Worm and Virus Wars- the August Edition

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/969301/posts

Beware of Hacker and Cracker Attacks!
Vanity ^ | 8/23/2002 | Myself

Go HERE and let ShieldsUp do a scan of your ports. It will determine if you are "in stealth mode" or vulnerable.

Spyware removers:
- Spybot S&D
- AdAware
Bayden Systems Popup Popper: Blocks popup ads well in MSIE
MailWasher: Good for pre-screening & bouncing SPAM
AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition: Free anti-viral protection
Windows Update: At least install the critical ones
ZoneAlarm: Excellent Firewall
Alternative browsers:
- Mozilla
- Opera

61 posted on 07/03/2004 11:20:16 AM PDT by Captain Beyond (The Hammer of the gods! (Just a cool line from a Led Zep song))

To: Captain Beyond; VOA

Thanks for the bumps- judging by all the traffic at the SWI forum, there's a really bad outbreak of this garbage.

62 posted on 07/03/2004 11:26:29 AM PDT by backhoe

My computer had a bad dose of spyware about 6 months ago...took a couple days
to clean it up.
Now I try to stay ahead of the curve about new threats.

63 posted on 07/03/2004 11:31:04 AM PDT by VOA

Now I try to stay ahead of the curve about new threats.

What surprised me was that despite all the software installed, I also have a hardware firewall in the modem, and some crap got past that. Never had a problem since switching to DSL until the wife-unit started downloading a bunch of games for her !#$%^! pocket PC. This also started a minor tidal wave of spam... used to get one or two a week, now it's several a day. I could skin her, sometimes...

64 posted on 07/03/2004 11:37:46 AM PDT by backhoe

Anytime I can do something to make the ego-maniacal virus wussies to feel inadequate about themselves is an utmost priority. They can’t hack what they can’t see.

65 posted on 07/03/2004 11:48:42 AM PDT by Captain Beyond (The Hammer of the gods! (Just a cool line from a Led Zep song))

This also started a minor tidal wave of spam... used to get one or two a week, now it's several a day.

Speaking of which...
I listened to the KABC radio Computer/Technology Show today. One of the hosts
mainatains computers at a biz for his day job. He says that he has set "SpySweeeper" by
webroot.com to run during his lunch hours.
He says that most days it picks up at least 3-4 nasties that have been picked up in the
course of a normal workday.

"The price of freedom is eternal vigilance"...sounds rational, not extremist,
doesn't it!? Even when just talking computers.

66 posted on 07/03/2004 11:49:38 AM PDT by VOA

"The price of freedom is eternal vigilance"...sounds rational, not extremist, doesn't it!? Even when just talking computers.

Indeed, and it brings to mind another saying about the need to water the roots of the Liberty Tree with a little blood from time to time... I think these clowns who write and propagate this trash should be publicly flogged in the town square... and then fined heavily for downtime.

67 posted on 07/03/2004 11:52:57 AM PDT by backhoe

To: Captain Beyond

Anytime I can do something to make the ego-maniacal virus wussies to feel inadequate about themselves is an utmost priority. They can’t hack what they can’t see.

Good for you- this sort of stuff is so childish, quite aside from the actual damage it can cause.

68 posted on 07/03/2004 11:57:23 AM PDT by backhoe

I would add Spyware Blaster to the primary defense list. It blocks the installation of spyware. It even prevents your kids from seeing the come-ons.

69 posted on 07/03/2004 11:58:54 AM PDT by js1138 (In a minute there is time, for decisions and revisions which a minute will reverse. J Forbes Kerry)

I would add Spyware Blaster to the primary defense list. It blocks the installation of spyware.

Absolutely- I have it on both home machines.

70 posted on 07/03/2004 12:01:16 PM PDT by backhoe (Just an old Keyboard Cowboy, ridin' the Trackball into the Sunset...)

Download HijackThis and run the log past the guys at Spyware Info Forum. Some very sharp techies hang out there who know exactly how to purge your machine of the full array of sypware pests on the net.

109 posted on 07/03/2004 3:12:14 PM EDT by beckett

71 posted on 07/03/2004 12:19:47 PM PDT by backhoe (Just an old Keyboard Cowboy, ridin' the Trackball into the Sunset...)

One other tip/trick:

Make a copy ( clone ) of your drive once it's clean- this is the fastest way to recover from disaster.

Get a spare drive ( new, used, eBay, wherever ) big enough to hold all your files, get installation software from the drivemaker's website, jumper the spare to slave, and copy the darn thing. Do it every so often, depending on how much your data changes, You'll be glad you did someday.

72 posted on 07/03/2004 5:14:26 PM PDT by backhoe (Just an old Keyboard Cowboy, ridin' the Trackball into the Sunset...)

Heavy equipment guy knows everything from backhoes to disk drives place marker

73 posted on 07/03/2004 5:16:23 PM PDT by cyborg

Hi, cyborg... just preparing to drop offline for the evening. I've always been a JOAT ( Jack of all trades ) and a few times even mastered some. But wife & dog are giving me reproachful looks, so I must vanish into the ether...

74 posted on 07/03/2004 5:28:16 PM PDT by backhoe (Just an old Keyboard Cowboy, ridin' the Trackball into the Sunset...)

LOL thank you for your awesome links

75 posted on 07/03/2004 5:29:06 PM PDT by cyborg

...and now I've "unvanished"-- !@%$! dog just got me up to go rat hunting... here's -more-


Microsoft Plugs IE; Warns All Browsers At Risk (Test Your Browser Here)

76 posted on 07/03/2004 11:01:24 PM PDT by backhoe (1990's? Decade of Frauds. 2000's? Decade of Lunatics...)

There are new, nastier browser hijackers flooding the web- the best help is here, but be warned, you have to do most yourself and learn to use some new tools. The old anti-virus software does not work on this new series of bugs:
http://forums.spywareinfo.com/index.php?s=d3c1a671159df31c9420ae4d671f1cd2&showforum=18

77 posted on 07/05/2004 12:01:17 PM PDT by backhoe

To: gitmo; backhoe

ShieldsUp said I failed the ping test.

Yea, me too. I'm running Zone Alarm Pro, and I know there are settings to be able to take care of this, but I've never looked into them.

I'll be back later to read. Thanks for the info!

78 posted on 07/05/2004 12:23:55 PM PDT by dbwz (CAN THE BAN!)

Thanks for looking- this new hijacker is a nasty customer. I wish they could catch the SOBs who write and propagate this garbage.

79 posted on 07/05/2004 12:32:19 PM PDT by backhoe

Notepad infected? Look here:

You can download Notepad from here:
http://www.spywareinfo.com/~merijn/winfiles.html#notepad

Be aware that in Win2K NP has to be in 2 locations- root, and systme32- to function.

This site also has other useful downloads and much info.

80 posted on 07/06/2004 2:34:54 AM PDT by backhoe

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