Computer Security, Malware and Internet Poker

[Hawk]

I like the first 3 suggestions, the rest are something between optional, recommended and spam. However, arguably the most important suggestion is missing: always run your computer with a limited account, no matter what OS. Running as root/administrator is that begging for trouble. Most malware you get infected with runs in the context of the logged on user, so whatever you can do to fcuk up your puter, that's what the malware can do. Google the Principle of Least Privilege.

While this is good standard advice, it doesn't help most home users a whole lot. For most people, their data is all that really matters. OS/software can be reinstalled. Anything that can only fuck up whatever the user has access to can destroy everything that really matters.

"If you think technology can solve your security problems, then you don't understand the problems and you don't understand the technology."
- Bruce Schneier

Nice quote. The frustrating part for me, as an especially security conscious geek and "the computer guy" for almost everyone I know, is that people assume that because they installed an antivirus program they have nothing to worry about. Trying to explain otherwise is like trying to explain poker concepts to someone that doesn't really care to learn them. It's useless. All I can really do for them is install the standard security softwares and set everything to autoupdate. Until they lose something that really matters (i.e. more than a few days without the computer) they won't ever really care.

Also, another tool for people to look at is Secunia Personal Software Inspector (PSI) (PSI - Consumer - Products) which scans the software on your computer and tells you what software needs to be updated.