Discussion System security paranoia is killing my enjoyment of computers

[vlad-kzm]

So guys, this might be more of a mental thing but I would like to talk about it with some other people who are into this stuff, because it might make me feel better.

I am a student of network administration and have a vocational degree in computer science. You would think having some knowledge about all this would make it easier. But instead I'm just stuck in a place where I know how easy you can catch something and be unaware, but I don't know enough to see if it's actually affecting me or what to do about it. And it's just destroying my enjoyment of the internet and computers on a personal level, because I see potential danger everywhere.

As an example, the other day I downloaded HWInfo for some temperature monitoring. Well the website had some questionable ads in it (related to drivers and whatever) and it left me feeling anxious. What if this ad tries to exploit a vulnerability in my system? What if now I have spyware or am part of a botnet?

Another example is videogame mods, which I used to enjoy when I was younger. But now I think, who knows what the mod creator put in those files? Or god forbid if it's an installer, then this person could do whatever they want with my system..

So yeah, I'm just stuck in this mindset and don't know how to get out. Antivirus I just use Windows Defender for performance & simplicity. I don't know if a different antivirus would benefit me though. I try not to install too much stuff because I use my system for audio engineering & gaming and I do my best not to have too much stuff running in the background.

Any thoughts?

 

[punkncat]

Keep good backups. Invest in a good AV solution. Surf smart, as that is the best method of protection. Use 2FA (etc.) on any important site (like bill pay, email, and so on). Use complex passwords when necessary.

No reason to be so anxious. If you have backups, all it really means is that if you do have an issue the next couple of hours might get used for a wipe and new install. No big deal at all.

 

[Lafong]

Medication....anti-anxiety stuff?

Distractions in general....fewer hours at the keyboard.

More hours outdoors.

Lower exposure to all forms of social media.

All but the first may be all but impossible, depending on your nature.

 

[kanewolf]

Keep good backups. Invest in a good AV solution. Surf smart, as that is the best method of protection. Use 2FA (etc.) on any important site (like bill pay, email, and so on). Use complex passwords when necessary.

No reason to be so anxious. If you have backups, all it really means is that if you do have an issue the next couple of hours might get used for a wipe and new install. No big deal at all.

Those backups should include an off-site and/or off-line backup. That way even a ransomware virus can't get to your backups.

 

[Deleted member 2838871]

Any thoughts?

Seek professional help. Psychiatric.

I'm 100% serious.

I'm on anxiety pills... but has nothing to do with computers.

 

[vlad-kzm]

Seek professional help. Psychiatric.

I'm 100% serious.

That seems a bit extreme. (Although what I wrote may been seen as a bit extreme too). Why do you think so? I think this is one of those things you could make better by talking to someone. I say this because I have no one to talk computers with because my friends aren't into this, and all this stuff has been bottling up inside. I feel like before it was simpler, I was taught that if you didn't execute something sketchy you were pretty much safe. But now I'm reading more scary stuff. I only have this problem with computers, it doesn't seem to affect other aspects in life.

Besides, I'm terrified of psych medication. IRL everyone seems to advise against it unless you have a really big problem.

 

[Deleted member 2947362]

So yeah, I'm just stuck in this mindset and don't know how to get out. Antivirus I just use Windows Defender for performance & simplicity. I don't know if a different antivirus would benefit me though. I try not to install too much stuff because I use my system for audio engineering & gaming and I do my best not to have too much stuff running in the background.

Any thoughts?

Get a half decent anti virus with good firewall follow all the standard practices of PC security don't download from links other people supply without being highly cautious including links from subject's in forums and websites.

Not much else you can do a part from don't over think in to it.

If your that worried have a laptop or another PC with all your important stuff on and don't share the email address with anyone apart from with the important things/business like bank and what ever it's used for and dont use it for anything else like social media etc use strictly for important things.

Take it off line when it not in use turn it off and unplug it.
Make sure it running Virus software and Firewall and O/S that's fully updated every time before using.

Have a different PC to mess around on the internet like social media gaming and all the fun stuff you want to do with different email address with no important things like bank details etc linked to it.

And if your really that concerned dump the Smart phone that's most likely the biggest personal security threat you and everyone else will have.

 

[Lafong]

I think this is one of those things you could make better by talking to someone. I say this because I have no one to talk computers,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,But now I'm reading more scary stuff...........................Besides, I'm terrified of psych medication. IRL everyone seems to advise against it unless you have a really big problem.

If you are at all introspective, I'd expect you've been engaged in an inner dialogue with yourself about this, to little avail. Therefore, I'd be skeptical about "talking to someone" when you've already told yourself what this other person is saying.

There are many degrees of medication far short of anti-psychotics.

If you have any interests in this world that do not involve technology in general and computing in particular, get on it.

Work on your tan.

 

[Deleted member 2838871]

That seems a bit extreme. (Although what I wrote may been seen as a bit extreme too)

Yep.

Nothing wrong with getting some help. I was having anxiety issues related to work and my family care doctor hooked me up... daily pill... anxiety gone.

Paranoia about you PC security would be what I consider to be extreme.

At any rate, good luck finding a solution.

