Topic: worm

[DonKarnage]

i was wondering if anyone have ben infected monday by the worm? (those with win xp), since i was and it just slow my com, no lost in data and i got a 2th 80 gig hd so i can transfer my data and install 2 time op, 1 for tos era and 1 for tmp, both with the lates patch.

don't know how i got it since i got a firewall and antivirus, anyway everything is fine,  i will see if with my other cd burner i can make a backup now.


i hate windows, always patching its hole.

[Clark Kent]

My dad was infected, and he's lost his latop for a few days while someone clears it out for him.  Luckily, I bought him an iMac a couple years ago, which he's using for all his internet needs and other things until the other one comes back.  The incident has him thinking he'll use the PC less on the net, though.  Luckily for me, I'm still using windows ME (never thought I'd ever say that), and use macs as well for most other stuff I do.
PCs are fine machines, but are seriously handicapped by the fact that they rely on windows so badly.  I wouldn't suggest that you give up on PCs, but have you considered another system for your internet usage?  Perhaps a linux partition, or <gasp> a mac of some sort.  they are safer to use, and just as capable, sometimes more so.  Not trying to make a convert of some sort out of you, just presenting options,

CK

P.S.  I like Latinas...
....And apparently Asian ladies as well...

[Reverend]

You know, had a friend that had a Mac... at the time, it was a nice one; not much different in interface than WIndows; just point and click, all that. Seemed interesting.
I heard about the worm as well, Windows XP users can go here http://www.microsoft.com/security/incident/sasser.asp
... bottom of page, there is a deal that checks for you...
   

[Magnum357]

That is what I do now.  I have two computer systems setup, one for Internet and gaming, the other system for development needs, important data and other projects.  I use a splice connection too switch from one computer too another on the fly.  Very handy and I don't have too worry so much about hackers.

also, if you don't have Anti-virus software and spyware protection on your system, its like having sex without a condom.

[FireSoul]

Quote:
That is what I do now.  I have two computer systems setup, one for Internet and gaming, the other system for development needs, important data and other projects.  I use a splice connection too switch from one computer too another on the fly.  Very handy and I don't have too worry so much about hackers.

also, if you don't have Anti-virus software and spyware protection on your system, its like having sex without a condom.  

no.. the anti-virus software is like anti-viral soap..
.. .. me, I use a firewall. An *external* firewall, not just a piece of software. Now THAT's a condom.

[Clark Kent]

I've gone down the antivirus software route.  My system already crashes and freezes every other time I load it up, it's just that unstable.  Once antivirus software was loaded, the crashes and freezes jumped through the roof.  Compare that to my iMac and 7 year old Powerbook, which almost never crash.  then there's the threat of viruses at every corner on my PC.  At present, the big plan for me is to get a new iBook, switch PDA, music making, music playing, internet usage, word processing, and most everything else from my old iMac and my Compaq.  haven't decided what to do with the iMac, but the Compaq will stay on board until I'm ready to buy another PC- solely for gaming purposes and watching DVDs on, since I have a nice, big CRT montior with it and a decent sound system.  Hey, why buy a DVD player when the PC does it just as well?

CK

P.S. I like Latinas...
....And apparently Asian ladies as well...
 

[manitoba]

hey now thats why i use win98se   . most hackerz nowadays figure xp is the way to go because every store now has xp (JUNK) and for u the person using ME the only real difference from 98se is u have the system restore. which is a good thing. i have my own version of system restore on this machine. i have my system files stored on a cd that way as long as i can get to dos i can fix things to reload windows. rewritables r so nice. mostly the only virus i had was the hantanner virus. all that does is on the .exe files it attaches itself too and replicates to all of them.  but sorry to hear u guys got hit. i know how crappy that stuff cn get..

[MajorRacal]

Fortunately I'd installed the security update before the worm hit, so I avoided any hassle this time round.  Maybe I learned something from the blaster experience - stil, that did give me an excuse to buy a bigger HD.      

[Core]

pepul use firewalls now days its a must  

[DonKarnage]

Quote:
I've gone down the antivirus software route.  My system already crashes and freezes every other time I load it up, it's just that unstable.  Once antivirus software was loaded, the crashes and freezes jumped through the roof.  Compare that to my iMac and 7 year old Powerbook, which almost never crash.  then there's the threat of viruses at every corner on my PC.  At present, the big plan for me is to get a new iBook, switch PDA, music making, music playing, internet usage, word processing, and most everything else from my old iMac and my Compaq.  haven't decided what to do with the iMac, but the Compaq will stay on board until I'm ready to buy another PC- solely for gaming purposes and watching DVDs on, since I have a nice, big CRT montior with it and a decent sound system.  Hey, why buy a DVD player when the PC does it just as well?

