Why do we have to pay for AV software?

[swarfendor437 14]

Actually, if other operating systems were used more frequently then viruses would appear. Basically, its not worth writing viruses for Ubuntu because so few people actually bother using it...

 

"In any case, perhaps it doesn’t really matter how many people use Ubuntu, as long as those who do use it like it. Popularity isn’t a measure of quality."

 

swarfendor43

[falpere 10]

Maybe the OP should operate their computer more responsibly and maybe they won't have to "spend a small fortune over the years fighting of worms, trojans and the likes".

 

Don't open attachments from strangers, don't go on any dodgy sites. It's not rocket science. Unfortunately it is computer science, and beyond the comprehension of some people.

 

I agree with what you say, but using my PC and staying secure has been a steep learning curve. As a layman, when I saw a hot deal on a computer, and paid my hard earned dosh, I was not made aware of the pitfalls.

[dosxuk 10]

I did run Windows on my main desktop for many years (up till about three years ago now) without any AV/Firewall (although I was behind a locked down router)/Malware detection and in all that time I got zero infections. I would occasionally (every couple of months) run an online scanner overnight, and keep an eye on the process list and connections opened from my machine, which although giving me a couple of scares, never were actually infections.

 

I only run Antivirus software now as my machine comes in contact with a lot more external files which I can't guarantee aren't infected. In the over 17 years of using Windows, I can honestly say I've only had to deal with one virus (a boot sector virus caused by leaving an infected floppy disc in the PC when it booted in 1994) and one piece of malware (trojan about a year ago - cleaned up in about 15 mins).

 

At work we have over 20 machines with absolutely no AV/Firewall/Malware detection, and not one of them has been infected.

[Ghozer 112]

I only have AVG Free, no firewall, no malware protection, and run an ad-aware scan every couple of months and thats it...

 

there's lots of scaremongering around virii and malware tbh

[Kingmaker2 10]

 

At work we have over 20 machines with absolutely no AV/Firewall/Malware detection, and not one of them has been infected.

 

Generally most offices/work places have some security protection on their servers, sometimes this protection isn't noticed on the end PCs,

 

Employer's may even be reluctant to disclose exactly what type of security is in place to their employees for obvious reasons.

[dosxuk 10]

Generally most offices/work places have some security protection on their servers, sometimes this protection isn't noticed on the end PCs,

 

Employer's may even be reluctant to disclose exactly what type of security is in place to their employees for obvious reasons.

 

I manage the computers, I know exactly what software runs on them, what hardware they are connected with and who uses them. They are firewalled from the internet using two routers, but apart from that they have absolutely zero protection against malware. They also run continuously on standard grade hardware and Windows XP, with up times measured in months.

[dosxuk 10]

Might interest you to know that the average time before you get port scanned when you turn your PC on is 9 seconds - now, that does not mean you will be infected with anything, it does however mean that the people who do those sort of things know there is an unprotected PC at your IP.

 

Unless you have a properly configured router which will block port scans - most do.

 

Should also be noted that you may not even know you have anything, sometimes stuff is put into folders that you can't find on your PC, in order to make your PC act as an FTP server - and you would never know because you don't run a firewall.

 

Open a command prompt, and type "netstat -a" (minus the quotes) - it will show you all the open ports, and especially those the servers which are running on your machine. You can find out the processes they are attached to, and see if there's anything running which shouldn't in a few minutes.

[waddler8 10]

I only run Antivirus software now as my machine comes in contact with a lot more external files which I can't guarantee aren't infected.

 

A wise move considering the No.1 piece of malware in this report.

http://blogs.technet.com/mmpc/archive/2009/12/16/surveying-the-hamweq-age-threat-reports-for-msrt-december.aspx

In the week since its release on December 8, MSRT has cleaned over 2.5 million machines of malware. The new family for December was Win32/Hamweq, an IRC controlled backdoor which spreads via removable drives.

 

 

The economics of malware is big business for the criminals with massive profits to be made for very little outlay.

The cost of the crime rose to a record £39m for the first half of this year - a 55% increase on the same period in 2008, according to industry body Financial Fraud Action UK.

 

Experts blamed the hike on fraudsters using increasingly sophisticated methods to get their hands on customers' cash, rather than weaknesses in the banks' own online systems.

 

Methods include targeting online bankers through malware scams, where customers' computers are infected with a Trojan virus, which logs their keystrokes, including passwords and personal data.

 

 

Malware such as data stealers (banking passwords etc) designed for financial gain is being designed to run stealthily on machines with the use of rootkits becoming more and more prevalent.

A successfully installed rootkit allows unauthorized users to maintain access as system administrators, and thus to take and keep full control of the "rootkitted" or "rooted" system. Most rootkits typically hide files, processes, network connections, blocks of memory, or Windows Registry entries from other programs used by system administrators to detect specially privileged accesses to computer system resources.

[Ghozer 112]

Might interest you to know that the average time before you get port scanned when you turn your PC on is 9 seconds - now, that does not mean you will be infected with anything, it does however mean that the people who do those sort of things know there is an unprotected PC at your IP.

 

Should also be noted that you may not even know you have anything, sometimes stuff is put into folders that you can't find on your PC, in order to make your PC act as an FTP server - and you would never know because you don't run a firewall.

 

Having said that, this PC does not even run an AV, because it is too old for anything to run without slowing everything else down.

 

 

Yeah I know all about port scanning, and I don't run a firewall but do have a router, so it would be very difficult for them to get to my PC as a result since it uses an internal IP, and while I have the SPI and firewall turned off, my PC isn't in the DMZ so...

 

Firewalls cause more issues and headaches than can prevent in my eyes and opinion, i'm not saying that everyone should never run a firewall, just I don't because I know what i'm doing, I know whats on my computer, and i'm careful (I use virtual machines when downloading potentially risky things etc)

[Ghozer 112]

from this machine... (All Service Ports 1-1056)

 

0 Ports Open

0 Ports Closed

1056 Ports Stealth

---------------------

1056 Ports Tested

 

ALL PORTS tested were found to be: STEALTH.

 

*now goes off to test his other*

[Ghozer 112]

This machine... (Same test)

 

0 Ports Open

688 Ports Closed

368 Ports Stealth

---------------------

1056 Ports Tested

 

Ports found to be STEALTH were: 0, 78, 79, 84, 85, 90, 91, 96, ... (Long list removed)

 

Other than what is listed above, all ports are CLOSED.

[Ghozer 112]

Just read the posts above, and I know about netstat, and also use network monitoring software (especially when i'm @ my LAN partys)