OT - Ugly but it can happen to anyone

[oftheherd]

I try to practice safe computing more than most. I know what virus, spyware, and adware attacks can do to reduce your computing enjoyment. I use Norton, Spy Sweeper, and StopZilla. My XP firewall is up and Verizon promises they have a firewall on their DSL (?) I also watch where I go on the web. If I think a site may be questionable and I need to go there, I do it at work where we have an even better firewall. At home or work, I delete unopened any questionable emails.

The last few days I have noticed an unusual amount of disk activity. That worried me. Yesterday, when I took my laptop out of hibernation, I walked away and returned to find find it shutting down and restarting. Spy Sweeper notified me something was inhibiting it from opening. It is supposed to flag anythng new and request permission for it to stay on the computer.

Shortly StopZilla came up and told me it had detected the Cool Web Search virus, and did I want it removed. Hmmm, let me think about that for a while... GET IT OUT NOW!!!

I am curious about how I got that little nasty, one of those virus packages that just won't go away, and seems to get updated periodically. As I get the chance over the next few days I will do some other checks, for keyloggers, root kits, and the other usual suspects. I will post if I find them. But I am a little miffed to say the least. I also need to check my daughters computer. She recently sent me an email with a file she wanted to print out. She doesn't have a printer in her room.

I am very curious how it got around Norton and Spy Sweeper. Norton is due for a renewal this month and I wonder if it is worth it. Spy Sweeper didn't do its job, but at least started an aberrant behavior as a warning. And who knew StopZilla had morphed into a good anti-virus software. I got that to stop the annoying popups when I was experimenting with AOL a couple of years or so ago. They offered lifetime use for double the yearly amount and I jumped. Lucky me. In fact they recently did an upgrade of the software along with the usual definitions update.

Compuserve which I normally use, never let in the amount of popups that AOL used to. I think they have finally seen the light too. But I had paid so I just kept up the StopZilla. Now I can recommend it for antivirus.

Anyway, not to keep ranting, just a reminder. This can happen to anyone. Stay safe out there. Check periodically as well as keeping antivirus definitions up to date. Watch your computer for unusual activity. Run your antivirus check scans at least once a week even it they are susposed to be automatic. Run things like the Root Kit Revealer, Cool Web Search (which I had stopped as I never say it) remover, etc. I may still wipe my drive and start over.

I sometimes wish I could be locked in a room with a virus writer. I am not a violent person, and don't beleive in law breaking. But I would like for a while to convince the virus writer that wasn't true. sigh.

 

[P C Headland]

AVG is pretty good for anti virus and is free. I've had too many bad experiences (on other people's machines) with Norton to ever be comfortable with it.

I'd recommend, if you're not already, to use either Opera or Firefox as your web browser. Both are free, both stop pop-ups. They're not immune to attack, but they are far less likely to be a conduit for infection.

Another good product, albeit a little complex maybe to configure at first, is Privoxy (add blocker, also filters out many nasties, etc.)

 

[oftheherd]

I've seen lots of recommendations for Opera and Firefox. I use Compuserve as my browser. It is quite good also. It isn't such a popular browser and it isn't attacted much I guess. I have had compuserve for almost 20 years. Back when they were the 800 pound gorilla of the internet. There was not yea a www. But anything that will cut down of chances of infection is good. I will look at AVG (which I have heard of) and Privoxy (which I haven't). I am always looking for good things for myself or to recommend to others.

Thanks.

 

[Pablito]

I've seen lots of recommendations for Opera and Firefox. I use Compuserve as my browser. It is quite good also. It isn't such a popular browser and it isn't attacted much I guess. I have had compuserve for almost 20 years. Back when they were the 800 pound gorilla of the internet. There was not yea a www. But anything that will cut down of chances of infection is good. I will look at AVG (which I have heard of) and Privoxy (which I haven't). I am always looking for good things for myself or to recommend to others.

Thanks.

"Anything that will cut down chances of infection is good".....Try a Mac! All those evil bugs are virtually non-existant.

