you SO SO SO much for all the good information!! You're the best, most thoughtful person. I hope everything is finally all worked out!

Miss y'all!!

Keriwen

please feel free - pass it along to anyone you choose We want to post on WoW forums, too - but can't, because - duh! - we can't access our accounts yet.

And you are missed, too ^^