Maybe OT: Protection for Studio Computer

[BbAltered]

I have searched the forum results on this topic but found nothing.

 

I only recently got my studio computer online (after finally getting a wireless router).

 

The studio computer is a PC running Win 7; I use Firefox as the browser. Because the studio computer was never online, I did not put antivirus/firewall/malware software on it. And now I need to.

 

What are others using to protect their computers?

 

I use the shareware version of AVG antivirus for my home computer. And it works fine: the home computer is free of bad stuff, and the AVG stuff doesn't hamper the computer performance in objectionable ways. I tried putting AVG on the studio computer, but the AVG software would not let me remove it from the launching at start-up, and it would always display ads and such at start-up, slowing the start-up process. So I removed it. Currently Win Defender is the only protection the computer has, and I avoid doing any downloading of anything right now.

 

In a perfect world, the protection I seek would be no- or lo-cost, have minimal impact on the computer's performance, and protect the computer from virus and other malicious software.

 

Recommendations?

[Sven Golly]

In a perfect world, the protection I seek would be no- or lo-cost, have minimal impact on the computer's performance, and protect the computer from virus and other malicious software.

 

Recommendations?

 

Yes. Get it offline.

[The Real MC]

In a perfect world, the protection I seek would be no- or lo-cost, have minimal impact on the computer's performance, and protect the computer from virus and other malicious software.

 

Recommendations?

 

Yes. Get it offline.

 

Get it offline. One of my cardinal rules for studio computers.

 

No amount of firewalls or anti-virus software will protect it.

 

I got tired of "drive-by downloads" of malware when I surf an infected website.

 

I'm all Mac now, but I still won't allow the studio Mac computer online.

[timwat]

+2.

 

Get it offline.

 

The only way to fully guarantee IT security is complete online abstinence.

 

As I keep saying in so many threads, it's a lot like dating models.

[Polychrest]

Of course Just say no worksif you never have to go online to authorize or download recording software, or update hardware drivers, or upload song files to collaborators, or access your DAWs help site from within a program, orin pathetic moments of weaknesscruise Keyboard Corner in the middle of a failing session for advice on a good Wurlie VST.

 

If you absolutely must enter the interwebs with your studio computer, make sure youre doing it through a robust router with regular firmware updates. Back up your entire system with an imaging program like Acronis before you beginand dont connect the drive upon which you store your backup image to your computer except during updates. As for an AV program, ESET is very effective while being light on CPU usage.

[BbAltered]

Thanks for the thoughts.

 

For decades now I have adhered to the "get it offline" philosophy, and kept the computer offline (even as readers at other forums would ask me "why not have your studio computer online? I do and there is never a problem.").

 

I have been motivated to get my studio computer online because more and more, music software companies require the user to be online: Addictive Drums now require the user to have the computer online to use the software (I stopped using that otherwise solid decent program when they did that); a lot of music software is available as an online download, and the vendors make the buyer pay extra for a version that is not downloaded (on a DVD for example); many music software companies now require users to have an accounting app to download, verify and authenticate the software, and/or to update the software; the Help files for my DAW of choice is now available only online; etc.

 

Clearly, the best protection is to keep the studio computer offline, but that is getting harder and harder to do. It seems a daunting hurdle to donwload the 60+ gbs of Komplete 12 to my home computer and manually transfer it (by DVD or thumbdrive) to the studio computer. Or pay an extra $100 to get the files on DVD. And that requirement to be offline limits to certain extent my software choices (comment above about Addictive Drums).

 

So I take seriously the suggestions to stay offline. That would actually be my preference.

 

So maybe the question should be: how do I do necessary tasks like re-install a program, upgrade a program, verify/authenticate my ownership of the software, purchase a new large (many gBs) program, access needed help files, etc. on a computer that is offline?

[The Real MC]

I have been motivated to get my studio computer online because more and more, music software companies require the user to be online

 

Deal killer for me. I refuse to install software that is subscription based or has to phone home.

 

Clearly, the best protection is to keep the studio computer offline, but that is getting harder and harder to do.

 

Provide feedback to the company explaining your absolute rule of keeping your music computer offline and that is not negotiable.

 

It seems a daunting hurdle to donwload the 60+ gbs of Komplete 12 to my home computer and manually transfer it (by DVD or thumbdrive) to the studio computer.

 

Buy a USB 3.0 SSD external drive, use that to transfer between music computer and computer that is online. USB 3.0 is a lot faster than USB 2.0. Probably cheaper than paying $100 to have any software on DVD.

 

So maybe the question should be: how do I do necessary tasks like re-install a program, upgrade a program,

 

This isn't much help for Windows, but as a Mac user I purchase apps through Apple's AppStore (IE Logic Pro). If I had to recover my computer, re-install is easy as AppStore remembers my computer via my login.

 

On my online system, AppStore alerts me when an upgrade is available. So that would the rare exception that I put the music computer online but I plan on sticking to my current configuration with as few upgrades as possible.

 

verify/authenticate my ownership of the software

 

For myself, deal killer. Not negotiable.

 

purchase a new large (many gBs) program

 

USB 3.0 SSD external drive

 

access needed help files

 

Contact the software house for a PDF of the help system. Then you have a local copy you can access without being online.

 

This is where Logic Pro 10 bites... they don't offer a PDF of the help system. I still refuse to leave my music computer online, so I accessed the help system on my online computer and printed out the sections I would most likely access frequently.

