| |
3. Your Computer
If you are buying a new computer, do not buy one with an Intel
Pentium III processor. In fact, do not buy any Intel at all. Buy one with
an AMD processor. It would be called for example K7-3 / 550. They are at
least as fast and as good and they will not leak out serial numbers and
personal information like Intel's does. Intel and Microsoft are not on
the "protect the customers' privacy team." In fact Windows 98 and newer
Windows operating systems and spies on you and sends information out
about serial numbers of software and your personal registration
information. Get at least 64 Mb of RAM; 128 MB is even better. Too little
RAM gives you regular crashes.
4. Your Software
Do not register any software you purchase in your name. Type in alternate
information. They have no right to know your personal details. You paid
for the software when you bought it so you owe them nothing. If you want
back-up service, who cares what they call you.
5. Your Browser
Do not use Internet Explorer, (any version). It works together with
Windows 98 (and newer) and transmits personal information to Microsoft's
database. Netscape is a little better. but not much. Load Netscape
Navigator version 4.08 (Get it from the free CD on one of the computer
magazines). Do not load Netscape Messenger or Netscape Communicator (their
Email program). Netscape version 4.08 has fewer security leaks than any
MS Internet Explorer.
Setting up of Netscape 4.08
Click on: Edit >Preferences > Smart Browsing and remove the check mark to
turn off smart browsing altogether. Also select: Do not accept cookies.
When I find a better browser I will let you know. One to watch is Opera
or maybe the new version of Netscape.
6. Your Email Program
Both Netscape's Email program, (Communicator), and MS Outlook Express
have security problems, (leaks). Use Eudora Pro version 4.3
www.eudora.com - it
is free if you accept advertising and costs USD 40 without advertising.
Eudora is wonderful to work with and supports the full version of PGP
MIME. It also gives you many more options.
Microsoft is disliked very much by the people in the underground on the
web. This is where the hackers are. Some of them also write viruses.
Lately some have been aimed at Outlook and Outlook Express Email programs.
Microsoft themselves have done their utmost to have your computer send
all your details to their database and attach number identifiers to your
documents, etc. To solve the problem, use Eudora for Emails and Word
Perfect instead of Microsoft Word - they are far better anyway.
7. Anonymous Emails
For sending absolutely anonymous emails, with or without the above
account, use an anonymizer / remailer like:
www.anonymizer.com However,
you can only receive a reply and still keep your anonymity if the
recipient knows your return address, (which you obviously would not want
to put in the email). That means you can communicate with someone without
anyone being able to see who you, or they, are getting mail from or you
can send someone a completely anonymous message. This would stand up to
the closest scrutiny, bar a warrant delivered to the remailer. What if
you were using, say, 3 remailers linked up on different continents? That
is a lot of running around with warrants.
8. Protecting your Computer from Viruses
The best antivirus protection is: Antiviral Toolkit Pro (AVP)
www.avp.ch.
It is rated at 97 out of 120 possible. This should be compared with e.g.
Nortons rating of 68 and McAfee's of 41. Please check the virus test
sites listed at the end of this article.
9. Protect your computer from Hackers - Use a Firewall
A firewall is either a piece of hardware, (could be a complete computer),
or a software program running on your computer. The object is to stop "anyone",
including hackers, from hacking their way in to your computer where they
can cause damage, view files or put keyboard monitoring programs like
Back Orifice, (not a spelling mistake), onto your computer so they can "steal"
your passwords by having the program perform a "Phone Home" leaking your
details out. A good firewall will report any program wanting to access
the internet giving you a chance to block it permanently and to identify
the program so it can be deleted.
10. Encryption
Download PGP, (Pretty Good Privacy), encryption software from
www.pgpi.com
Any version after 5.5.3 is easy to work with as it is integrated into
Windows. Version 6.02 includes PGP disk, giving you a part of your hard
drive which is encrypted where you can store private files. The latest
version is PGP 6.5.3 which is said to have some problems and does not
incorporate PGP disk in the freeware version. It removes PGP disk if it
is installed on top of version 6.02.
To maximise anonymity and security while on the net:
Always browse the web via a proxy server and use a firewall. I believe
the best, non-technical software is McAfee Personal Firewall, (Previously
called ConSeal CPD). It can be downloaded from:
www.mcafee.com Other good
options are Norton Internet Security 2000 or Zone Alarm which can be
downloaded for free from:
www.zonelabs.com
-
Use a good Anti Virus protection program and update the Virus data
files weekly.
-
Use PGP to communicate via email to your friends and business
relations in complete privacy. (If PGP is used commercially, you must buy
the retail version to get the right to do so. PGP 6.5.3 retail
incorporates PGP Disk).
-
Set up a free account with
www.hushmail.com for communicating with
people who are not computer literate enough to use and install PGP. The
hushmail server is located in Canada and is a registered company in
Anguilla B.W.I.
Implementing all of the above, just like researching it, is a lot of
trouble and it is not convenient, cheap or fast but it will keep you safe
and ensure a better night's sleep! |
|