WHAT GOOD IP HIDING & FIREWALL PROGRAMS ARE THERE?, Help I think I'm under attack!

I've been noticing weird behavior while surfing the internet... I'm wondering what the heck is going on. I don't know if I have a virus or if someone is deliberately trying to get into my pc. I don't want to go into a long story but I think it is someone I know.

Gosh I'm not letting my cousins use my pc anymore either. Too many people in the house are using this thing doing who knows what while I'm not here. I'm going to password protect it!

Is there a good program or way for me to hide my ip address so I can surf at ease? & also a good firewall program since all I use is the win xp firewall.

 

Re: WHAT GOOD IP HIDING & FIREWALL PROGRAMS ARE THERE?, Help I think I'm under attack

This may not be what you're looking for, but it might do the trick. Many motherboards have a password feature in the BIOS, being so basic is is pretty hard to defeat. Just enter your BIOS and look around for it, and don't loose it after the fact.

 

Re: WHAT GOOD IP HIDING & FIREWALL PROGRAMS ARE THERE?, Help I think I'm under attack

So what do I do just go in there and put a password? & what will that do for security? I need something to protect while I'm online. As for a password I'll just use winxp login if it does the same as what your suggesting.

 

Re: WHAT GOOD IP HIDING & FIREWALL PROGRAMS ARE THERE?, Help I think I'm under attack

Use a decent firewall such as Zone Alarm (which you can also get for free here

 

Re: WHAT GOOD IP HIDING & FIREWALL PROGRAMS ARE THERE?, Help I think I'm under attack

What is "weird behavior"?

 

Re: WHAT GOOD IP HIDING & FIREWALL PROGRAMS ARE THERE?, Help I think I'm under attack

You need to get into the setup, CMOS or BIOS, depending on what your computer mentions when it starts up. Watch the monitor carefully as soon as the monitor starts displaying text when the computer is first turned on. Make sure you have turned the computer off completely before doing this because not all computers give you this information when you choose Restart. What you are looking for is information about what key to press to get into setup. Common possibilities are F1, F2, F10, and Del. If you can't see it, it's possible it isn't being shown but don't despair; post details of your computer brand and model here and also motherboard and BIOS brand if possible (BIOS could be Award, AMI, Phoenix) and someone should be able to tell you how to get in.

If you get into the setup, look through the options for an option concerning setting or using a password. It's difficult to say exactly where you'll find that without knowing more about what BIOS you have but look through the headings and you'll probably guess at places it might be and places it won't be. DON'T forget the password!

You can and should set a password in XP to keep them out of the computer when you aren't there and then you can quickly enable that if you want to leave the computer. To do this, use an Administrator account and right-click on "Manage." Go to "System Tools - Local Users and Groups - Users". Right-click on any users that could do with a new password and choose Password from the list. Put in new passwords and then restart the computer and go into your profile as normal. To lock the computer when walking away you only need to press Ctrl and Alt together and keep them down while pressing Del - let go of all three keys and press Enter or K. Now the keyboard is locked and the user password must be entered to use the computer.

Concerning security; presumably you're running a pop-up blocker, anti-virus and anti-spyware. If not, you need to get those sorts of programs as well as a good firewall. Yargwel is correct in saying that Zone Alarm free is a good choice - be careful not to install it as a Pro trial if you don't intend to pay for it and intend to use the free version. I find it makes decisions for me that I disagree with and when the trial runs out it continues to do so. Another good one that people recommend is Kerio Personal. Go to the bottom of this page and follow this link to find a pop-up blocker (http://www.majorgeeks.com/downloads5.html) and the links for other things you need and get those programs downloaded and installed.

Zone Alarm has two zones which it needs to set security on. There is the Internet Zone which is everyone and everything "out there" and there is the Trusted Zone which would normally only be any other computers in the house that you are connected to or sharing things such as printers with. The firewall should be set to let you use "Stealth" mode on the internet which in Zone Alarm means being set at High for the Internet Zone and set at Medium for the Trusted Zone. Stealth mode means that the computer is hidden from people on the internet, making it very hard for them to attack you. The IP address will still be seen by websites (without them knowing your IP address, they don't know where to send the pages you ask for) and may get posted along with your message on some forums, but you're hidden from potential hackers.

It would be a good idea to visit the Malware forum and follow the sticky about what to do before asking for help and see if anything nasty gets found and removed because you've quite possibly been susceptible to attack by viruses and other nasty stuff.

Now I know there was something else I was going to say but you probably feel like you've taken in enough already so never mind for now!

But I will mention this, that you think it's someone you know trying to get in is not surprising, even if not necessarily so. I'm sure many of us know someone who's interested in that kind of behaviour!

 

Re: WHAT GOOD IP HIDING & FIREWALL PROGRAMS ARE THERE?, Help I think I'm under attack

Wow thanks for the great comments, and Chookers thanks for taking your time writing all that info for me. I greatly appreciate everyone of your efforts. I'm doing everything all of you said. I still need and ip hiding program though. The best one because I don't know any. They told me at the computer store that I need one that masks my ip. But they want to sell me one for $200 and I don't have the money to spend. I need the best free one and don't know what to choose because most reviews I find on some online sites say certain ones stink.