[3rdAct]

I had kept my Mac offline for several years, but ultimately decided to connect it to the cruel web-world. The thing is, sometimes I really needed to go online - for example, to get a new useful program update, or to get new sounds for my Nord, etc. Or sometimes someone would send me an mp3 file with a song via email and I had to use an email app, or I wanted to play along to a YouTube video to learn a song. At first I tried only going online occasionally, but then most of the software - especially the OS - had not been updated, so I wouldn't have received any of the patches intended to fix any vulnerabilities, thus leaving the computer more vulnerable. Eventually I gave up and just left the computer online, and I continue to install all the updates, practice safe surfing - and back up every one of my own files!

[BbAltered]

Thank you MC for your helpful do-able solutions and suggestions. Good stuff.

 

Currently, I have no software on the studio computer that does not allow offline verification/authentication. Software companies have made this process more and more difficult over time, while others offer only online verification/authentication. I fear in the not-too-distant future, some mission-critical software I use will become online only verification/authentication.

 

When Addictive Drums required an online computer to run the software, I had a detailed discussion with a company rep. about why I would no longer be using their software. Despite my negative feedback, they were unmoved and that is their policy today.

 

For we Windows users, there is no central place like the Apple Store. What we get instead is each vendor telling us to download their app to keep track of that vendor's software - which of course means being online (grrrrrr).

[Mighty Ferguson]

I agree that keeping a music computer offline all the time is getting more and more prohibitive. However, the threat landscape for a computer is generally the same whether or not it's a music computer. Sure, you may do less casual web browsing, etc., on a music computer, but you shouldn't browse recklessly on a non-music computer either.

 

But I will stipulate the fact that your Win7 computer should not go online, BbAltered. The reason being, Windows 7 has been out of support from Microsoft since 2015. It's not getting security updates, and is not safe to use online. That's regardless of it being a music computer or not.

[Markyboard]

In a perfect world, the protection I seek would be no- or lo-cost, have minimal impact on the computer's performance, and protect the computer from virus and other malicious software.

 

I must be living in a perfect world.

 

Win 10, AVAST, Firefox, Reaper with 15 or so paid for VSTs, iLock, RME driver/support software, EClaro Driver, M-audio driver, Kurzweil driver, ITunes, MS Office 2016, Adobe Reader, Midi-OX, and maybe a few other things of this nature. No subscriptions, not a gamer and I don't surf "interesting" sites.

 

I keep this stuff updated, back my stuff up fairly regularly and if need be will reformat my drive and reload everything- mostly from the web. I keep a word doc on my iPad that helps me through this, ie. where stuff is and notes for tricky stuff.

 

Never had a virus and don't care what AVAST tries to scare me with - never a problem.

[burningbusch]

In a perfect world, the protection I seek would be no- or lo-cost, have minimal impact on the computer's performance, and protect the computer from virus and other malicious software.

 

I must be living in a perfect world.

 

Win 10, AVAST, Firefox, Reaper with 15 or so paid for VSTs, iLock, RME driver/support software, EClaro Driver, M-audio driver, Kurzweil driver, ITunes, MS Office 2016, Adobe Reader, Midi-OX, and maybe a few other things of this nature. No subscriptions, not a gamer and I don't surf "interesting" sites.

 

I keep this stuff updated, back my stuff up fairly regularly and if need be will reformat my drive and reload everything- mostly from the web. I keep a word doc on my iPad that helps me through this, ie. where stuff is and notes for tricky stuff.

 

Never had a virus and don't care what AVAST tries to scare me with - never a problem.

 

1+

 

Similar setup. My system and website are scanned regularly. If I create something for distribution, I manually scan it as well. I think this is a better approach than relying on reputation alone.

 

Busch.

[Mighty Motif Max]

Malwarebytes if they have a version that works with Windows 7. Works great.

[ITGITC]

 

As I keep saying in so many threads, it's a lot like dating models.

 

 

OK. I came for the protection, but I'm staying so I can learn more about what you have to say on the topic of dating models.

 

Tom

 

PS... I've seen the pictures!

 

 

[burningbusch]

 

For we Windows users, there is no central place like the Apple Store. What we get instead is each vendor telling us to download their app to keep track of that vendor's software - which of course means being online (grrrrrr).

 

Outside of Apple, no major music vendors use the OSX Apple Store. Why pay Apple 30% for no good reason. I hate the Apple OSX store and it's largely a ghost ship. No trials. No upgrades. Also, Apple pushes everything to the very latest OS versions which only run on the latest hardware. For example, the current version of Logic Pro only runs on 10.12+, which makes it incompatible with any OS older than two years if you can believe it. I own a lot of music software and all support earlier versions of OSX and all support Windows to at least Windows 7 which is going on ten years.

 

The major software vendors offer superior stores and licensing, including trials, upgrades, and special offers.

 

Busch.

[Markay]

Here is what I do with my gig machine. Apple, but same could apply for Windows. Disable wifi and only connect to your home network via ethernet. That way it only gets online when you plug it in.

 

Don't open emails for the first time on the machine. Open them first on a machine that has AV installed. Only visit websites you know are trusted and after you have clicked on them first on another machine and know the site is clean. Genuine sites can get malaware loaded on them without the owners knowledge.

 

Back up regularly and as suggested above disconnect the backup drive once done.

 

I would suggest a paid AV that you can turn off when not online. On Windows I use Trend Micro as I can log in as administrator and turn it off.

 

Have a very strong admin password and make sure RDP is disabled.

 

[Reezekeys]

On my laptop I partitioned my internal drive. One partition is for my everyday semi-normal life of being online, doing email, web, messaging, and all the other time-sinks our modern life can offer with eyes glued to a screen. My other partition is "gigging music software" only. I usually leave wifi off but I do occasionally have to update a driver or download a newer version of some software, so I turn it on, fire up a browser, do what I need then get off. So far so good.