Do you feel safe on the net?

Zardon · Dec 11, 2003, 10:01 PM

I was browsing the BBC news today as I normally do and I was reading this little article just up today here

Quote:

Most top UK websites are breaking new rules which require them to do more to protect web users' privacy.
WebAbacus research found 98% do not give enough information about the text files which track user movements, or provide a single-click opt-out option.

"Companies are either not aware of the legislation, or are ignoring it," said Ian Thomas from WebAbacus.

The Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulation, effective on Thursday, also aims to control spam.

The Information Commissioner - the organisation which enforces the regulations - was "very surprised" so many websites were not doing what is required, even though these regulations have been on the horizon for a long time.

"There should be transparency. People should know what is going on with the information collected about them," Phil Jones, assistant information commissioner, told BBC News Online.

"People should recognise that the information collected is only benign - but they should be alerted to the ways that data is going to be used."

He added he hoped that the situation would improve "fairly quickly".

WebAbacus surveyed 90 of the UK's most popular websites on the day before the rules came into force and found that 24% did not even have any kind of privacy policy.

Only 2% were totally compliant with the rules.

Are you savvy enough to know about cookies, privacy laws and whether you are being tracked, share your experiences with the members. Do you feel safe on websites?

FuNsTeR · Dec 11, 2003, 10:04 PM

every time before i shut down .. i clear my cache of unknown cookies ... but sometimes you have to be vigilant

jjmd · Dec 11, 2003, 10:35 PM

well considering my firewall gets hit 100 to 300 times a day with back door trojans and what not, my browser keeps getting those dumb ass pop ups even with pop up blockers, and my email well lets just leave that alone. So no not even with firewalls and anti virus programs i feel safe on the net as they still find a way in. Like this for instance. Has this ever happined to u. I have Norton firewall 2003 pro and Norton System works 2003 pro, i got hit with a bad trojan subseven, it made my firewall go into a stealth blocking mode. all ports were locked and could not be unlocked, could not get on to the net or receive any emails. Symantec support said that it would be impossible "being i have them both 12 # passworded to change the fuctions in them, so i could not even uninstall the Norton programs. And that the Trojan subseven locked down the passwords". To do anything but reload the OS. So that is what i had to do just a week ago Dec 5. Symantec said that this is not common but it has happined to people before. Well i guess they have some sort of save guard in case some one hacks the code or some thing. But what a bitch have to reload everything because Norton locked down. Owell atleast they didn't get what they were after.

Judas · Dec 12, 2003, 03:18 AM

.....i've never had a virus/worm... whatnot... never had a hacker attact me without letting him/her.... I actually feel very safe.... i could care less about the e-mail.... hotmail.... it's a garbage catcher... if i ever do get my truely own e-mail..... that sucker is NOT going to even get out to my parents...

Mac Daddy · Dec 12, 2003, 03:24 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Zardon
I was browsing the BBC news today as I normally do and I was reading this little article just up today here

Are you savvy enough to know about cookies, privacy laws and whether you are being tracked, share your experiences with the members. Do you feel safe on websites?

Well Z.. I flush my cookies on a regular basis .. running a firewall as you suggested .. Plan on having a router here shortly after Xmas .. Upon suggestions from both you and Judas

caqde · Dec 12, 2003, 03:28 AM

Quote:

my browser keeps getting those dumb ass pop ups even with pop up blockers

Heh. That must be why many people say Integrated pop-up blockers are better. Try Mozilla you'll never see a pop-up again. I can guarantee it, because I haven't seen one in a little over a year.

So other than that I feel somewhat safe on the net. I haven't had a virus/trojan. And I can say that using non-microsoft software in windows probably helps alot. Better software less intrusions I can't complain.