CK

P.S. I like Latinas...
....And apparently Asian ladies as well...
 

well i have a dvd player on the com, but the com chair is old and not good for long period, i got and ordinary screen, my video card is part of the mother board so is the sound card, the speaker are basic one but do good sound, when i have $$ i will buy another com and i will have a backup com if something append to the main one like another virus/worm.


i still hate windows

[Toasty0]

If you think you've been infected go  here to be tested  for the virus or its variants.

Best,
Jerry  

[Praxis]

Quote:
hey now thats why i use win98se   . most hackerz nowadays figure xp is the way to go because every store now has xp (JUNK) and for u the person using ME the only real difference from 98se is u have the system restore. which is a good thing. i have my own version of system restore on this machine. i have my system files stored on a cd that way as long as i can get to dos i can fix things to reload windows. rewritables r so nice. mostly the only virus i had was the hantanner virus. all that does is on the .exe files it attaches itself too and replicates to all of them.  but sorry to hear u guys got hit. i know how crappy that stuff cn get..  

They target XP cause they figure nobody's stupid enough to stick with 98  


Seriously though, I once fiddled with a simple hacking program at a nearby school.

It took me about 5 seconds to hack into the student store computer and find out their password- they were running Windows 98.

Then I stuck a virus in, pulled a bunch of pranks, removed the virus, and chuckled (no permanent damage done at all, I just flipped their screen upside down and made their boot logo say "All your base are belong to us"...they were downloading illegal music anyway, they deserved it :P )

I tried the same thing on another computer running XP.  The password was encrypted, so all I got was a bunch of goobelygah letters and symbols that made no sense.

XP is ten times as secure as 98.

Mac OS X and Linux are 1400 times as secure as Windows XP (I'm not kidding.  A hacker really said this- they developed a program that could crack a Windows XP password locally in 14 seconds, no matter what password, and said that due to the better encryption on Mac and Linux it would take 1400 times longer at minimum to crack the same password).


I love having a Mac.  That means when people get viruses...I just laugh...HAHAHA...

 

[FireSoul]

Quote:

I love having a Mac.  That means when people get viruses...I just laugh...HAHAHA...
   

My Linux gateway has saved me every time.

[Praxis]

Yup, Linux, Mac, BSD, and any other UNIX derivative really helps you not to worry  

[IKV Nemesis D7L]

Quote:
Yup, Linux, Mac, BSD, and any other UNIX derivative really helps you not to worry    

When correctly configured.

When using Windows you can improve your security online by not using IE or outlook and using a 3rd party firewall.  

Mozilla (on Linux and Windows) for example allows me to approve or block cookies and scripts on a site by site basis.  It also does not run ActiveX which is (in my opinion) a major security enhancement.   It blocks popup ads as well.  

Choosing a 3rd party E-Mail app that does not run downloaded files directly and flags executables also helps.  It does not block you from being dumb and running things outside the E-Mail program but it does give you an extra step to consider it and does not execute them on reading the E-Mail.  Configuring such software to show the full file name also helps.  Some software hides the file extension so if you get a malignant attachment with a name like image.jpg.exe and people only see image.jpg, they "view" the image and release the program.  Don't hide extensions is the lesson from that.

To protect my address book I put all E-Mail addresses that I send to on a web page on my own HD.  That way if I do get a virus that scans my E-Mail program for addresses they don't get any and neither do the people I correspond with.  If  I were really mean I would load my Address book with the addresses of spammers.


Most attacks via the Internet are based on flaws in Microsoft internet software, avoiding that software and protecting the OS with a 3rd party firewall goes a long way to protecting yourself.  

To be fair Microsoft software is targeted because it is the most common.  Also people who choose to run non Microsoft browsers and E-Mail software are by the very act of choosing something other than the default more likely to choose to configure the software carefully and therefore are harder to attack regardless of whether the software they use is MS or nonMS.     My windows (and Linux) systems have never had a virus, I aim to keep it that way.

One of the problems that Microsoft has is that they evolved from standalone Operating Systems where the user was in total control and had to be trusted.  They went to a network system and partly to avoid conflicts with older programs left things not locked down.  From there they went to the internet, locking things down by default would have caused significant problems with older software and unfortunately they continued the not locked down attitude with new software like IE and Outlook.  At some point Microsoft is going to have to "bite the bullet" and at least give multiple levels of default security configuration with warnings that it may cause some programs to not run correctly.  Each software company would then need to indicate the security level required to run their programs.      

[DonKarnage]

because of kazaa i got internet problem monday, got to format and stuff, now big surprise my monitor is dying, ben 3 years i have it and it was use, kinda rebuilt, now i will buy a new monitor, also my 80gig hd is ok and i will use my 2th 80gig hd for other stuff, also need to transfer my stuff from my other hd, a 20gig and 40 gig hd that i use to save my stuff from ben deleted during the formating.  once i finish installing everything (beside kazaa) i will try to make a backup using my other cd burner that want to be alone, this summer i will buy a dvd burner to use for backup, another com will be welcome if i got more problem.