Paranoia

[magmon]

So, I woke up at 3 in the morning today wide awake. I sat there wondering what I was going to do with all the time, and decided I was going to buff the security on my xp machine. I encrypted my entire drive, installed online armor and threatfire, replaced avast with avira because of detection rates, set my password in xp and in the pre-bios decryption to change once a month, and am now going to implement a bios password. If anyone where to steal my machine now, the computer would have to be parted out =P.

My question to you guys is: How paranoid are you? Not just with computers, but in general? (To give another example, I sleep with a filet knife, hatchet, baseball bat, hammer, and bo staff within easy reach of my bed).

[Legendary_Bibo]

I did boxing for years, hell I once broke a mugger's ribs with my bare fist. My hands are my protection.

Computer wise though. I installed linux, and it makes me enter a password for everything so to speak. It's enough security for me, and I know sometimes the repos get hacked, but I rarely get programs from there.

[magmon]

If the fight is hand to hand, I can hold my own. I keep things in range in case the opponent isn't so honorable =P. The paranoia comes in when I assumed I needed to prepare for such a situation though lol.

[KiwiNZ]

I have the usual Passwords and encryption etc on my network.

My house has locks and an alarm system for when I am away and a medical alarm should something happen to me eg crash my chair into the spa.

As for weapons , no , none and never would. That is plain stupid. I touched my last rifle when I resigned my commission.

[magmon]

Well, it's not like I sit there with a 9mm in my night stand, but I am a nyctophobe, so having something in hand when moving through the basement at night makes things much easier.

[nerdy_kid]

i have a total of 6 passwords that I use on my linux system (which has an encrypted swap) 3 of which I use everyday. 2 of the passwords are ~20 characters long and all of them use special characters and numbers. I had an encrypted home but decided that was too much - have a hard drive password though (use bios to unlock it). Now you must understand that the only people who have access to my laptop is my family who barely know where the "on" button is lol. I dont have a single thing to hide on my pc either...total paranoia :lolflag:

[Timmer1240]

Wow Im not paranoid at all anymore just have a good password to log in thats it random letters numbers caps and small letters thats good enough for me!I have a gun guns in closet bullets are in a dressor drawer would never shoot no one though but they better watch out for the tire thumper!

[ubunterooster]

58 passwords 2 firewalls, computer locks if untouched for 1 minute, ...

I always keep my knife sharp, have some cash hidden, a bag of all I need to go at a minutes notice and stuff like that.

Still, I am not paranoid. I call myself prepared. My father is paranoid yet does nothing more than freak about what "could" happen. Prepared is a physical state; paranoid is a mental one.

[Legendary_Bibo]

My friend's dad tops everyone when it comes to paranoia. He's retired and he basically sits at the computer all day monitoring every bit of internet traffic. It's fine and all, but my friends play on xbox live a lot, and this means that other people have to connect to you so every time my friend plays the dude flips out whenever he sees another IP address. He thinks he's getting hacked despite the fact that he has nothing of importance on his computer. He has several AV programs on and flips out on a regular basis because AV software apparently sees other AV software as viruses. Also he has several (poorly I might add) firewalls. One on the router, the modem, and 3 on his computer. The fact that he can even connect to the internet is beyond me. Oh it gets better!

My brother is more tech savvy than me, especially with networking (I'm better with the software side of things :) ), and even offered to fix their network for them. We've known these people for years, and their dad still had it in his head that my brother wanted to just hack him, and also thinks that my brother doesn't even know what he's talking about. He even offered to encrypt everything for him, but in the dude's head it meant hacking. Also he thinks hexadecimal codes are just the computer's way of telling you you're being hacked. :confused:

[Lightstar]

I collect swords, but I have many years of martial arts behind me. Karate, taekwondo, jujutsu, tai chi.

I'm not afraid of close combat at all. Guns.. hmmm... the only thing I have against that would be a crossbow. But with my two lovely little barking dogs, I'll hear the thieves long before they break in.

[magmon]

58 passwords 2 firewalls, computer locks if untouched for 1 minute, ...

I always keep my knife sharp, have some cash hidden, a bag of all I need to go at a minutes notice and stuff like that.

