[goldstategop]

This is a LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG article about scumware and parasiteware on people's computers and how to fight it. Its a long war. It also includes a discussion of http://www.auha.org Sounds Sanskrit but as a site, Jim Eshelman's encyclopedic knowledge of the dark side of the Internet is unrivaled. There's some nifty freeware links on his website to help you fight the plague that keeps you from enjoying the World Wide Web. This stuff is getting worse by the day but as the old saying has it, "knowledge is power." Here then is one reporter's experience with malware and tips on how to keep it off your PC - for good.

[YoungHickey]

"It used to be [information technology] knowledge was like drugs — if you had some, you shared it with friends," he said.

ROFL!

[visagoth]

I spent yesterday at the folks house fixing computers after turkey... I offered to fix anyone's machine who brought it with them to dinner -- (that was a mistake)

Every box I touched (7 of them) had no less than 100'ish pieces of spyware in them. Each had a couple of virii, and NONE of them had visited windoze update.

I need to stop volunteering - or get one of these:

[Elle Bee]

bump for later

.

[studly hungwell]

I tend to believe that most problems have very simple solutions.

The solution to spam, spyware, etc IS simple:

Once the perpetrator is found, publish his name, photo and home address on the Internet.

Problem solved! : )

[backhoe]

Help for viruses and malware:

 

 Ad-Aware ... Spybot ... Peper Uninstaller ... HijackThis... CWShredder ... Spyware Blaster ... IE Spyad ... Free online Virus scan ... AVG AntiVirus ... LSPfix ... How to Show Hidden Files ... How to boot into Safe Mode ... How did I get infected in the first place?

---

Things you need--(all FREE)
Anti-Virus
AVG Anti-Virus version 7 (free) release available...

 Avast
Firewall
Kerio(Direct Download) Zone Alarm

 If are using zone alarm it may slow your PC. Try Outpost Firewall http://www.agnitum.com/products/outpost or Sygate Firewall http://www.sygate.com/, both have FREE and Pro versions and are heads above ZA.
Misc.
IE Spyads SpywareBlaster Spyware Guard
Windows Update- you must keep updated, it is the start of a secure system-
get all CRITICAL Updates

Things you want(Still Free)
 

  I use Firefox PR1 and IMHO, beats the sox off MS Explorer. Life is good with tabs. Click the link and give it a try.

Ad-Aware
Spybot S&D

SpywareBlaster
MS MVP Hosts file

Mike Lin's Homepage and get the Startup Control Panel and Startup Monitor tools.

 

The best forum for malware removal:

 http://forums.spywareinfo.com/index.php?s=262d844129208feb8b0cf5b0186a32f6&act=SC&c=4
SWI Forums--

[hsrazorback1]

self ping

[error99]

correcting your link:
it is
http://aumha.org

[Salo]

http://www.aumha.org/ is the address. You want to be safe(r):
1. Use Firefox 2. Install all Windows updates 3. Use spybot search and destroy. Overkill (effective, but using a nuke to kill roaches): turn off directx at your firewall - only turn it on to do your Windows updates.

[Clypp]

ping

[DollyCali]

thanks for post/article. I join the FReeper list that have been plagued with spyware/virus infections this past few weeks .. all with firewalls; spy sweepers; antivirus; and caution to NOT open anything form 'unknowns"

perps are terrorists & when caught should be handled as such as such = shooting the next day would be a good idea in my estimation

[mercy]

Knowledge is power all right. I used my superior logic and knowledge to reach the conclusion that windoze was no long worth the trouble. When I bought a mac laptop just for fun and it was so nice to use and easy to operate that when my desktop started to die I just bought a Mac G5 dual processor. I don't miss windoze even a little bit.

I have no virus, spyware, scumware problems whatsoever.

[MplsSteve]

BTTT for later!

[WestCoastGal]

Ping

Scumware

[Iris7]

Thanks for the post. AumHa is wonderful. It was love at first sight.

[INSENSITIVE GUY]

I can relate to this as spyware has infected my computer and i can no longer get on the internet!Earthlink put forth a valiant effort to assist me with this problem but to no avail.Spyware should be illegal and the companies should be made to pay each individual for its attaching to files and corrupting browsers."IT IS I WHO WILL DECIDE YOUR NEED TO KNOW"!!! I DON'T GIVE A DA#N ABOUT YOUR BUSINESS AND HOPE IT FAILS!!When this spyware is used it is NO different than a thief breaking into your home and stealing.

[Spiff]

I am a computer security professional. Thanksgiving night my nephew spent the night and this morning my son let him get on the PC and on the Internet. In just a few minutes he'd got so much scumware on my PC it was astounding. I've trained my kids and they RARELY let scumware on to the PC and if they do they let me know right away so I can fix it. My 12-yr-old daughter is the one who noticed this morning and she came running in to my room, "Cousin X was on the internet and now there's spyware on the PC and it is running slow!" I came in and sure enough, it was bogged down with the most tenacious crapware I've yet dealt with.

AdWareSE failed.
SpyBot Search & Destroy failed.
WebRoot SpySweeper failed.
Finally Giant AntiSpyware cleaned it up. It couldn't do it alone, I was busy in Add & Remove Programs, MSCONFIG, and the Registry. It took me 3 non-stop hours to finally eradicate everything (I hope it is gone.).

The bad thing is that my system is patched up, locked down, etc. But it STILL got slimed.

[VeritatisSplendor]

Since I switched to Firefox I have had no problems at all with spyware. Before I switched, I was losing half an hour a day to it. I only use IE for certain trusted, specialized websites that Firefox doesn't know how to read properly, but I expect later editions of Firefox won't have this problem.

It's very hard to believe that existing laws don't already provide penalties sufficient to send these sneaky saboteurs to jail for many years. Some tech-savvy state Attorney General could launch a successful political career based on such prosecutions.

[Aunt Polgara]

bimp

[Piranha]

You're either with us, or you're with the spyware.

[Cloud William]

Bump for later reading.