 

[Math Geek]

I'm in the same boat. Got degree, got some certs and now I know enough to "see" all the pitfalls of the web. Not paranoid but I am aware of how intrusive much of the web is.

I don't go crazy but I do take some steps to preserve some security and privacy. For instance I refuse to use won 10/11 due to the massive data mining it does. Also have a pie hole at home to filter a ton of web nasties I want to avoid. Personal VPN that routes my phone traffic through my house and same pie hole to slow down google data mining.

Use the knowledge to be a bit safer but don't let it destroy the fun. Good backups helps me sleep at night. I also like to do a special windows install for risky behavior. Like your game mods. If they infect an os only used for gaming or other fun. Then who cares. Blow it away n start over.

Keep the work side on its own os install so it stays safer. Simple things like this keep you safer and don't really take much time to implement. No need to worry yourself to death. Just take some steps to be safer, then let the rest go.

 

[Deleted member 2947362]

I'm in the same boat. Got degree, got some certs and now I know enough to "see" all the pitfalls of the web. Not paranoid but I am aware of how intrusive much of the web is.

I don't go crazy but I do take some steps to preserve some security and privacy. For instance I refuse to use won 10/11 due to the massive data mining it does. Also have a pie hole at home to filter a ton of web nasties I want to avoid. Personal VPN that routes my phone traffic through my house and same pie hole to slow down google data mining.

Use the knowledge to be a bit safer but don't let it destroy the fun. Good backups helps me sleep at night. I also like to do a special windows install for risky behavior. Like your game mods. If they infect an os only used for gaming or other fun. Then who cares. Blow it away n start over.

Keep the work side on its own os install so it stays safer. Simple things like this keep you safer and don't really take much time to implement. No need to worry yourself to death. Just take some steps to be safer, then let the rest go.

If you use a smart phone to make payments bank transactions, social media etc phff with the amount of people that own them and use them for everything in life they are a massive target.

 

[Math Geek]

Very much so. I don't do anything important on the phone but still don't need the amazon app (preinstalled and not removable) reporting on my text messages.

That's where the knowledge is a good thing. I know what/how to block such things most of the time or can figure it out with my packet sniffing skills.

 

[Deleted member 2947362]

you will have far more knowledge than me then, I just know the basic of what possible and can only take the precautions that recommended at the basic levels

I'm just an old school bench marker from back in the day when I first found out about benchmarking after building my first home PC back in 1999 and then finding Toms hardware it was my bible of reviews of hardware they were the real good ol' days

all I cared about back then was my bag of onions was bigger than my mates with 3dmark2000 and 3dmark2001

First computer I had though was back around 1981 zx81 16kb ram pack


and back from the tangent

so yeah umm thats about it really lol

 

[BFG-9000]

Everything in life has risk, why obsess over this part specifically where the risk is much lower?

I mean why worry about computer viruses when there are real viruses? And if you think that real viruses are "natural" while manmade computer viruses are artificially created by humans, I have to point out that both Bill Gates and Fauci at the NIH funded the Wuhan Virology Institute for many years, the latter perhaps even using your taxpayer dollars for "gain of function" research on coronavirii (they have denied it of course and claim that US money was only used for collecting wild coronavirii from bats for this lab, but gain-of-function research is specifically what this lab does).

I expect most techy people will keep a separate, clean system to do their shopping and banking on, apart from systems they will do more risky stuff with. So with a computer virus most folks will just stop using that computer until they get around to cleaning it or reinstalling, options not available for you if you catch a real virus.

You can obsess over not catching viral STDs--or use the best kind of protection available to you and hope for the best. That's much higher risk because you don't have the option of throwing out your whole body and replacing it with a newer, better version at any time.

 

[DSzymborski]

That seems a bit extreme. (Although what I wrote may been seen as a bit extreme too). Why do you think so? I think this is one of those things you could make better by talking to someone. I say this because I have no one to talk computers with because my friends aren't into this, and all this stuff has been bottling up inside. I feel like before it was simpler, I was taught that if you didn't execute something sketchy you were pretty much safe. But now I'm reading more scary stuff. I only have this problem with computers, it doesn't seem to affect other aspects in life.

Besides, I'm terrified of psych medication. IRL everyone seems to advise against it unless you have a really big problem.

I don't think this is extreme at all. Therapists are there to help people get through issues. If you have anxiety about something that affects how you're living your life, you'll almost always be happier if you talk to a professional who is trained in helping with these problems. It may be drugs, it may be some other kind of therapy, but it's usually best to deal with the underlying issues rather than treat the symptoms. Sure, we might be able to intellectually convince you that the worries aren't proportional to the risk, but if that's the mindset you've developed, that anxiety is likely to affect you in another way, sooner or later.

 

[Deleted member 2838871]

I don't think this is extreme at all. Therapists are there to help people get through issues. If you have anxiety about something that affects how you're living your life, you'll almost always be happier if you talk to a professional who is trained in helping with these problems.

Amen. I had anxiety related to work... talked to the doc... got some daily meds... life is good.

 

[SupportTech2001]

The more you know, the problems you find out about. It's like getting a tour of a food processing plant, things could be better and they should, but people are too worried about saving money to keep profits up to make things work the way they should.