@/2ct!< · Dec 12, 2003, 03:45 AM

For me its kinda the ignorance is bliss kinda safe... I am semi careful, ie have a firewall, weekly cookie cleanin, but thats all autotmatic...

tragic · Dec 12, 2003, 08:14 AM

I have never liked the ideas of cookies etc, but appreciate what they enable. I run a pop up blocker which works just fine, a firewall with another pop up blocker intergrated and i regulary use Tracks Eraser Pro, to wipe the most useless files and cookies daily.

I feel safe, but

The_Neon_Cowboy · Dec 12, 2003, 08:28 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Zardon
I was browsing the BBC news today as I normally do and I was reading this little article just up today here

Are you savvy enough to know about cookies, privacy laws and whether you are being tracked, share your experiences with the members. Do you feel safe on websites?

i dont think about it much....

its just something you must live with any were theres webs ads, this stuffs going on, some tools to searh for spyware, firewall set to back bad cookies/ads,

even if you come up clean the only way 2 know for sure is to use a packet sniffer and see what being sent....

some stuff is piggybacked on to others like realplayer reports stuff back files, ip's etc... adware

I also used evidence eliminator

every so often.. you would not belive belive thestuf that windows tracks... every click... every program or file opened, website visited etc it all logged somewere... gotta clean that suff out you know know when prying eyes might find thier way on your pc .... its acutally a good program i was skeptical but if anything it cleans out some of cobwebs

i dont think about it much, behind my router and firewalls, i dont worry much

BWX · Dec 12, 2003, 09:44 AM

I didn't even use a firewall for 3 years on an always on high speed cable connection. Not one virus, not one attack. I didn't even use Norton autoprotect or scriptblocking, just email scanning. I'm sure I was scanned about a million times, but nothing ever happend.

I disable all unneeded WinXP services, especially the ones that create vulnerabilities. I keep up to date and do regular full system scans and use Adaware/Spybot. I finally got a software firewall, which after configuring pretty much blocks all ICMP's and whatnot- I feel a little better now. At least I'm not an open target. I also plan on getting a NAT router and ditching the software firewall, not that it's necessary, but probably a little more secure.
I feel safe enough, I can always unplug the modem and go outside and take a walk.

Rayder · Dec 12, 2003, 11:49 AM

I just run Spybot and AdAware frequently. I also use a popup-blocker. I don't do any financial anything online, so I figure that I am of little interest to hackers in that respect. As far as e-mail spam, my ISP has a spam filter built-in to it's homepage. If I get a virus (hasn't happened yet) I'll just reformat, no big deal.

I mainly just visit a few select forums anyway. Only other thing I use the net for is patches, game-fixes, tech info and checking my mostly empty e-mail. Not to mention a seperate machine for P2P that doesn't even have e-mail set up in it.

I don't use any of those internet chat proggies at all, just never saw the point in them myself.

I wouldn't say that I really feel safe online, just that I haven't experienced anything truly hostile yet....besides maybe "pop-up hell". That is, close one pop-up and 3 or more instantly come up. I just add that stuff to the pop-up blocker to fix that junk. That kind of stuff usually only happens at certain sites anyway, I just don't go to them again.

I'm a very thrifty web user, I guess. Quite boring, you might say.

UberLord · Dec 12, 2003, 12:10 PM

I'm bordering on severe paranoia about internet security.

My home grown server runs snort (an IDS system) to detect intrusions and portsentry (blocks people that portscan mainly - and gives them a nice message back after blocking their IP on the firewall).

My FTP server allows TLS for ecryption of username+password and data. Web mail and some admin stuff is all passworded off and in SSL.

SMTP and IMAP are all channeled over TLS

For non-web services you have to know username+password AND have an SSL client certificate installed that was generated by my server.

Paranoid? Maybe, but at least I know it's as secure as I can make it.

Heck, even my Linux laptop I use at work and home has one locked down firewall and portsentry running on it even though it has no direct 'net connection. Why? 'Cas when some of my colleagues get the latest and greatest Windows Virus/Worm/whatever and I like my laptop to inform them of this via a Messenger popup when it tries to get to my laptop

No_Style · Dec 12, 2003, 04:46 PM

Before when I was using just IE naked, I didn't feel safe at all. After using, Opera, MYIE2 and Adaware on the side...I feel safer.

