Posted on 12/21/2004 2:39:48 AM PST by goldstategop
Anti-scumware Bump!
Heh ... just fired up my two anti spy ware programs for the first time in a month. And it's definitely true that one should use at least two programs ...... They don't pick up the same spy ware and crap ware.
thanks
Anti virus programs come first for me. Spy ware can endanger your security but for the most part it's just a dang nuisance and intrusion into "my space".
I agree wholeheartedly with the suggestion to switch to Mozilla Firefox. Two months ago my 70 year old father called me because his 'internet was gone'. After two days of trying I ended reinstalling windows xp on his machine. I then installed Firefox, removed access to IE, and he has been in fine shape since.
Personally, I switched to the Macintosh platform last spring, and have no intention of going back to Windows if at all possible!
Don't forget to download JavaCool Software's Spywareblaster. It keeps the nasties from ever installing on your computer by setting killbits in the Registry that prevent them from running if they do somehow get on your computer.
IMHO this issue is why windoze is what it is...a leaky program designed to surreptitiously aid and abet the marketing industry.
Another good reason to switch to a Macintosh.
Work on your work, not your computer.
: )
You need a good anti-Trojan scanner as well as anti-intrusion software like Prevx or Pivx's Qwik Fix. Then get a HOSTS file that blocks malware sites from loading and make it read-only so it can't be changed by scumware hickjackers.
In my wife's case there was so much spyware that it prevented the anti-virus program from running. You really need both.
Good third party security software does what Windows ought to have done in the first place - make Internet browsing safe.
Her daughter came over and we finally got the anti-spyware to run and there were thousands of files infected with spyware.
An anti-virus program (such as Norton Anti-Virus) is good at locating viruses and worms. Its not too good at detecting syware, trojans and keyloggers. That's where a good anti-Trojan scanner like Ewido Security Suite comes into play. Its picks up stuff an anti-virus scanner misses. So you need both. Then you need a good firewall (Norton Personal Firewall) to stealth your ports on the Internet. Then there's a spyware prevention software like Spywareblaster to prevent drive by installations of rogue software behind your back and spyware scanners like Ad-Aware and Spybot Search& Destroy to detect and remove installed spyware programs. For the ultimate in peace of mind, anti-intrusion software like Prevx or Pivx's Qwik Fix, shuts down potential Windows vulnerabilities that hackers and scumware pushers use as avenues of attack. Having as many tools in your Windows security kit will keep you from having the nightmare of others taking over your computer for less than benign purposes.
my point though is that when superficially things don't make sense....i.e. why "can't" bill Gates build a tight OS ...is that, IMHO, by following the money trail, I would speculate MS receives some type of kickback somewhere, from the marketing industry, for allowing them to access info re what people are using their boxes for....
You could have saved a lot of labor with CoolWeb Shredder. http://www.intermute.com
Tell me about it! A friend of mine brought her laptop to me and I worked on it three days before getting out all the viruses and malware. Stinger found three worms, AVG found one virus and Ad-Aware found 130 incidents of Malware. Her original complaint was that when she got online a box would pop up and shut her down in 60 seconds. Ok, sounded like Blaster, Sasser or one of the variants. I turned off System Restore and ran both fixes in safe mode and they didn't find anything. I ran a DOS scanner and it didn't find anything. I finally downloaded Ad-Aware and it found 130 incidents. I traced the problem to two programs and uninstalled them. Ran it again and found 84 incidents of Malware so I removed them. Installed a program called SpywareBlaster for future prevention and one called CWShredder and ran them. I hooked the laptop to my LAN and went online to Windows Update. She needed 56 critical updates. I didn't have any trouble getting them and haven't had anymore shutdowns so it appears that the problem is gone. Did I tell you that this girl is so computer illiterate that she has never updated her virus scanner that I put in there when I set up the system, never goes to Windows Update site and doesn't know what "reboot" or "desktop" means? She and I are going to have a very long talk when she picks this laptop up. I don't mind helping but there will be no more jobs like this done for free because of stupidity. She also has a 19-year old son that installed a program called Soap Internet Washer. It was causing problems so I asked her about it. She asked what it was and I told her that a lot of people use it to cover their tracks if they go on porn sites. She said to remove it because she didn't put it there but "he wouldn't do something like that". Yeah right!
I run Symantic Anti-virus and Ad-aware Anti-Spyware programs. They both work good.
Read the EULA. If you don't know what the software's going to be doing - don't install it! 'Nuff said.
Pay a couple of extra dollars and have updates downloaded and installed automatically. And with Windows Update, keep automatic updates turned ON. There, its not so hard to protect a computer!
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