Thread: Interesting Anti Spam site

Originally Posted by Kris.Parker1

Ozwinner, I'm with you. Norton Internet Security is great. I also use Zone Alarm Pro. I find both programs have no conflicts and compliment each other nicely.

Why would you use Zone Alarm when Nortons Internet security suite has a superb Firewall?

Another way to protect your computer is to NOT use Outlook or Ouylook Express....If you can, use an alternative mailer. I personally use and recommend Pocomail. It is a splendid mailing program and has a built in Baysian Spam filter that will get give you well over 95% protection. I am sure that there are other mailers available that are at least as good but I like this one. (a lot) Mozilla Firefox is a fantastic alternative to Internet explorer...Free too!

Originally Posted by Corunetes

Why would you use Zone Alarm when Nortons Internet security suite has a superb Firewall?

Another way to protect your computer is to NOT use Outlook or Ouylook Express....If you can, use an alternative mailer. I personally use and recommend Pocomail. It is a splendid mailing program and has a built in Baysian Spam filter that will get give you well over 95% protection. I am sure that there are other mailers available that are at least as good but I like this one. (a lot) Mozilla Firefox is a fantastic alternative to Internet explorer...Free too!

I think youll find even though its a bit harder to drive than Norton, Zone Alarm is a better choice from a security point of view.....most of the surveys Ive seen done in the computer mags gave Zone Alarm a better score than Norton for blocking hack attempts.

Not using Outlook is one way of cutting down on the damaging effects of downloading a virus but it doesnt stop the spam. You can still pass on the virus to someone else via your machine. Using filters on the client software works but youre still either paying for the time it takes to download the spam to your PC before you filter it or you have to spend time sifting through the mail on your ISPs mail server deciding which ones to delete and which ones to download.

My preference is to let someone else do all the hard work by using a third party mail service like Spamcop. You set up the blacklists and filters (takes 10 minutes) and then you say goodbye to spam. Ditto goes for any virus payloads. Been using spamcop for 5 years now and havent had one spam or virus come through.

Originally Posted by kiwigeo

I think youll find even though its a bit harder to drive than Norton, Zone Alarm is a better choice from a security point of view.....most of the surveys Ive seen done in the computer mags gave Zone Alarm a better score than Norton for blocking hack attempts.

Quite right. Actually I use Zone Alarm with anti virus. It uses the VET system and I am more than happy with it. I was just a bit curious about the use of ZA AND Nortons suite....... I used to use Nortons but it seems to get too intrusive.

As far as spam goes, My system is good for me 'coz I have broadband. I can have my mail classified on the server if need be but I do like to maintain at least an appearance of control. Of course there are a number of different ways of dealing with spam so I say, use what you are comfortable with!....... I haven't tried your system yet but I will definitely have a look.......

Good to hear from you!

If you want to avoid spam, change your email address and get a hotmail address for all communications with businesses. Never register with a site using your personal email address because many sites that you have to register for are just a cheap way for someone to acquire email address. Then they sell their database to marketing firms. It's very easy money for them.
On the subject of viruses, Telstra charge broadband customers $2.50 a month to remove viruses from their emails. This means that Telstra knowingly pass on emails containing viruses when they could stop them.
I wonder if there are any doctors out there who could use the same method for making money. "Yes madam, I will operate on you but there is a 100% chance that you will get an infection because of the service I provide. However, for a small fee I can make sure this doesn't happen by sterilising my instruments first."
It's almost like a protection racket.

Originally Posted by adrian

If you want to avoid spam, change your email address and get a hotmail address for all communications with businesses. Never register with a site using your personal email address because many sites that you have to register for are just a cheap way for someone to acquire email address. Then they sell their database to marketing firms. It's very easy money for them.

I have an old account that I opened when Email was still pure and wonderful....... I was the fifth person to sign up with the aprticular provider...The charge system was by the minute (usual at the time) I still have the account although the only thing that I use it for is to use when having to give my email address.. I never have to pay for the service but I still get about 100/120 spams a day...... I clean the account every few days............works well for me........... I hope they never bother auditing their customer base.

