[NTLUG:Discuss] F-PROT?

[william jones]

----- Original Message ----
From: John K. Taber <jktaber at charter.net>
To: NTLUG <Discuss at ntlug.org>
Sent: Wednesday, May 30, 2007 8:47:14 AM
Subject: [NTLUG:Discuss] F-PROT?


I need an anti-virus program for my FC6. My use of FC6 is strictly home,
end-user. F-PROT offers a home version for free, and I like F-PROT when
I used it for Windows 98 a few years ago.

Any opinions? Other recommendations?

John    

John,

No comment on Windows, any version.

I did have trouble with malware on Linux, enough to trash email messages to people and to a commercial printer that did newsletters for me.  First, I found the bad programs by using an
"ls -a" command on high level directories related to email.  Suspicious names were checked.  One was found to be a list of east European addresses, which was quickly deleted.  Another suspicious program was deleted without ill effect (I could replace any valid program from my system DVD or CD).  This fixed the problem.  Remember, Linux does not have the infamous registry, so beloved by black hats for keeping the victim contaminated.

Next came prevention.  I did not have a router, and the NAT (Network Address Translation) and other defenses built into even an inexpensive router would help.  I did have a spare computer, which I set up with a SuSE firewall and a router configuration.  This worked for a while, but then the problems reappeared.  Chris Cox had warned me that a firewall is good for computers down the line, but useless for the machine on which it runs.  I had left a browser running on the firewall/router computer, and got bit.  Cleaning up all excess functions, including the browser on that computer, fixed things.  Later, this firewall/router computer was trashed when a new ISP gave me a router with NAT and some firewall capabilities built in.  I shut off the wireless capability in the new router because I do not use it.  There have been no further problems with malware on Linux.  Everyone advises WEP (weak protection) or WPA (slightly stronger) for personal wireless use.  Unprotected wireless
 may lead to criminal liability for misdeeds of your neighborhood pornographer or downloader of copyrighted material.

William L. Jones 
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