Test your connection's security! Shield Up!

[Son Nguyen]

Check it out, pretty cool!
My PC passed all the test! And all of my common ports are closed or stealth!
Sounds good, but not sure anyone attacked me before

Link: http://grc.com/default.htm
Shield Up!

They also have other stuff I haven't checked out! Find out and if anything cool, please let me know!

[Wilmot]

That site has a lot of good security related things..

One excellent program he has for download is called "OptOut".
It searches your computer for any "Spyware" which may have been installed and sending information about you to companies without you knowing.. There is also a list of known spyware programs on the website..

Spyware is basically software which runs in the background and sends information like what web sites you visit etc. to companies. A lot of shareware programs which make you view ads to use it often come with this kind of software. When you remove the program, the spyware part stays and keeps sending info..

The Netscape download program is one which sends information about what you download to back to Netscape I think..

[Fletch]

Hi,

This site was featured in a magazine in Britain a while ago and I checked my connection straight away. I passed with flying colours but I do have a firewall so I would be worried if I failed.

[Son Nguyen]

So you tried OptOut? Did you find out any software that sending your info?
I haven't tried it, but that's sound interesting.

[James]

I used OptOut a few months back after seeing it in a computer magazine article. It found some software on my machine which I quickly removed.
But since then I have built a new comp for myself so chances are there will be junk on the drive again, so I will try OptOut again this weekend.

[Wilmot]

Originally posted by 123finder.com
So you tried OptOut? Did you find out any software that sending your info?
I haven't tried it, but that's sound interesting.

When I ran it before re-installing windows, it found some software which was sending information.. I didn't bother removing it with OptOut when I found it because I was re-installing the next day..

Aureate is apparently common software which these companies use to get the imformation.. Commet Cursor also does something along these lines.. Both of those are scanned for with OptOut though..

Since re-installing a few months ago, OptOut hasn't found anything yet.