With regard to the standover racket.........Isn't that the province of our 3 layers of standover merchants..........Excuse me...........Government! :mad:

Morning all,

Though I have been lurking here for a long time and helping people though a proxy, I decided its time to use my own identity

Re: The spam thing. In my experience, NORTON is the WORST software to ever run on a machine. Its fine when it works (but it misses SO many viruses it is simply ludicrous. Last week I removed it for someone - who had installed all the latest updates etc, installed AVG - the link provided elsewhere in this thread and found 11, yes count them 11 viruses on their pc- some security)
When Norton break; you really have to know what you are doing to get your pc back online again. and break it does, often.
M/S outlook 2003 (the new version) is fantastic for filtering spam. A client of mine was receiving about 160 emails a day - 130 spam 15 virus and 15 legit we removed Outlook XP and popped 2003 on - the results were amazing. Re: Mailwasher I have heard it works well - eventually, but as someone else stated you need to spend AGES telling it what to kill, what not too, etc - that was my experience with it anyway. Billy had put a lot of m/s $$$ behind anti-spam (in my opinion one the the best selling points of office 2003) and talks a little about it in this page. - http://www.microsoft.com/mscorp/exec...28antispam.asp
Any way nice to be here - thanks for taking the time to read my humble opinions.

Benny

McAfee isn't much better. The last time I downloaded an update for my engine my PC got to the 'blue screen of death' and that's all she wrote. I had to reload the operating system and just to make sure it wasn't something else I downloaded again ..............'blue screen of death' again. Reloaded the operating system and waited a week or so before downloading again and bugger me, there was a message on their website that the version I had was no longer supported. I suspect that they had a lot of complaints about their software screwing up a lot of PC's so they took the easy way out and, rather than fix the problem, they decided not to support the version.
When I originally purchased the software I downloaded it from the US site and it lasted exactly one year and then the software deactivated itself. I asked McAfee about the failure and they said that they expected me to upgrade. When I pointed out that nowhere in the licence did it stipulate that it was for one year they had to email me directions on removing the software from the registry. Luckily, I copied the software on a CD otherwise I would have been screwed.
I think Vet software might be the go. At least it's all Aussie.

Anyone who touches Macafee's product needs to beware............. I went off to the pooter shop and bought the boxed version of Macafee's Security Suite V.6
Geez did that cause problems................... It screwed up my machine so badly over a week that I had no option but to format the pooter............ God, what a mess.............. It was a bloody nightmare............ After about 15 calls to the support line and then the formatting, I requested, and got, my money back............... Fortunately I had ghosted my entire setup just prior to installing Macafee's. I did get the impression that they were aware of the problems that the suite was causing............ I avoid their products like the plague now although they were true to their support advertising..........

re: McAffee - I agree with you. alot of these "internet Security Suites" have some great ideas; but since they generally revolve around a "we take over computer and make it safe" kind of philosophy it does pay to be cautious.

This is the combo I use for a spam/virus/spyware free environment: AVG; ZoneAlarm Free (for those who are on dial-up and/or don't use a router [most adsl routers provide EXCELLENT security against INCOMING problems]); spybot and ad-aware. Of course running Office 2003 and XP SP2. This setup when properly updated, I find will generally provide one with an almost perfect environment. - If you are not running SP2 grab hijack-this to go with it (in sp2 it is built in: Internet Explorer / Tools / Manage Add-ons.
Off topic: Also for all you ppl running xp try Bootvis - a fantastic free tool that speeds up boot times took mine from 45sec to 8-9 secs!!!!


I hope this info is handy for someone

The soloution is so simple guys

create a hotmail email and log onto the web to check them as long as you dont download any files that are suss you should be fine.
as for norton ive seen it NOT do its job on every pc i have been associated with.
The chap that said mac should go no way! cross browser issues are becoming much less and if you work with css then no trouble at all, the cross browser issues are not that many anyhow.

As for mac virus vunrability - i have one at home for the past 4 years i download what i want and dont use any virus protection at all and have had no trouble as yet (fingers crossed).
its such a user experiance thing i guess, I would love to own both but im happy to have a mac.

Or, what I have done is bought Zone Alarm with Anti Virus, (Reasonably priced)
I have a couple of anti spyware progs that I schedule to run when I'm asleep.

Simple but effective.

Oh yes. Use a bit of common sense with regardto mail and downloads and you will be fine.

Zone Alarm, in my opinion is a real pain on systems that have only the recommended system requirements. I found it slowed my system so much it in itself was the main problem on my machine.

Originally Posted by Kris.Parker1

Zone Alarm, in my opinion is a real pain on systems that have only the recommended system requirements. I found it slowed my system so much it in itself was the main problem on my machine.

I had that same problem with Nortons.............. ZA works fine on mine....... There are a few firewalls available....you may be forced to give each on a test............... have fun!