 

[wlewisiii]

Any unix or unix based os (Solaris, Mac OS X, Linux, FreeBSD, NetBSD, OpenBSD, etc) will reduce the risk from these types of infection. There are other security risks in unix-land so you won't be getting away completely free, but a bit of common sense will take care of most of that.

I realize that for some/many people, due to legacy hardware or software or work related issues, this isn't a option. But any of those options will greatly improve your home productivity, IME & all that.

William

 

[kmack]

William has a very good point.
Some unpatched NT systems can get viruses from jpeg images. At work I have moved from a Linux system to Solaris 10. At home I still use a Mac. I have too much to do to play catchup with hackers. There are more of them than there are of me, and a some of them are smarter than me.

To use an old movie line: "the only way to win is not play the game."

 

[colyn]

I'm using Panda Titanium 2006 + antispyware. I also use a router firewall and to date have had no problems.

 

[gustav[] pEña]

I've been using MAC for 10 years now. I never had an AntiVirus and I never got "inefected"

Buy a mac. For get about virus. besides pc are uglier and I dont even now hot to use it. I found then very complecate it.

Mac is as simple as a leica M.


gustav[] pEña

 

[payasam]

I agree entirely with PCH about AVG, Firefox and Opera. In addition, I use the free command line version of F-Prot to scan files which come in by any route and are saved. I have not suffered a virus infection since I got a PC-XT in 1992. AVG prompts you for quite frequent and quick updates, while I set reminders to get fresh data files for F-Prot. My Linux partition too (Mandrake/Mandriva) has been healthy for the four years of its existence.

 

[oftheherd]

I'm using Panda Titanium 2006 + antispyware. I also use a router firewall and to date have had no problems.

Right after I got my first PC (1992), I copied some DOS files I was missing, from a computer at the shop I bought it. ZAP!!! Haven't had a virus since then, until now. Another reason I am miffed. I thought I was staying ahead of the sorry so and so's.

I have tried the latest Root Kit Revealer (I have had two different versions, but never tried it because I didn't need it). It keeps hanging up. I will first check the site for updates or bugs, but I guess it is back to the old standby of dumping two different sets of files and looking through Windiff. I also have a Cool Web Search remover to try. Nothing to loose now. But, I am thinking more and more about format and reinstall. Haven't had to do that since the days of Win 95 and early Win 98. I keep curports on my computer at work, looks like I will have to put in on my labtop too.

Oh well, I guess if life was too easy I would be left with nothing to do but take photographs. sigh.

 

[ErnestoJL]

I´m using AVG and Spybot.
Till today, my PC is (aparently) virus free.

Don´t want to buy a Mac. Quite expensive.

Ernesto

 

[JOE1951]

I've been using MAC for 10 years now. I never had an AntiVirus and I never got "inefected"

Buy a mac. For get about virus. besides pc are uglier and I dont even now hot to use it. I found then very complecate it.

Mac is as simple as a leica M.


gustav[] pEña

First off, I'm not trying to start a computer flame war but be careful dude... I've sat in front of Macs for 15 years, along side PC's (lots of DOS and many permutations of Window, and a lot of UNIX/Linux)

I've seen profoundly stupid things done by supposedly intelligent people on Macs that were supposedly "easy to use" that caused misery to alot of people. In my experience PC's are no better or worse.

For the most part, its the user, not the computer, that usually screws things up.

I'm not implying that oftheherd screwed up, in fact he appears to have taken reasonable precautions, but sometimes unfortunate things happen to the best prepared!

Making statements like yours is only going to make you look silly someday, and sticking your head in Apple's behind will not make the problem of internet security go away!

For the record, this computer uses AVG, Firefox, SpywareBlaster and Ad-aware SE personal, all free, I've never had a problem...yet... barring my own stupidity!

 

[Socke]

Windows was designed to be easy to use and security was a second thought at best. One example is that Windows XP Home setup creates one useraccount with the highest possible rights. You need those rights to install all kinds of software, including the ActiveX controls for IE which are one of the biggest security risks.

