RockyTopBiker

After you visit The Golden Corral and Ryans....Get a Mac.

Tony (Michigan)

Go here. https://housecall.trendmicro.com It is free. It is Trend Micro House Call. It will find every malware, virus, trojan etc. on your computer and remove it!

I use it all the time plus I liked it so much I purchased their software.

Really, it works!

Tony

BlazingPedals

There's just something wrong about adware popping up a notice that you need to buy their adware remover.

Another user of Avast! and Spybot here. I've also got Ad-Aware, but it doesn't seem to do anything over and above what Spybot accomplishes. I also use HijackThis! but that's not recommended if you don't know what you're doing.

n4zou

The easiest thing to do is upgrade to ubuntu 8.04. It's a Linux upgrade for XP when Microsoft stops supporting it and for the disaster called Vista. If your computer can boot from a USB flash drive just load ubuntu on it using at least a 4-gig flash drive and remove the windows infested hard drive from the computer. When you leave the computer simply take the flash drive with you so you never need worry about about someone getting your information from a hard drive remaining in the computer as there will not be one. Ubuntu is burned or arrives as a live-CD. The Live-CD will boot a computer with no hard drive at all. You can wade right into the jungle without fear as nothing can be written on your live-CD and anything in RAM will evaporate when you turn off the computer.
https://www.ubuntu.com/

Torgrot

+1 on Ubuntu. Run it at home all the time. I don't really worry about adware, malware or viruses. I dual boot it with winXP as I just don't want to learn how to use GIMP to correct photos.

torgrot

n4zou

Gimp does have a pretty steep learning curve if your switching from Windoze photo editors. It's not harder or more complicated, just different. I just wonder when Google will brand there on version of Linux taking another huge bite out of M$ as ubuntu is doing now.

M$ threated a large X-mart with the loss of computers to sell with Windoze preloaded if they did not stop selling $199 Linux boxes that were flying off the shelves.

dvs cycles

Never put those 2 together before but I think you are on to something.
I just did a quick thought search on my friends with campy and they all are mac too.
Just waiting for the day when there are as many macs as pc. Then the hackers will be messing with them too. Not worth their time presently.
I run Kaspersky and have no security problems.

Artkansas 

And the more Macs they sell, the more viruses will be written for Macs. It's not like Macs have any special immunity to computer viruses. It's just that their pain is still ahead of them.

BlazingPedals

Macs aren't immune, and neither is Linux. I suppose if you're running off a non-writeable CD, then you'd be safe, but there are viruses out there written for Unix/Linux, too. In fact, the M$ world can thank the Unix world for rootkits, which are about the nastiest, most persistent kind of viruses ever written.

stapfam

AVG and Spybot----Both free as you are a tight fisted old *** But they both work superbly.

And as to getting a Mac-Have used one but Most businesses use PC's- and I can find no problems with them. Especially as I am one for speccing my own Graphics card etc. Plus all my programmes are for PC and not Mac. It would cost me a fortune to change over.

I'd rather spend my money on a new bike.

Pamestique 

Retro - I just dealt with this - you have a spy ware problem. If you go in on Safe Mode and attempt to delete the critter - it just reproduces. You need to get a Spy ware removal problem (there are many out there that are free which is what I used) and let it go in and take care of the problem.

It was very nasty and really messed up my computer but lesson learned. I will never ever open up an attachment, link, photo whatever contained on any unsecured sight.

BTW the program is designed to get your credit card number but not to help you - it's a identity theft scam. DO NOT GIVE IT A CREDIT CARD NUMBER! Thieves are getting more clever by the minute!

Speedskater

I use Trend Micro PC-cillin, but it hogs a ton of memory and takes forever to load.
It's real good on blocking bad stuff and no false alarms.

tpelle

This is ALL good advice! I had the same thing happen to me a year or so ago, but I ran all of the above stuff and I'm good to go.

BTW, I used to run McAffee Antivirus, but bagged it in favor of Avast. Avast is so much better, and it's free.

I was letting my McAffee subscription expire, when lo and behold I got an e-mail from them that they went ahead and took it on themselves to charge my credit card for another year's subscription!!! Just looking out for my best interests, you know! I called them up (of course to an off shore call center) and made them credit the charges and cancel the subscription for good! Interesting that while I was on the phone I could overhear other call center reps doing the same thing for other people.

I will NEVER use a McAffee product again!

gfspencer

HiYoSilver

Macafee has a section where when you sign up for the first year, you also agree to charging card on following years. Buyer beware

Yen

How timely. We are on the verge of dumping Norton the CPU hog!

To those who use Avast -- are you using it as a firewall also, or do you run a separate firewall (e.g. ZoneAlarm)?

Jet Travis

I've never had to deal with virus problems on any of the macs I've owned. But I'm reading that more businesses are going with macs, so, no doubt you're right. We're probably reaching a tipping point regarding viruses. But my bottom line is simplicity itself: If I ever bought a pc, my gentle, artistic wife would hit me over the head with a cast iron frying pan, sending me to an early grave. No doubt, she'd collect the life insurance and buy another mac.

