We have been down for nearly a week as a result of a DDoS. We needed to switch providers. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.

There may be some bugs which occur as a result of the move. Please let us know if you find any.

Thank you --Robin 21:14, 15 July 2008 (UTC)

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[edit] Mitigating the Perils of P2P

P2P networks have been used to supply free copyrighted music, videos and movies. This practice can be both dangerous and expensive. The malware you could encounter along the way can usurp your personal privacy and empty your wallet.

From long being an opponent of the illegal uses of peer-to-peer (P2P) file-sharing networks, and after doing considerable research about them, it can be said, "P2P is here to stay." P2P networks continue to proliferate rapidly due to their connectivities and ease of use. In the old Internet distribution model, client computers logged into central servers. A P2P network operates independently of this model since all of the computers participating are interconnected as both servers and clients; truly distributed computing. P2P networks share much legal content but they can be vehicles for malware. Malware are viruses, worms, trojans, spyware, rootkits, etc. The existence of malware on a P2P network is actually an attack on that network. The malware is introduced by unscrupulous individuals or groups seeking to influence the network and its users/clients for nefarious purposes. The fact that using a P2P network can open your computer to malware is no different than using any other Internet resource, except that tracing the source of the malware is extremely difficult, if not impossible. The reason so many people get malware on their computers using P2P networks is more likely due to their own ignorance and lack of protections.

Use Better Protections With P2P

Many legitimate software are now linked directly or vicariously to P2P networks. So, instead of exhorting you to avoid P2P networks, we shall endeavour to provide some tips and advice to help you to be better protected. We are also providing links to legal sites where media software and material can be obtained at minimal cost. Legal and above board transactions are least likely to get you infected with malware. According to Consumer Reports magazine published in September, 2006 an average cost of a single malware infection is $100 USD and up. Think about it. The means to access and acquire legally obtained, copyrighted material is far less expensive.

Primary Resources for Online Protection

Below is a list of the techniques you can use to shore up your Windows against hackers and malware. The first thing you need to do is adjust your Windows operating system (OS) to make it more secure, and resistant to infection. Since the vast majority of people online are using Windows XP (me too), we will tackle that first.

Adjusting Windows XP Home and Pro for Better Security

Since this subject can be unnecessarily detailed and lengthy, we are applying the KISS principle here--Keep It Simple and Straightforwards. Differences exist between XP Home and Pro. We will note those as we go.

Disable Simple File Sharing

Simple File Sharing is enabled by default on Windows XP Home and on XP Pro when the computer is not part of a domain. (Domain stands for Distributed Operating Multi Access Interactive Network, and refers to computers using hostnames with a common suffix.) In other words, Simple File Sharing is enabled by default on standalone computers.

With Simple File Sharing enabled, you cannot decide who nor how many people share your files and folders when you have set them for sharing. It's a good idea to turn it off, especially when you use P2P.

You can disable it by:

1. Click Start > My Computer.

2. On the Tools menu, click Folder Options, then click the View tab.

3. In the Advanced Settings section, remove the checkmark beside the Use simple file sharing (Recommended) box.

4. Click OK.

To share files and folders with other users:

1. Click Start > My Computer, and then locate the folder or drive that you want to share.

2. Right-click the folder or drive, then select Sharing and Security from the context menu.

3. On the Sharing tab, click Share this folder.

4. If you like, you can create a Share-Name for the shared folder or drive. Type a new name in the Share Name box. People who access this share folder or drive will see this name, while the original name remains for you.

5. You can add a comment about the shared folder or drive by typing text in the Comment box.

6. To determine the number of people who can share at the same time, click Allow under User Limit, and enter the number of users.

7. Click Permissions to change how users are allowed to share with you.

Turn Off or Strengthen the Guest Account

The Guest Account is a huge haven for hackers. In XP Pro you can disable it completely by:

1. Clicking Start > Control Panel > User Accounts.

2. Set the Guest Account to Off.

In XP Home, you cannot turn off the Guest Account but you can put a strong multiple character password on it. Use dictionary words if you want, but mix different characters into them.

Example: I@Mh@v1nG!0+s0FfuN (based on Iamhavinglotsoffun) is a strong password.

Play with it. You'll become a password pro in no time. While we are on the subject of passwords, get yourself a good password protection program:

Password Vault

This will keep your passwords safely encrypted for whenever you need them. Plenty of free and pay versions exist out there. Get one you like and use it.

Put Passwords on All Accounts. Start > Control Panel > User Accounts. (You need to do this from an Administrator account.) Make sure everyone has their own password protection program too.

Use Administrator Accounts sparingly online. It's preferable to do common surfing with a Limited-User Account.

Most malware will use the permissions available in the account you're using in order to load onto your computer. If you are using an account with limited permissions, then the malware will be limited too. Of course there are sophisticated malware which can make their own permissions, but these are pretty rare.

Make regular backups of all your important files. Once a week, I save everything in my "Documents and Settings" folder and burn it to a CD. If you don't make backups and the worst scenario happens to you, you can kiss your files goodbye. You will have to start all over again. That can be pretty awful if the files are important, and expensive if they are part of your work.

Do regular, full system scans to ensure that your computer is clean. Do them at least once a week.

1. Set a fresh System Restore point just in case you need to undo any deletions.

2. Do full scans with each of your anti-malware applications.

3. If indications appear to be clean, backup your important folders.

4. Do a full defragment of the system.

5. Set another fresh Restore point to establish that this is when your system is clean.

For the rest of your security, you will need a few applications. Some experts are advocating the use of all-in-one applications. In my opinion, these tend to be weak in each of the areas they cover. It's preferable from a security standpoint to get the best and strongest protection you can afford for each important area that these applications cover, instead of taking a shortcut with an all-in-one and ending up infected.

You need FAVASATARK: F=Firewall, AV=AntiVirus, AS=AntiSpyware, AT=Anti-Trojan, ARK=Anti-Rootkit applications to be safer and more secure online, especially if you use P2P regularly.

To do FAVASAT please review the following CastleCops Wiki Article:

Roll Your Own Free Security Suite

To add the ARK to your list of protections, a number of anti-rootkit applications are now being created. Most of these are still being tested and tweaked. To learn more about Rootkits please go to the

CastleCops Rootkit Revelations Forum

You will need a Rootkit Expert or Responder to review your ARK Logs for you. Rootkits are the most fiendish malware ever devised, and extremely complicated. Do not attempt to remove anything listed in the Log without expert advice. Some commercial applications claim to be able to remove rootkits safely, but it's still an iffy process. Rootkits can be deeply enmeshed in the operating system. If rootkits are improperly removed, it can cripple or destroy it. Important to be cautious.

The best way to stop rootkits, is prevention. Rootkits need another trojan or form of malware to load into your computer. If you take good care of your FAVASAT protections you will likely never get any.