Nobody I know wants to live with a secure but limited account, I've had a lot of fights with people in higher postitions in their department than I had in IT because of that.

On the other hand, try a realy secure OS like OpenBSD, you'll be disgusted from a users point of view, it's allways a tradeoff between security and usability and you have to make a decision how much risk you want to take.

 

[OldNick]

Even good intentions can get you in trouble. I recently updated my internet protection by subscribing to Norton's 2006 product. It encourages one to use Microsoft Update in automatic mode. As many of you know, Update will not work with Firefox. A few nights ago, when I shut the system down, it suggested I let Update install the latest ten updates from Microsoft. At the end of the first download, it encountered a problem and terminated. Each time I restarted the machine, the same thing occurred. After sleeping on the problem, the next morning I disconnected my modem, started Windows, and disabled Automatic Update. I then downloaded and installed the ten updates. Now I do updates when I want them, usually once a week, and all is fine except that Norton continually tells me that I need to reenable Automatic Update.

I will let well enough alone.

Jim N.

 

[oftheherd]

...

you'll be disgusted from a users point of view, it's allways a tradeoff between security and usability and you have to make a decision how much risk you want to take.

That's it for sure. My actual work is in physical security, but I am a wannabe in computer forensics, and therefore also a wannabe in security. Unlike some in my field, my policy is to report everything I see that is a security problem. It isn't my job to make the decisions as to what can be funded or not. That is a manager's job once he knows what the problems are.

Even so, it is always a fight between what is most secure, and what is convenient. The same with computer security. I can spend all my time trying to be secure (therefore little time doing what I need/want to do), or do what seems reasonable and hope I don't get hit.

And the only reson MAC's aren't hit is there aren't yet enough of them to make it worth while to virus writers. You MAC (or other OS) users convince enough people to switch, and you will suddenly find yourself in the same boat we PC users are in.

 

[Al Patterson]

My McAfee problem...

My McAfee problem...

As a 20 year plus computer owner and former Computer Security professional, I've always had firewalls, spy ware blockers, and virus checkers. Recently, I spent two days diagnosing a problem caused by an out-of-date DLL for mcAfee.

Once I fixed that, the virus check ran clean. I was convinced I had a virus though.

 

[Ash]

Get a mac behind a firewalled broadband router!! no problems here touch wood

 

[sf]

I use a hardware firewall, Etrust Anti Virus, and teatimer.

Then I scan with Spybot Search and Destroy.

Teatimer is a tool that monitors apps that aren't cleared to run on the machine, and it watches my internet activity. If anything tries to use my connection without my permission, it is killed.

SPyware can get in through instant messenger services, as package deals when you download things, opening emails, following bad links online. . .a billion ways.

 

[matt fury]

And the only reson MAC's aren't hit is there aren't yet enough of them to make it worth while to virus writers. You MAC (or other OS) users convince enough people to switch, and you will suddenly find yourself in the same boat we PC users are in.

That's a prevailing argument, and it's not entirely true. Due to differences at the core level of the operating system and the architecture, OS X is not succeptible to virus/spyware in the ways that Windows are. That's not to say that they're immune to problems, but for example, you'll never get a virus by reading an email on a Mac. If Mac's had the market share of Windows, you'd have issues, but not nearly on the level that we have today. On terms of security BSD > Windows. By far.

 

[oftheherd]

That's a prevailing argument, and it's not entirely true. Due to differences at the core level of the operating system and the architecture, OS X is not succeptible to virus/spyware in the ways that Windows are. That's not to say that they're immune to problems, but for example, you'll never get a virus by reading an email on a Mac. If Mac's had the market share of Windows, you'd have issues, but not nearly on the level that we have today. On terms of security BSD > Windows. By far.

I think you are probably correct, just based in its Unix roots. But there are always holes and people willing to look for them and exploit them. And as to your last sentence, sheesh, what isn't? 😀