Still, I am not paranoid. I call myself prepared. My father is paranoid yet does nothing more than freak about what "could" happen. Prepared is a physical state; paranoid is a mental one.

I have a zombie survival backpack xD. Is that prepared aswell?

[undecim]

I know sometimes the repos get hacked

When have the Ubuntu repos ever been hacked? And even if someone did hack the servers, how did they change any of the packages without GPG keys?

And unless you never update Ubuntu (which is horrible security practice), you have gotten programs from there. Where do you think the new version of firefox that wasn't on your install CD came from?

[julio_cortez]

Well, I'm not really paranoid. I really have nothing to hide on my HD, I'm just a little concerned about losing data (which already happened to me once, and I still have enough old *.PSD files gone for good).


If the fight is hand to hand, I can hold my own. I keep things in range in case the opponent isn't so honorable.
When it comes to close fighting, I try to avoid it because it's something I hate.
Some years ago I used to be better, now probably I would struggle against a good-sized opponent though.. I'm out of training :P

[lisati]

Paranoia, huh? Who needs it? It makes me nervous...... It's bad enough that I get a lecture from my doctor about smoking regular tobacco cigarettes, without having to worry about the potential for legal hassles and/or paranoia from the other stuff...... :D

[seanelly]

I keep a roll of toilet paper in my car...

[Paqman]

How paranoid are you?

Meh. Got better things to do with my life than worry. Address the threats that are credible and present, forget about the rest.

[Ebere]

(To give another example, I sleep with a filet knife, hatchet, baseball bat, hammer, and bo staff within easy reach of my bed).

I sleep so soundly that if I kept all that stuff around my bed, it would just be used on me while I slept. LOL

Seriously, I have slept through tornados, hurricanes, and an earthquake.

[Ebere]

I keep a roll of toilet paper in my car...

I don't go to the bathroom in my car.

[Random_Dude]

(To give another example, I sleep with a filet knife, hatchet, baseball bat, hammer, and bo staff within easy reach of my bed).

All at the same time? :o

[nerdy_kid]

I sleep so soundly that if I kept all that stuff around my bed, it would just be used on me while I slept. LOL

Seriously, I have slept through tornados, hurricanes, and an earthquake.

:lolflag:

[ubunterooster]

I have a zombie survival backpack xD. Is that prepared aswell?
Sorry, but not unless you had it filled with survival materials, money, clothes, and gum

[Dragonbite]

If the fight is hand to hand, I can hold my own. I keep things in range in case the opponent isn't so honorable =P. The paranoia comes in when I assumed I needed to prepare for such a situation though lol.

Remember, don't bring a knife to a gun fight.

Yet, I hear that often somebody with a gun find themselves with the gun in their opponent's hands. Not a good situation, but why not turn that around, where their gun is in YOUR hands?

A friend of mine went to some gun training thingy.

They said to sleep with the gun, mace and a cell phone.

If somebody breaks into your house/apartment, lock the door to your bedroom and shout that you are calling the police (and do, on your cell phone so they cannot cut the wires)

If they start breaking down the door, once there is an opening, you use the mace through the cracks so you can keep a safe distance and still attempt to stop them without killing them.

If they continue to break down the door.. shoot. They have proven that they are determined enough to ignore your warnings (police) and that you have tried defending yourself non-lethally (mace) and they have ignored that meaning they intend to cause you physical harm and you have the right to defend yourself, even lethally.

[Dragonbite]

Realize, you are not Paranoid if they ARE out to get you.



:lolflag:

[ubunterooster]

Remember, don't bring a knife to a gun fight.

Yet, I hear that often somebody with a gun find themselves with the gun in their opponent's hands. Not a good situation, but why not turn that around, where their gun is in YOUR hands?
Actually, within 15 feet, a knife is preferred.

As for the other guy getting the gun, this comes from over-hesitation to shoot.

[Paqman]

Actually, within 15 feet, a knife is preferred.


Preferred by dead people perhaps.

[Austin25]

I... always have to... look over... my shoulder... to see if... anybody's... watching me.

[eriktheblu]

Computing security is a bit lax; Ubuntu has a weak password and no password on the BIOS (which can normally be overcome using the motherboard's literature).

