Any system experts?

[hwchoy]

but doesn't a firewall block the ability of spyware/adware to connect back to their servers? if I understand my zone alarm correctly, every connecting application is being blocked for authorisation. since firewalls work at the network layer, these spyware/adware shouldn't be able to establish a TCP session without the firewalls knowing right? unless they go and mess with the firewall settings.

 

[justarius]

I started using zonealarm first... then after a while, started getting irritating popups (whilst zonealarm was still running). After poking around and asking a few questions on internet forums, installed Spybot, and the popups disappeared.

Don't know how to explain that in computer terms but that's just my experience...

 

[hwchoy]

mmm… zonealarm needs to be configured into different levels right? I am using almost the tightest level, every apps that require connection will pop-up a request, every update of software version also causes pop-up. But so far I have been free of these ad and spyware (according to Steve Gibson's little utilities). Perhaps also because I practice safe computing

Steve Gibson has this utility that simulates a spyware and try to connect back to its server, meant to test your firewall settings. Anyone use it before?

 

[justarius]

mmm… zonealarm needs to be configured into different levels right? I am using almost the tightest level, every apps that require connection will pop-up a request, every update of software version also causes pop-up. But so far I have been free of these ad and spyware (according to Steve Gibson's little utilities). Perhaps also because I practice safe computing

Steve Gibson has this utility that simulates a spyware and try to connect back to its server, meant to test your firewall settings. Anyone use it before?

Yah, mine was set at the highest security level all the time....

 

[benleez]

try using Mozilla Firefox (web browser). it reduces the risk of getting popups etc, cos its not Internet Explorer (simply put).

however, it does not support HTTPS (i think), so for things like internet banking, still better to use IE, but within firewalls please

 

[tush]

If you just want to know where the other guy goes on the web, why dont you configure a proxy server and have him access the web via your configured proxy server. You can set your proxy server to log all the sites that he/she goes to and then..... if you find any really good 'wildlife' sites (as another ClubSNAPPER puts it) you can share it with us.... :bsmilie:

There are many free proxy servers that can do this... furthermore its independent of what OS he's running (Win,Linux UNIX,Mac etc)