Re: [Thinkpad] OT: Setting up a secure home system

Once a system is restored, if the user doesn't enable "print & file
sharing" or run their e-mail program or browser until after they install
and update their firewall and/or anti-virus software, they will be safe
from the vast majority of electronic evil on the Internet.

As far as explaining to novice / non-technical users about security, try
the following:
* Anti-virus software is like a screen on your windows. It still lets in
the stuff you want (sunlight and fresh air) but it helps to keep out the
things you don't want (bugs, animals, strangers).
* Firewall software is like your front door. Authorized people can go
through it any time they want. Strangers and people you don't like stay
outside where they belong.
Updating anti-virus and firewall software helps you to keep out new bugs,
animals and strangers ('cause they don't all look alike).

Good luck. I've got a few people that I help to support and I know what a
challenge it can be. Of course, I've been 100% virus & trouble free on my
own personal T-30 laptop (thanks, Bruce) since I got it a few months ago.

At 02:08 PM 8/16/2004, Rob Bell wrote:
>Hi,
>
>Sorry this is not fully ThinkPad-related, but the collective knowledge
>here is too good of a source to not tap into on this topic.
>
>I frequently field questions from friends and neighbors who have a basic
>home system that has become unusable due to viruses or worms or other
>unknown maladies. Most of these folks could (barely) understand that an
>antivirus program is useful and the basics of how they work and why they
>need to be updated. However, none of them are techie enough to understand
>firewalls. Most use dial-up so they have no hardware firewall in
>place. They also seem to use Win98 or WinME more often than XP which
>limits them a bit on security options.
>
>Two questions:
>
>1. How do you instruct someone like this to recover their system in the
>best way so that they can bring up the restored system and get it
>protected quickly before they get more worms on their first connection to
>the Internet? I usually tell them to copy their vital files to floppy and
>then do a system restore with the system recovery disk (full format & wipe
>first). Of course, this leaves them with no antivirus program and ancient
>Windows security threats opened. Even if they have an install CD for
>Norton AntiVirus, it will still be out of date until they run LiveUpdate
>and Windows Update, by which time they are on the Internet with their
>pants down and vulnerable.
>
>2. Beyond keeping an antivirus program up to date, what do you recommend
>them to do to guard for non-file based viruses (i.e. threats that don't
>originate with a user opening an e-mail or executing an attachment)? I
>use BlackICE and I know of others like Norton Internet Security, but these
>are usually too complex for a novice to figure out and keep up to
>date. Should they just set Windows Update to automatic and keep their
>fingers crossed?
>
>If anyone could point me to a web site or book or something that helps in
>these areas I'd appreciate it!
>
>To keep this somewhat ThinkPad related: I sold my parents our old 600E a
>few years ago which they still use daily. I made sure they were set up
>with Norton AntiVirus and knew the importance of letting it
>auto-update. They also run Windows Update occasionally. They have been
>virus and worm free, probably because I beat it into their heads that they
>can't open suspicious e-mails and never execute attachments. Even with
>all that I am still surprised that they don't get hit by port-scanning
>worms and stuff. Unfortunately I can't train all these other folks (and
>their friends and kids) to that level!
>
>Thanks!!
>Rob
>
>
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Received on Mon Aug 16 17:09:27 2004