Re: Need recommendations on security

"Mike Easter" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
| Frog Prince wrote:
| > I've a neighbor lady that has been using zone alarm (free_ and AVG
| > (free) without incident for some time but is wants her system set up
| > so that updates etc are done automatically.
|
| I'm not getting the picture completely clearly.  The subject says
| security.
|
| AVG free AV .dat updates are done automatically.  ZA free personal
| software 'firewall' provides outbound as well as inbound intrusion
| detection.  ZoneLabs has a number of other products and suites re
| viruses and spyware.  The various malwares of adware spyware have a
| variety of defenses some of which involve browser choice and
| configuration.
|
| The term 'updates' can refer to anything from the .dat/s to the
| upgrade/update paths of security apps.  The ZA free has numerous
| 'branches' of versions each with their separate update history
|
http://download.zonelabs.com/bin/free/information/znalm/zaReleaseHistory.html
| ZoneAlarm® Release History
|
| ... but the point I'm suggesting is that what happens automatically
| isn't always enough.  The user has to continually 'touch bases' with
| their security considerations and bring themselves up to speed on what
| should be done 'now', the same or differently than before.  For example,
| you haven't mentioned anything about the browser issue/problem and its
| insecurities and what she is doing to be more secure in that
| department -- in terms of which version of which browser.  The same is
| true about Windows updates.  Many say she shouldn't be using IE for her
| browser surfing because of its insecurities and because it is antiquated
| in its functionalities and compliances.  Nothing is going to
| 'automatically' help with that evaluation or configuration.
|
| If you are more security aware than she is and she trusts your
| evaluation of her setup, maybe she should have you periodically check on
| her system's 'status' vis such as spyware, cookie management, and update
| status and needs for revisions.  That is, a human can oversee updating
| and upgrading better than automation.  And automation is worthwhile too.

I've been doing her updates, system and spy checks on a weekly basis. For
whatever reason she's set on having some functions as fully automatic.

I'm only using the free software with my 'clients' as they are all low
income and often disabled.  She OTOH has the money (she often purchases
stuff my clients need but cannot afford) and apparently wants to have
something for which she has purchased rights.   BTW she's gone through
Norton and McAfee software leaving me to clean up the mess.  (not that I
mind as she is a good baker and we visit over there several times a week)

For the time being she is using my WIFI connection and has asked me to
install one for her system.  Something I've not gotten around to quite yet.