karyoker @ Thu Feb 28, 2008 12:08 pm wrote:
This is for the gurus on here like mckyj57 and others. I know that service packs are very important and should be added when available because the software developers are including them in their updates.
Here is the question.. Most of the windows auto updates are security related and are not applicable. With a DAW how important is it to do regular updates? I know the only ones that would apply would be efficiency or data base related.
For years I did not put my DAW online but I do now with Zonealarm and behind a wireless connection.. Thoughts?
You will be very safe behind the wireless router and it's NAT. The Zonealarm is OK too, but your primary line of defense is that wireless router. It will intercept all attempts to connect to your system from outside.
Other points:
1. Make sure you change the default password for the web admin on your
wireless router. Usually you can't reach it from outside, but there
have been some vulnerabilities.
2. Don't set up any "pass-through" ports on the wireless router unless
you know exactly what you are putting on line.
3. Use Firefox instead of Internet Explorer.
4. Get AdAware and Spybot S&D and run them periodically.
5. Get ClamWin or some other anti-virus, I guess, but that would be
less of a priority. You should never find any if the rest of this
stuff works.
6. Keep updating the system periodically with all security updates. It
can be auto or just every so often -- you are not likely to have
problems, but it is a good idea to update from time to time.
7. Don't visit too many random web sites that might have links to porn
stuff (like karaoke-forum.com, sigh).
8. Make sure any other computers on your wireless/wired network, i.e.
behind the same wireless router, are held to the same standards.
Zonealarm will help with this, but if you have an infected machine on
the same internal network you have a much higher risk of infection.
If you do all that, your risk will be very, very small.