eEye Digital Security

After personally trying and testing numerous programs (Security or Privacy related) I have found that the following programs behave well when ran with either the Blink Personal or Professional Editions of Blink.  Little to no changes were required to make these programs function.  IF any changes were required to be made, I have made note of them. 

I have used these on Windows XP Professional SP3

Virtual Machine Related Applications Tried:

1.  VMWare Workstation - http://vmware.com/products/ws/  

2.  VirtualBox - http://www.virtualbox.org/   (Completely Free)

3.  Parallels - http://www.parallels.com/

Security Related Applications Tried:

- These items work great alongside Blink as standalone scanners (i.e. you start them up to scan your system and then shut them down when your done)

1.  Prevx CSI - http://www.prevx.com/freescan.asp

2.  SuperAntispyware Free Edition - http://www.superantispyware.com/download.html

3.  ClamWin Portable - http://portableapps.com/apps/utilities/clamwin_portable

- This is nice because you can either run it from a USB flashdrive or you can move the single folder that it runs from somewhere else (like on another partition of your hard drive as I have done)

Privacy Related "Cleaning" Applications Tried:

1.  CCleaner - http://www.ccleaner.com/

I will add - no issues with Spoybot Search and Destroy

+1 for CCcleaner

No issues with Secunia PSI RC4

Brent:

I will add - no issues with Spoybot Search and Destroy

Brent:

No issues with Secunia PSI RC4

Yep, I can vouch for those two too.

I am into the third year of using BLINK.

I used to use other security software with BLINK, such as HIPS, and AV scanners.

I no longer use other security software.

BLINK has proved itself so I have become comfortable and trusting BLINK to secure my XP Pro that is dsl connected and on 24/7.

I set BLINK to DAILY update and full scan at a time when I am sleeping and not using the computer.

I did a clean install in August 2008, to incorporate SP3, and since that time I have had no items quarantined.

This machine stays clean.

I use a router with firewall. BLINK takes care of all the rest of security.

I use a host file to block unwanted ads and web pages. Currently the file is 81,881 entries at 2,564 KB. I notice no loss in performance with an increase in web page loading due to lack of adverts.

Blocking Unwanted Parasites with a Hosts File

http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.htm

HOSTMAN is the software I use to manage the host file.

Available here:

http://www.abelhadigital.com/

I use Opera v10 pre-beta as my browser, with an adblocking ini file.

Available here:

http://my.opera.com/desktopteam/blog/

I block unwanted pages in IE7 restricted zone using:

IE-SPYAD

http://www.spywarewarrior.com/uiuc/resource.htm

I have been using CCleaner since its debut. It is one of my all time favorite software. Prior to every Log Off I right click desktop trashcan, and click 'Run CCLEANER'. Two clicks to clean everything including temp files less than 48 hours old.

I use the following FREE tools for regular cleaning and maintenance as need be.

Each program finds something to clean the others don't find.

User Be Aware, Clean, Don't Corrupt.

jv16 Powertools 1.3.0.195 (last uncrippled Freeware version)

http://www.321download.com/LastFreeware/index.html

Wise Registry Cleaner 3

Wise Disk Cleaner 3

http://www.wisecleaner.com/

Comodo System Cleaner

http://system-cleaner.comodo.com/index.html

Beyond all this I hardened the computer and slimmed it down. There are many guides online for this if you search for them. If anyone asks I could make some recommendations.

I use MS updates, especially the Malicious Software Removal Tool.

Also Belarc and Secunia as need be.

MS Basline Security Analyzer I am not able yet to configure to use on this machine.

Another sweet little program I have come to appreciate:

FileHippo.com Update Checker

http://www.filehippo.com/updatechecker/

Last and not least is a rollback and recovery system.

I have tried several and settled on DriveClone Pro 6, mainly because it does the job, and allows me to use my defrag program, and so far no problems with the licensing.

Well once again, I offer up the name of another security application for folks that want to use something else alongside Blink.  I understand a lot of folks are not happy with Norman, so as I have said in other posts, "If it helps keep Blink customers happy by providing them with ideas for other security applications that work well with Blink, then I will do it."  Ultimately, you do not really need anything else, but I have been trying to test different products in VMware to help folks out some.

Today I am offering up information on the product PrevX 3.0!

PrevX Edge has come leaps and bounds since PrevX version 2.0.

PrevX 2.0 was a show stopper if you had it on the same system that Blink was on.  This is why you will notice that when you initially install Blink, it has PrevX 2.0 in its list of security applications that you should NOT have installed before you continue to install Blink.  I cross my fingers when I say this, BUT so far running Blink Personal Edition alongside PrevX Edge 3.0 (in Windows XP in VMware) has been great!

I only noted PrevX Edge complain twice:

1.  When Blink was doing a Retina scan and started to run its tests on NETBIOS.  This made PrevX Edge ask if the process was ligitament or not since it looked like an attack.  Obviously this was a false-positive, but was partially due to me choosing to having PrevX Edge's hueristics cranked up to the maximum setting.

2.  When doing full disk encryption with TrueCrypt. - PrevX Edge's MBR protection sparked on the initial "Boot up test" for TrueCrypt when I was encrypting my entire hard drive.  Obviously it did not like the modifications that TrueCrypt was making in the MBR area of the hard disk, but shows me it is watching the MBR area well for any sign of modification.

NOTE:  If you are about to encrypt your entire hard drive with TrueCrypt and you want to use PrevX Edge, either disable PrevX Edge completely before encrypting your hard drive OR do not install it at all until you have completed the encryption process.

http://www.prevx.com/prevxedge.asp

http://www.prevx.com/productcomparison.asp    Product Comparison

-  Look at the file size comparisons to begin with!!

http://info.prevx.com/edgehelp.asp   User Guide with some great screenshots!

PrevX Edge 3.0 has a free trial (no time period restrictions) which will allow you to "detect" things, just not clean them up.  To perform a cleanup you must pay for a license.  Either way if you really want to try it, this is the way to go if your not sure whether you want to use it or not.