I'm using Norton 360 ver 4.
in order to protect against misleading applications or rogueware from being installed.
How would I ensure Norton 360 firewall is configured this way?
Hi Evets,
The default settings in the Norton Smart Firewall are already optimized to protect you against these and other threats. Automatic Program Control is enabled by default, and in this configuration the firewall will filter all network communications looking for any signs of malicious traffic, and will automatically allow safe programs internet access while blocking anything that looks suspicious. The best advice is to leave the firewall in the configuration you found it when you installed the program.
Thanks for the reply!
My specific concern is to better understand how Norton 360 will protect my system from rogueware threats such as Security Shield. A friend's system was recently compromised despite MS Security Essentials installed on that system.
I wonder if the failure to protect that system was due to a shortcoming of MS Security Essentials or if rogueware like Security Shield can bypass other security software, such as Norton 360 or Norton Internet Security which I have installed on another one of my systems.
Your insights are appreciated.
Hi Evets,
One of the reasons that rogue antivirus programs are able to evade detection is that they continually morph into new variants. They stay one step ahead of a security program's ablility to recognize them, and this has posed a real challenge to all legitimate antivirus programs. Norton consistently ranks at or near the top in detection rates, but no program detects 100% of everything that's out there.
A security program like Norton 360 should be just one layer in your protection planning. Since most of these threats rely on JavaScript to launch their fake AV scans, one thing you can do is use Firefox as your primary browser and install the NoScript add-on, which lets you block all scripting except for those sites which you specifically allow. Since many threats launch via malicious ads, NoScript would let you allow the primary site to use scripting while still blocking the advertisements on the page from doing so. There is a learning curve and you do sacrifice some web surfing convenience at first until it becomes second nature, but this will protect you from almost all rogue antivirus programs. Using a Limited User account, rather than an account with Administrator privileges, when online will also help protect you.
If you do encounter a fake antivirus program, never click anything within the browser window. Instead, click Ctrl+Alt+Delete on your keyboad to bring up the Windows Task Manager. Find the browser's process and end it.