What I don't feel safe about are packet sniffers. I've ran some and it's pretty scary as to what you can see by running this program (IRIS). I was able to see a friend of mine's MSN messages (Easiest to decypher, it's nearly just plain text) and the webpages he was browsing.

UberLord · Dec 12, 2003, 05:09 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by No_Style
What I don't feel safe about are packet sniffers. I've ran some and it's pretty scary as to what you can see by running this program (IRIS). I was able to see a friend of mine's MSN messages (Easiest to decypher, it's nearly just plain text) and the webpages he was browsing.

Ah yes - another secure MS product

Mac Daddy · Dec 13, 2003, 02:54 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by BWX232
I didn't even use a firewall for 3 years on an always on high speed cable connection. Not one virus, not one attack. I didn't even use Norton autoprotect or scriptblocking, just email scanning. I'm sure I was scanned about a million times, but nothing ever happend.

I disable all unneeded WinXP services, especially the ones that create vulnerabilities. I keep up to date and do regular full system scans and use Adaware/Spybot. I finally got a software firewall, which after configuring pretty much blocks all ICMP's and whatnot- I feel a little better now. At least I'm not an open target. I also plan on getting a NAT router and ditching the software firewall, not that it's necessary, but probably a little more secure.
I feel safe enough, I can always unplug the modem and go outside and take a walk.

Nicely said .. and I love my Red Viddy card as well

Dec 11, 2003, 10:04 PM	#2
FuNsTeR Caledonian and Proud Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Darkest Ayrshire Posts: 1,305 Rep Power: 88 System Specs	every time before i shut down .. i clear my cache of unknown cookies ... but sometimes you have to be vigilant __________________ "They say when you play a Microsoft CD backwards you can hear satanic messages ..... but that's nothing, if you play it forward it will install Windows"

Dec 11, 2003, 10:35 PM	#3
jjmd DriverHeaven Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: In Your Mothers Closet... Posts: 1,081 Rep Power: 0	well considering my firewall gets hit 100 to 300 times a day with back door trojans and what not, my browser keeps getting those dumb ass pop ups even with pop up blockers, and my email well lets just leave that alone. So no not even with firewalls and anti virus programs i feel safe on the net as they still find a way in. Like this for instance. Has this ever happined to u. I have Norton firewall 2003 pro and Norton System works 2003 pro, i got hit with a bad trojan subseven, it made my firewall go into a stealth blocking mode. all ports were locked and could not be unlocked, could not get on to the net or receive any emails. Symantec support said that it would be impossible "being i have them both 12 # passworded to change the fuctions in them, so i could not even uninstall the Norton programs. And that the Trojan subseven locked down the passwords". To do anything but reload the OS. So that is what i had to do just a week ago Dec 5. Symantec said that this is not common but it has happined to people before. Well i guess they have some sort of save guard in case some one hacks the code or some thing. But what a bitch have to reload everything because Norton locked down. Owell atleast they didn't get what they were after. __________________ [COLOR=blue]Win XP Pro all updates.[/COLOR] [COLOR=blue]Asus Crosshair, Amd 64 X2 6000. 4 GB Cosair Dominator,2 MSI 7900gs 512 mg, 2 raptor 150 gig in raid 0. 22inch View Sonic LCD, 2 HP 16x dvd burners, and some other crap. HE HE HE. [/COLOR]

Dec 12, 2003, 03:45 AM	#7
@/2ct!< HardwareHeaven Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Not Vegas, anymore :( Posts: 1,391 Rep Power: 0	For me its kinda the ignorance is bliss kinda safe... I am semi careful, ie have a firewall, weekly cookie cleanin, but thats all autotmatic... __________________

