Personal Computer Security Resource Thread

[Decolonize The Left]

Alright, so for those who are very familiar with the forum, it's probably clear now that I really like resource threads. Single threads with lots of information/links which are stickied make me happy. So here's one for computer security information. This should be basic knowledge and a part of revolutionary security culture.

Post below and I'll update it as necessary. Please post links in the hyperlink format (use the like world with paperclip icon underneath the smiley icon above). Also, please post free software as much as possible - can't expect folks here to have enough lose cash to pay for the subscription stuff.

Anti-Virus Software
Avast! Anti-Virus (http://www.avast.com/index) (quite simply a fantastic, if not the best, free anti-virus software on the net)

Anti-Spyware
Superantispyware (http://www.superantispyware.com/)
SantiyCheck (http://www.softsea.com/review/SanityCheck.html)
MalwareBytes Anti-Malware
Spybot

Other nifty software stuff
My Lockbox (http://download.cnet.com/My-Lockbox/3000-2144_4-10789387.html) (really cool program which lets you secure certain files in an invisible, password protected and encrypted, folder)
File Shredder (http://www.fileshredder.org/) (really, really, gets rid of files you want to delete)
Killbox (Good for deleting files such as viruses that will restrict you deleting them)

Helpful Websites/Organizations
https://freenetproject.org/ (http://www.anonym.to/?https://freenetproject.org/)
http://www.peerblock.com/ (http://www.anonym.to/?http://www.peerblock.com/)
http://www.torproject.org/ (http://www.anonym.to/?http://www.torproject.org/)

We are entering into the digital age - keep yourself safe and secure by keeping your personal computer free of malicious software.
- August

[psgchisolm]

MalwareBytes Anti-Malware
Spybot
Killbox-Good for deleting files such as virus' that will restrict you deleting them

[Tablo]

https://freenetproject.org/
http://www.peerblock.com/
http://www.torproject.org/

These aren't exactly anti-virus stuff, but they are made in the interest of anonymous and secure internet activity.

[Decolonize The Left]

Updated. Please leave hyperlinks when you contribute as it helps the reader access the information easily. Thanks.

- August

[FreeEire]

Network & System Security

Use a Firewall to prevent unauthorized access to your computer. Comodo (http://personalfirewall.comodo.com/) is a free, and seems to be highly regard. Peerblock (http://WWW.PEERBLOCK.COM) is also useful for keeping out unwanted government and corporate connections, even if you don't download peer-2-peer stuff.

While anti-virus software is a good cure, I prefer prevention. Use a program such as Windows Steadystate (https://www.microsoft.com/downloads/en/details.aspx?familyid=d077a52d-93e9-4b02-bd95-9d770ccdb431&displaylang=en) to freeze your computer in a clean state and it will then reset to this clean state after every shutdown or restart. This means that any viruses or malware is wiped clean after you finish broswing. Network Admins use this type of software on public computers to avoid 99% of technical and security problems.

File Security

While MyLockbox is good, my own favourite is TrueCrypt (http://WWW.TRUECRYPT.ORG). Its a free and powerful encryption program which allows you to create an encrypted container for file storage or encrypt entire drives (usb flash drives, hard drives, etc.) which renders them inaccessible without the correct password. It also offers keyfiles as a extra layer of security. Plenty of tutorials on Youtube for getting started, should only take about 10 mins to get up to speed.

While Fileshredder is great for secure deletion, some analysts recommend Eraser (http://www.eraser.hiedi.ie)to be better. However, in theory data can always
be recovered from hard drives by a number of different methods, so assume that everything on your hard drive is recoverable by the government
and the only real way to guarntee that its gone is to physically destroy the hard drive by drilling holes in it or using a welding torch on it.

Communication Security

Email encryption is becoming more important, given that most emails are exchanged in cleartext, meaning they can be read at any point along the route through different mail servers. Hushmail provides a easy to use, web-based, solution or you can go more complicated and use GNUpg with Mozilla Thunderbird and the Enigmail plugin. Tutorials available on Youtube and by googling.

Forums aren't secure either. Several projects have been highlighted by the EFF which show that automated collection of posts from "terrorist websites" is very easily possible, thanks to the University of Arizona Darknet project. They're also working on software which enables anonymous contributions to be scanned against a database of existing ones to compare the likelihood that they were published by the same person. Private Messages on forums are wide open to several backdoor attacks. Posts have been used as evidence in the past and both US and UK activists have been confronted with their posts in interrogation rooms.

When using Tor or public wi-fi always use "https" protocols for accessing social networks. Research has shown that Tor Exit Nodes and Wifi can be packet sniffed to show the login details of users. Firesheep is a good example, it allowed people in wi-fi zones to hijack the cookies used by people to access facebook/gmail/twitter, thus allowing them to take over that persons account.

EFF's HTTPS Everywhere plugin (http://download.cnet.com/HTTPS-Everywhere/3000-11745_4-11433920.html) for Firefox can help reduce the problem on most sites.