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80 per cent of home PCs infected - survey
The Register (U.K.) ^
| October 26, 2004
| Thomas C Greene
Posted on 10/26/2004 5:26:59 PM PDT by Stoat
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To: Stoat
My brother and I have been in the IT business for years. We fight this stuff all the time and use many tools. Our most recent discovery is an effective bit of software named "GIANT Anitspyware", available for free trial at www.giantsoftware.com.
It has proven to be a great addition to our arsenal.
To: diamond6
You're quite welcome :-)
If your repairman is indeed qualified and is truly stumped, it might be faster, simpler and less expensive to back up your data and reformat the hard drive. The reformatting process 'should' squish any viruses or bad stuff, but you will need to reinstall all of your software applications. The benefit of this is that with a newly-cleaned machine you can set it up better for security, such as adding a firewall and spyware blocker as well as a modern antivirus program.
22
posted on
10/26/2004 5:57:38 PM PDT
by
Stoat
To: diamond6
Even Yahoo. There's a registry scanner called "Hijack this" that you can find at Cnet - a safe site - you can use it to deregister all of the Yahoo crap and more - but be careful that you only deregister the things you are 100% certain of. All else, no matter how suspicious, leave it alone lest you hose up your computer.
23
posted on
10/26/2004 5:59:59 PM PDT
by
PeterFinn
("Tolerance" means WE have to tolerate THEM, they can hate us all they want.)
To: Committed
www.giantsoftware.com is a webdesign firm.
24
posted on
10/26/2004 6:03:01 PM PDT
by
PeterFinn
("Tolerance" means WE have to tolerate THEM, they can hate us all they want.)
To: Stoat
There's an excellent free anti-virus system that I use. It can be found at the link below. I didn't think that I had anything on my PC but it found 34! Just go to the link below. Scroll to the bottom and click "Next" and you'll be on your way.
http://free.grisoft.com/freeweb.php/doc/2/
25
posted on
10/26/2004 6:05:36 PM PDT
by
Jaysun
(HAVE YOU GIVEN ALL YOU CAN TO RALPH NADER??????)
To: diamond6
It's almost impossible to avoid spyware if you go anywhere at all on the internet. Most is fairly mild and is intended to help send advertisements your way that fit your browsing habits. But some are much greater threats. Browser Hijackers are particularly irritating and unwanted. They steer you where you don't want to go when you're on line.
The worst I've seen yet is a form of a Trojan recently pushed on the unsuspecting that does not take the form of a virus, thereby avoiding virus scans of web pages. It installs software on your machine which works on lengthy connections like DSL and Cable. When the computer is idle, the Trojan goes out and "invites" endless numbers of malware to load on your computer. You can imagine the horrific results. It hooks in very deeply and is very hard to get rid of because it rebuilds itself every time it's removed and you re-boot.
The program, GIANT Antispyware (mentioned before) allowed me to recognize it's presence. Getting rid of it was much tougher, requiring work in the registry and more. This one was invited in by simply clicking on the word "NO" when a window popped up warning of unauthorized file download. It looked exactly like the Windows security warning window. I should have hit the "X" in the upper right corner, but wasn't thinking. Public flogging would be appropriate for the jokers that write this stuff.
To: Committed
"Jokers"... you're being too kind.
27
posted on
10/26/2004 6:12:17 PM PDT
by
diamond6
(Everyone who is for abortion has already been born. Ronald Reagan)
To: PeterFinn
My apologies. The correct URL is www.giantcompany.com
Click on GIANT Antispyware
I'm getting old. It's a great excuse for this type of error.
To: diamond6
You are right. I'm just trying to keep with the tradition of gentleness here on FR. By the way, I'm one of those "OLD" Freepers. My name, "Committed" showed up here all the way back in the mid 90's, not long after Free Republic was invented. I don't see many of the old names anymore.
To: Committed
You beat me and my hubby by two years, so I guess we're old too.
Well, time for my jello.
30
posted on
10/26/2004 6:20:23 PM PDT
by
diamond6
(Everyone who is for abortion has already been born. Ronald Reagan)
To: backhoe
Ping! Hopefully our friend backhoe might be willing to post his legendary list of security-related applications in this thread :-)
31
posted on
10/26/2004 6:24:27 PM PDT
by
Stoat
To: Stoat
Bump for later Knoppix try
32
posted on
10/26/2004 8:19:20 PM PDT
by
Cedar
To: martin_fierro
33
posted on
10/26/2004 10:11:13 PM PDT
by
Bloody Sam Roberts
(Proudly posting without reading the article since 1999.)
To: Stoat
Ping! Hopefully our friend backhoe might be willing to post his legendary list of security-related applications in this thread :-)Gladly- here 'tis:
Help for viruses and malware:
Things you need--(all FREE)
Anti-Virus
AVG
The best forum for malware removal:
34
posted on
10/27/2004 1:15:03 AM PDT
by
backhoe
(Just an old Keyboard Cowboy, ridin' the Trackball into the Dawn of Information...)
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