Got a nasty virus...

[Jonny69]

I suppose it's my fault for not having AV or AS installed but I finally managed to pick up a computer virus last night. Ironically it wasn't me that got it, even with all my dodgy surfing, it was her using Facebook in IE. So I reckon it must have been a dodgy app or advert that did that.

Nasty one it was, came up as a red X in the system try and pretended to be Windows Security Center. I have all that stuff disabled so I knew it wasn't legit. Couldn't install AVG and coudn't run HijackThis or Spybot, it didn't show in Task Manager, msconfig or the obvious places in regedit so I was kinda stuck. It's been too long since I last hunted down virii and it looks like they have got a bit trickier to spot

Ended up reinstalling one of my disk images, only problem is it was from 2006 so it's taken a bit of setting up again and I've lost all my bookmarks in Firefox, should be ok, I'll take a copy from work and I'll be back to normal.

Haven't lost any data because I keep it on another partition for exactly this reason.

Probably about time I took another disk image I think. Moral of the story is keep your AV installed and up to date!

[Daz]

I dont use AV, haven't for years I'm in Linux 60% of the time these days, but the 40% of the time I'm in Windows I'm just careful, and never use IE. Dee's the Windows user, and doesn't like Firefox, but she doesn't run with an admin account (and on Vista), and touch wood so far we've been spyware free. The odd dodgy thing I download (keygens etc) I virus scan on a Linux box then run it in a VM in case it is dodgy.

Out of curiosity, you still running XP Jonny? Glad you got it sorted either way

[Jonny69]

Yup, XP and virgin SP2 with Firefox instead of IE but it's still on there because she likes to use it. I haven't had AV installed for years either!

Basically hide behind my router which stops worms, internet based viruses don't work through Firefox and I've got Yahoo mail which catches all the email based viruses. I don't tend to download software that isn't from a trusted source.

[divine]

Originally Posted by Jonny69

internet based viruses don't work through Firefox

I wouldn't be quite so cavalier about that.

The last three trojans that my AV has caught have all been as a result of using Firefox, it's not some kind of magic wonder browser.

[Glaucus]

You will have loads of spyware if you don't run protection. With pc's being so powerful it is just stupid not to run protection.

Oh and firefox has a huge market share there are more than enough threats for FF and IE.

If you don't run AV, or antispyware. You wouldn't have any idea if you picked any up as most have no visible signs.

[Daz]

Originally Posted by AcidHell2

You will have loads of spyware if you don't run protection. With pc's being so powerful it is just stupid not to run protection.

O RLY?

It's perfectly possible to safely use the internet without sacrificing a lot of resource to one or a number of apps second guessing everything I click on. I'm capable of doing that myself.

I agree that for most of the web population they need it (as they dont understand the technologies and the risks), but to say that you cant have a clean machine without anti-whatever programs just isnt the case.

[Glaucus]

Originally Posted by Daz

O RLY?

It's perfectly possible to safely use the internet without sacrificing a lot of resource to one or a number of apps second guessing everything I click on. I'm capable of doing that myself.

I agree that for most of the web population they need it (as they dont understand the technologies and the risks), but to say that you cant have a clean machine without anti-whatever programs just isnt the case.

you WILL have tracking cookies on at the very least and problem have many more slightly more serious stuff although still low risk.

an anti virus and anti spyware willl take no resources compared to a modern computer. As I said how do you know you are clear? Most virus, trojans etc do not show any noticeable signs.

[Daz]

Originally Posted by AcidHell2

you WILL have tracking cookies on at the very least and problem have many more slightly more serious stuff although still low risk.

Never been bothered by cookies personally.

Originally Posted by AcidHell2

an anti virus and anti spyware willl take no resources compared to a modern computer. As I said how do you know you are clear? Most virus, trojans etc do not show any noticeable signs.

My accounts dont have admin access. If someone can somehow inject some malicious code into the halndful of sites I browse on Windows, can break out of my browser, break out of UAC, and then break into another account with admin rights, all without me knowing, hell I'll give them my laptop, they deserve it. If someone can do it in Linux I'll give them two.

[Feek]

Originally Posted by Daz

Never been bothered by cookies personally.

Must admit that I've never understood the fascination and paranoia some people have about tracking cookies. I don't go out of my way to avoid them and I very rarely delete them unless I have problems with a website and then I'll only blat the ones specific to that site.

I'm the only person who uses my computer so it's more hassle than it's worth to delete cookies just to have to log into various forums etc each time.

[divine]

They'll only take up a 'lot' of resources if you're running a PC from the stone age anyway. I don't see the bother in letting an AV take up 6MB of RAM keeping it's eye on things and having a spyware program keep a check on things every now and again.

I'd say chances are, if you have no AV, no firewall, no anti-spyware etc. that unless you strictly use about 5 websites and nothing else, you've probably got something somewhere, lurking.