Intranet Journal
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Enhance PC Security with Open Source Apps
How secure are you with your computing environment? Spend a lot of time updating, paying for subscription renewals for different proprietary software in some blind hope that it will buy you more time until the next exploit is discovered? For Windows users, this has often felt like a fact of life.
Even while there are some great freeware options for PC security like AVG anti-virus or Zone Alarm firewall, wouldn't it be great if there were some open source options as well? As luck would have it, there are. In this article, I will highlight open source applications that will not only save you some money, but potentially put you back into the driver's seat with regard to your PC's security.
1) suDown
The very idea of running as a super user in Windows may sound insane to the uninitiated. But as luck would have it, I have not only done it myself, I have done it successfully. Being able to sudo into an otherwise insecure OS is simply good thinking.
Think about it this way. Running as an administrator in any capacity is dangerous, and the UAC is only effective when the user is not simply clicking on it to make it go away. This is where programs such as suDown for Windows XP comes in.
Simple enough to get one's head around. All you need to do is install and execute the installation and then follow the instructions to get a sudoer user created.
Benefits
2) POPFileEnsure safest experience in Windows comes from not running as an administrator. Simple, obvious yet still we lean with UAC among other weak-minded methods of protecting the user from themselves. Despite being designed for Windows XP, suDown ensures the user have the option of running as a limited user, while being able to run as a "super user" when an application needs to be run. Better is unlike "Run As", suDown allows the user to provide their own password without knowing the password to the administrator account.
At first pass, it may not seem like a real security threat is going to prevented by some sort of filter. Then again, what if that filter had the ability to detect probable malware or phishing attacks before they ever came to your inbox?
I have used POPFile for years and will say from personal experience that I have indeed been able to fend off an enormous amounts of spam, phishing schemes, and virus ridden email. When bundled along side other protective software, POPFile can prove to be a powerful friend to have in your corner.
Benefits
I think the key benefits are pretty self-evident.
3) ClamWinControl of the influx of potentially dangerous email. The ability to train the software as to what you define as a hazard. Stop phishing before it starts by providing a means of containing it in a spam folder.
AVG anti-virus may be king of the Freeware jungle when it comes to virus scanning on the cheap, but I would point out that ClamWin is not something to be ignored, despite AVG's success. Best when being used as a case-by-case tool, as there is no active scanner running in the background, ClamWin allows the user to take the bull by the horns and deal with virus threats as they happen.
Benefits
Basic but effective nonetheless.
Honestly, the only downside is the lack of definitions for older viruses.Protect your Windows PC from malware threats. Will not be attacked or disabled by malware as there is no live engine running to attack. Ugly, but simple to use and quite reliable.
4) Winpooch
Not to be confused with Winpatrol, which also sports a Dog as its themed character too, Winpooch is open source and totally free to use with the proprietary restrictions. Designed to be more of a complement to ClamWin than anything, it does present a number of options for dealing with both Trojans and spyware that ClamWin might not be able to help with on its own.
Using less emphasis on "definitions" and more reliance on keeping an eye on programs suddenly asking to do strange thing. In other words, you can actually stop a program from trying to access the Internet or even write a registry entry.
Benefits
The benefits are substantial, once you learn the software.
5) WIPFWFits in nicely with ClamWin for added, real time protection. No need to bother updating a bunch of malware definitions in hopes of catching the lastest nasty bug that infected your PC. Protecting your system by giving you control over how software interacts with your system in the first place.
Like the IP Firwall designed for FreeBSD, WIPFW implementation of this vision provides Windows users with something that provides both balance and control as they network their PCs together. It may not feel like the typical Windows-based firewall -- and with the inclusion of the one that Windows XP and above already provides, it might not seem like it is needed. But at the same time, when is the last time Microsoft had a good track record on PC security?
Benefits
6) GnuPGKeep the bad guys out of your Windows PC. For the advanced user, WIPFW means the difference from standard firewall control and complete firewall control.
Not to be confused with PGP, GnuPG is encryption tool for those who value the security of maintaining privacy, but wish to do with while adhering to the vision of the GNU software perspective.
Features of the GnuPG include being able to decrypt PGP 5-7 messages, multi-language support and being able to do this without needing any patented algorithms. There is also something to be said about the integrated support with HKP keyservers as well.
Benefits
7) WiresharkIs GNU friendly, which is always a bonus. To others, it is a must. GnuPG is compatible with PGP on both Windows and Linux. Provides optional anonymous message receivers.
This list would simply not be complete without props to Wireshark. Considering how many attacks happen each day on our networks without us even realizing it, knowing where we are most vulnerable is absolutely key.
Wireshark provides its users with the ability to scan pretty much any potentially vulnerable protocol you can think of. Providing deep inspection of each protocol, you can easily access just how well protected your network assets actually are.
Perhaps the biggest eye opener is just how weak WPA encryption is by itself can actually be. Hence why I tend to lean with the creation of using a "HoneyBucket" in which I can have a little fun with those who dare toy with me in my domain...but that is for another article.
Benefits
Control over your network. Catch security concerns before they become a real problem. Solid VoIP analysis. Verify uptime and spot patterns in any network downtime. Watch out for specific packet leaks while outputting the results into a readable format.
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