Physical security consists of locked doors, caution around strangers, and a pistol that rarely leaves my hip (a fast opening vault next to the bed when I'm sleeping).

I keep a get home bag in my vehicle, bug out bags in the closet, and bug in supplies in the pantry.

Given the nature of this forum I don't think this is the best place to find advice on physical security (no offense guys). Let's just say I disagree with a lot of what's been said so far.

Paranoia implies a false belief that you have been maliciously targeted by others. I hold no such belief.

[HermanAB]

The OP is paranoid about security, but he runs Win XP???

[madjr]

once i installed linux my paranoia days ended :)

[Frogs Hair]

I keep absolutely no personal info on my computer and buy nothing on-line except for computer components . My guns are used for hunting and stored away from ammunition .

[Dragonbite]

Full disk encryption.

[NightwishFan]

I keep any data I would really consider sensitive in an encrypted tar archive. Other than that, no. My data is mostly unimportant creative stuff, snapshot recordings of my music, etc.

My laptop is not locked, I frequently let my friends use it on a guest account.

[Dragonbite]

My life is so boring, somebody poking around inside my machine would actually be a highlight!

[magmon]

The OP is paranoid about security, but he runs Win XP???

Thus the wall of unnecessary security xD. I would be running a linux distro on this machine if I didn't occasionally feel the Halo itch. Probly gonna set up a dual boot later on.

To address the close quarter combat comments, the suggestion to lock yourself in your room and call the cops, with mace and a gun close by, is the best choice I've heard so far. In reality, the best way to survive a fight is to avoid one.

[dFlyer]

I've run linux for the past 15 years, and have nothing to worry about. No virus, rootkits or hacks. Can't say that when I ran windows.

[Dragonbite]

For computer security, I have off my modem a

Linux Firewall/Router/Content Filter
then
Wireless router with MAC address filtering and WEP
then it reaches the individual computers

This way, if a one of the kids' friends brings an iPod or netbook or something like that, even if they get onto the network (unlikely without the MAC address being entered into the router, or they could unplug the desktop) it will still be content filtered!

[CharlesA]

For computer security, I have off my modem a

Linux Firewall/Router/Content Filter
then
Wireless router with MAC address filtering and WEP
then it reaches the individual computers

This way, if a one of the kids' friends brings an iPod or netbook or something like that, even if they get onto the network (unlikely without the MAC address being entered into the router, or they could unplug the desktop) it will still be content filtered!

Just a nitpick, but why WEP instead of WPA or WPA2? Most newer devices can handle WPA.

[Azatos]

I'd say your pretty paranoid, my xp has no protection or anything because I got it for free so "I'm not worried about losing money if the pc get a crippling virus or something.

As far as in-general paranoia not anymore but, back when i was deep in the h days I used to carry a tire ire to all my deals, I was a short white kid walking through the projects. I pulled it out once but, I'd rather not talk about that, those were really dark days.

[tmette]

All of my personal/financial information is held in online accounts with a strong password, so I highly doubt anyone will get into those. My HDD doesn't really have anything worth value on it.

[magmon]

All of my personal/financial information is held in online accounts with a strong password, so I highly doubt anyone will get into those. My HDD doesn't really have anything worth value on it.

The funny thing is, neither does mine. Just some games and movies that where... Questionably obtained. Even if my whole HDD was wiped, I could rebuild its' exact contents in about an hour.

[Dragonbite]

Just a nitpick, but why WEP instead of WPA or WPA2? Most newer devices can handle WPA.

Ok, so I fudged and you caught me!

Because it was the first three-letter combination I was fairly sure it relates to network security :lolflag: I actually am not sure what type of W** I have running on my router, I'm at work.

[ubunterooster]

B/c nobody pasted it yet: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paranoia

[donkyhotay]

Realize, you are not Paranoid if they ARE out to get you.

:lolflag:

Not necessarily, you can have people out to get you and still be paranoid. Paranoia is a fear that "something" is out to get you, regardless of whether or not something actually is. A favorite quote of mine is:
"Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they aren't out to get you"

[dragos240]

My webcam is always on, and it looks behind me. If I see anyone, I minimize all windows regardless of what I'm doing.











Nah, not really.