Dec 12, 2003, 09:44 AM	#10
BWX unplugged Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: USNY Posts: 19,669 Rep Power: 110 System Specs	I didn't even use a firewall for 3 years on an always on high speed cable connection. Not one virus, not one attack. I didn't even use Norton autoprotect or scriptblocking, just email scanning. I'm sure I was scanned about a million times, but nothing ever happend. I disable all unneeded WinXP services, especially the ones that create vulnerabilities. I keep up to date and do regular full system scans and use Adaware/Spybot. I finally got a software firewall, which after configuring pretty much blocks all ICMP's and whatnot- I feel a little better now. At least I'm not an open target. I also plan on getting a NAT router and ditching the software firewall, not that it's necessary, but probably a little more secure. I feel safe enough, I can always unplug the modem and go outside and take a walk. __________________

Dec 12, 2003, 12:10 PM	#12
UberLord A Legend in Underwear Join Date: May 2002 Location: Unknown Posts: 5,255 Rep Power: 0	I'm bordering on severe paranoia about internet security. My home grown server runs snort (an IDS system) to detect intrusions and portsentry (blocks people that portscan mainly - and gives them a nice message back after blocking their IP on the firewall). My FTP server allows TLS for ecryption of username+password and data. Web mail and some admin stuff is all passworded off and in SSL. SMTP and IMAP are all channeled over TLS For non-web services you have to know username+password AND have an SSL client certificate installed that was generated by my server. Paranoid? Maybe, but at least I know it's as secure as I can make it. Heck, even my Linux laptop I use at work and home has one locked down firewall and portsentry running on it even though it has no direct 'net connection. Why? 'Cas when some of my colleagues get the latest and greatest Windows Virus/Worm/whatever and I like my laptop to inform them of this via a Messenger popup when it tries to get to my laptop __________________ Gentoo Linux - Developer (baselayout) Read my blog "I contend that we are both atheists. I just believe in one fewer god than you do. When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours." Stephen Roberts

Dec 12, 2003, 08:14 AM	#8
tragic Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: The Northern Hemi Posts: 0 Rep Power: 0	I have never liked the ideas of cookies etc, but appreciate what they enable. I run a pop up blocker which works just fine, a firewall with another pop up blocker intergrated and i regulary use Tracks Eraser Pro, to wipe the most useless files and cookies daily. I feel safe, but

Dec 12, 2003, 11:49 AM	#11
Rayder Mostly lurking lately.... Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: U.S.A. Posts: 2,161 Rep Power: 73	I just run Spybot and AdAware frequently. I also use a popup-blocker. I don't do any financial anything online, so I figure that I am of little interest to hackers in that respect. As far as e-mail spam, my ISP has a spam filter built-in to it's homepage. If I get a virus (hasn't happened yet) I'll just reformat, no big deal. I mainly just visit a few select forums anyway. Only other thing I use the net for is patches, game-fixes, tech info and checking my mostly empty e-mail. Not to mention a seperate machine for P2P that doesn't even have e-mail set up in it. I don't use any of those internet chat proggies at all, just never saw the point in them myself. I wouldn't say that I really feel safe online, just that I haven't experienced anything truly hostile yet....besides maybe "pop-up hell". That is, close one pop-up and 3 or more instantly come up. I just add that stuff to the pop-up blocker to fix that junk. That kind of stuff usually only happens at certain sites anyway, I just don't go to them again. I'm a very thrifty web user, I guess. Quite boring, you might say.

Dec 12, 2003, 04:46 PM	#13
No_Style Styleless Wonder Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Ottawa, Ontario Posts: 6,034 Rep Power: 0	Pretty safe. Before when I was using just IE naked, I didn't feel safe at all. After using, Opera, MYIE2 and Adaware on the side...I feel safer. What I don't feel safe about are packet sniffers. I've ran some and it's pretty scary as to what you can see by running this program (IRIS). I was able to see a friend of mine's MSN messages (Easiest to decypher, it's nearly just plain text) and the webpages he was browsing. __________________ "The Best Style Is No Style" Specifications Here