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Safer and More Secure Computing


zachariah

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I wanted to free up space in my sig for more directly SpamCop related information, but I still feel that more people need to know about this software.

My top recommendation for SpamCop users is Thunderbird. Even if you want to use another client most of the time, I recommend having Thunderbird installed so you can properly forward you're mail to SpamCop for reporting. It's also nice because you can tell it to never show you the HTML versions of messages, and more importantly to not load remote images which are used by spammers to track live addresses. That makes it safer to try and see the full headers (or message source code) without accidentally making it worse for yourself. Finally, it uses bayesian spam filters which "learn" as you use them (to catch those final emails which can sometimes slip through SA and SC).

Thunderbird, and the rest of the programs are secure alternatives to mainstream programs and using them helps to avoid having your computer being hijacked (potentially in order to be a zombie spam relaying machine). The less machines out there which have been compromised, the better.

  • Firefox (Free and OpenSource Stand-Alone Web Browser)
    Use it instead of Internet Explorer.
  • Thunderbird (Free and OpenSource Stand-Alone Email Client)
    Instead of Outlook Express.
  • Mozilla (Free and OpenSource Application Suite)
    Includes a Web Browser, Email Client, IRC client, and Web Page Maker (WYSIWYG HTML editor)
  • Trillian (Free or $25 for pro version)
    Multi-Service Chat/IM client, which lets you use AIM, ICQ, IRC, MSN/Hotmail, and Yahoo! all from within one program (and without the ads)
  • OpenOffice.org (Free and OpenSource replacement for Microsoft Office)
    Does most things MS Office does.
  • FileZilla (Free and OpenSource FTP client)
    Supports SFTP over SSH for secure file transfers.
  • Ad-Aware (Free Spyware/Ad-ware removal tool)
    Don't forget to run the update checker from within the program so you can detect the latest spyware.
  • Spybot-S&D (Free Spyware/Ad-ware removal tool)
    Don't forget to run the update checker from within the program so you can detect the latest spyware.
  • ZoneAlarm (Free Software Firewall)
  • Windows Firewall (How to Enable it in XP)
    Highly Recommended!
  • Windows Update
    The only safe site to visit with Internet Explorer!
  • Norton AntiVirus ($49.95, plus 19.95/yr.)
    The best AntiVirus (IMO) and worth the money.

Although not my very favorites, these two programs deserve mention

because I know so many people who they are their favorites,

and they are both free:

petzl recommends:

  • IE-SPYAD (Block spamvertised websites)
    Free & good for parents - for the Internet Exlporer web browser.

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  • 4 weeks later...

I have added the first and last entry from petzl's signature to my post (above)

----

* I changed it from "v4.windowsupdate.microsoft.com/en/default.asp" to the version-unspecified "windowsupdate.microsoft.com".

** "Block spamvertised websites" (this is "IE-SPYAD" in the topmost post in this topic) should now have the URL

https://netfiles.uiuc.edu/ehowes/www/resource.htm

instead of the one used in the quoted signature above.

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  • 6 months later...

FYI: AVG is dropping support for v6 at the end of the year but there is a new v7 available for free. One problem is that they apparently do not accept spamcop.net addresses for their registration. I am looking into it further but registered with another address I have.

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FYI: AVG is dropping support for v6 at the end of the year but there is a new v7 available for free.  One problem is that they apparently do not accept spamcop.net addresses for their registration.

20794[/snapback]

That's a darn shame!
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