Have you had a computer virus?

[Cyclone 10]

Most people get infected through stupidity, not through some cleverly crafted virus or compromised website.

With updated OS/Apps/Security Software you would be VERY unlikely to get infected unless you are doing something stupid.

Compromised websites exist, but provided everything is up to date you should still be safe.

 

Most people who get infected because they haven't updated something. These people are simply idiots.

 

People that claim to have been infected but have everything upto date, and didn't do anything dodgy are liars, idiots or both. They probably tried to install a keygen, or got something off Limewire, tried to watch something naughty and got prompted to install a 'codec', or something equally as moronic. At the very least they opened a stupid email attachment.

 

I doubt you will find anyone with an updated system, with decent software, who gets 'innocently' infected.

 

Apart from when the virus is an unpatched vulnerability that affects well configured machines and spreads with no user interaction.

[Satyr 10]

Its pretty cheap and even has a free version. Plus there are plenty of serials available for that too if you want to steal it.

 

I always thought it should be part of the OS - it simply prompts you whenever something wants to go online - you choose to deny or allow, either temporarily or permanently.

 

OSX does that sometimes, like for Spotify and there was another program that I blocked from phoning home within the OS. But it doesn't do it for all programs, just normally the ones I want to go online

[zongamin 10]

Apart from when the virus is an unpatched vulnerability that affects well configured machines and spreads with no user interaction.

 

Is Windows that bad? This never happens on OSX or Linux.

[zongamin 10]

OSX does that sometimes, like for Spotify and there was another program that I blocked from phoning home within the OS. But it doesn't do it for all programs, just normally the ones I want to go online

 

That system prompt is if you want to allow inbound connections, Little Snitch gives your control over outbound too.

[phantom309 10]

I have recently installed "Microsoft Essentials Security" and used Windows Live "Safety Scanner" which I found very easy to use and they picked things up which McAfee,Spybot and Malwarebites had missed but I am no expert on computers or anything else for that matter but after 2 weeks of trying to get rid of a trojan they are the things which worked for me I did have to re install after the computer was cleaned and have done scans with all the mentioned products and it seems O K now

[Cyclone 10]

Is Windows that bad? This never happens on OSX or Linux.

 

The default configuration of nix based OS's is more secure, and they are less targetted because they are less popular (amongst home users), but there have been several exploits on linux recently that would grant rogue processes escalated privileges.

[L00b 441]

Just for the record, since zongamin seems to be out to nail Bill Gates' nads to the barndoor (on the back of my earlier post, amongst others) , can I just point out that I certainly don't hold my Windows security steps/setup to be "comprehensive", by any stretch of the imagination.

 

If anything, I'd say they're middle-of-the-road, i.e. what you'd expect an average Windows user, who is reasonably well informed and has some experience, to have in place. Which seems enough, were I not to visit questionable sites every so often

[zongamin 10]

Loob - you've already stated that you managed to get infected from browsing EBAY - hardly the darker side of the web.

 

However, this week I picked a couple when surfing eBay auctions: I started with a fully-clean system, and didn't browse any other sites at all (Google search is my homepage, I went straight to eBay uk from favourites, closed browsing session after that), which is how I know that's definitely where they were picked up.

 

I actually suspect you WERE already infected, and that the trojan lay dormant until you booted IE.

 

If you must use Windows, then at least use a better browser.

[L00b 441]

Loob - you've already stated that you managed to get infected from browsing EBAY - hardly the darker side of the web.

True, but I'd say that this was exceptional (the exception that confirms the rule ), and that this time of year (at which eBay is busiest) probably has a lot to answer for it.

 

(PS - I started with a clean machine, inasmuch as any net-connected PC can ever be said to be clean: it's only ever as clean as your up-to-date AV packages tell you )

 

And I've already done my mea culpa over IE instead of Opera or Firefox.

 

I just can't understand this vehement anti-Windows stance. My first 'real' computers were a Wintel laptop (386 Zenith on Win3.11 or somesuch) and an Apple Mac (classic shape), I've tangled plenty with any version of Windows you care to name, several MacOS versions, Unix (incl. AIX) and I dab every now and then with Linux variants... at the end of the day, it's just an OS, and they all have their pros and cons (and these pros and cons are likely to vary according to each user).

Edited December 15, 2009 by L00b

[zongamin 10]

The anti Windows stance is simple - it is a security nightmare. Why would anyone want to put their personal data at such risk?

 

You make out that its almost impossible to have a secure machine. It isn't but you are making it extremely difficult by using the worst possible OS and Browser, and taking huge risks by visiting warez sites which you know to be infected.

[Cyclone 10]

ebay, a warez site?

[L00b 441]

The anti Windows stance is simple - it is a security nightmare. Why would anyone want to put their personal data at such risk?

 

You make out that its almost impossible to have a secure machine. It isn't but you are making it extremely difficult by using the worst possible OS and Browser, and taking huge risks by visiting warez sites which you know to be infected.

You seem to be assuming that the PC I use for "risky browsing" is the same PC I use for internet banking/secure transactions/which stores personal and sensitive data/etc.

 

Some people use more than 1 PC, you know

 

Seems a somewhat more expensive alternative to using an different OS and/or browser, I'll grant you that, however a browse-only ('expendable') PC or laptop can be had at less than commodity prices these days. Doesn't mean it shouldn't be protected or cleaned, of course, but if there's no data to steal on it in the first place...