Tom Stormcrowe

Are you running anything else with the AVG? That may be the cause of that. It screams through a scan for me......

Closed Office

I just want to put in another good word for Avast. It is free and when I had a downloader trojan on my XP set up, I downloaded Avast. As part of its installation, it restarts the computer, then stops the restart half way through and does a scan of the whole computer. It found the problem and eliminated it. Very effective.

I didn't have to visit half a dozen sites, describe the problem, take logs etc. Just download and install Avast.

MNBikeguy

Harrumph to you Mac owners..
Why can't you just repeatedly re-format your hard drives like the rest of us have to do...

mechBgon

I'm a bit late to the party, but

1) the XP Antivirus alerts are a scam. It's no accident they're designed to look like Microsoft stuff. Don't play along. Start off by using the free version of SuperAntispyware, and the F-Secure online scanner (the online scanner uses ActiveX tech, so use Internet Explorer to run it)

2) although it's a bit longwinded, here's further removal help if you need it: https://www.elitekiller.com/malware.htm And/or feel free to send a PM, I have firsthand experience in killing these things... I used to capture new samples of this malware daily while eating my breakfast cereal

3) of the free antivirus programs, AntiVir PersonalEdition Classic is far better than Avast or AVG in the ways that matter most. Want some evidence? my real-world testing results

4) it's pretty simple to secure your Windows PC so you don't have this stuff happening. some tips to look at This set of strategies works well (read: basically invincible), and was developed from my experience as a systems administrator, as well as active malware hunting/reporting.


And for the get-a-Mac folks... a couple pictures that might prove informative:


how interesting, lots of serious Mac vulnerabilities this quarter... just like last quarter. The "RH" refers to "RedHat" linux, btw.




shorter bars mean quicker patching of vulnerabilities. pretty much the same story as the previous 6-month issue of the Symantec ISR.


Moral of the story: don't get cocky just 'cause you have a Mac, and don't blindly recommend them as a panacea for everyone with a computer security problem. There's Mac DNSChanger trojans being created non-stop, XSS threats, phishing threats... I'll stop there. Keep your guard up, and make sure to update your Mac with the new security update: https://blogs.zdnet.com/security/?p=1204. Also, update all your other software (Adobe Reader, for example).

Yen

mechBgon -- I've been reading your pages and recommendations for securing a home PC and I must say I'm impressed, but overwhelmed! You recommend Vista yet I've seen a host of negative comments about it (in addition, my employer has not yet approved it for use at work). I'd like a simple setup for our computer that provides optimal security and is easy to maintain without a lot of configuration.

My mom just started on-line banking and I've asked her to not use that until we (Hubby and me) make sure her computer has the important security measures. She'll need something simple to maintain.

I also prefer to keep things simple. You recommend products I don't see or read about often. It's hard to know whom to trust! All the choices lead me back to where we are now -- stuck with Norton the CPU hog, Ad-Aware, and ZoneAlarm firewall.

Hubby wants to get the ZoneAlarm Internet Security Suite (firewall + AV+spyware protection). We already use ZoneAlarm firewall and like it so far -- MUCH more than Norton's.

will dehne

I have 4 computers. Toshiba, 2 HP, Dell. There were lots of problems. Things are looking up since I use Trend Micro Anti Virus. These are Laptop computers. That means that Norton slows them down too much. I tried many other Spy-ware in a panic as I was traveling and my computer slowed to a crawl. None worked consistently for long.
The Trend seems to do the trick. Bought it at Best Buy.
I do spend much effort cleaning disks and de-fragmenting and error cleaning. But things are good for now.

speedlever

+1 for Avast
+1 for a software firewall, even the XP firewall.

I would add to what's been said:
1) Put a router between your computer and the internet. (hardware firewall)
2) Use BOCLean (it's free now)

From Kevin McAleavey (author of BOCLean)
BOClean was always designed on a philosophy of "you already HAVE an antivirus" ... if the FILE wasn't detected as harmful, then BOClean will sit there like a bouncer inside the lobby and whatever gets past the front door is OURS. We do a MEMORY scan of a process which has already loaded and begun to execute. Once it's actually started up, all of those obfuscations at the file level are no longer in use since a computer can ONLY execute a valid program. And to BE valid, any obfuscations must be completely disarmed by the program to allow it to run. So BOClean goes in at THAT level and gives anything which runs a "second opinion." And yes, we also check associated files and connections after the fact as well ... in case the AV misses it. That was ALWAYS the purpose of BOClean, and why it's proven so useful for over ten years now.


Oh, and ixNay on the acMay.

rdmjr

Yen -
Make sure when you dump Norton that you don't keep getting charged for another year's subscription; Symantec does the same thing McAfee does, very merrily charging you for another year of service without any communication except the charge appearing on your credit card statement. It took me 4 calls (the 4th was to my bank; when VISA told them no, they appeared to listen!) to get the charge removed.
- Bob