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| IMPORTANT --> Spyware - Popups, Homepage Changing
Posted: 2/20/2008 5:34:28 PM | the number one thing you need after the modem is setup is a router.
this stops 10 percent of the problems by helping to keep out the door knockers aka portscanning botnets.
the other thing you need to do is to use a good firewall software that can handle what the OP is talking about. | |
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| IMPORTANT --> Spyware - Popups, Homepage Changing, etc
Posted: 2/20/2008 5:38:40 PM | i don't think pofadmin can block adcontent as well as the user who uses the site.
i use Ubuntu Linux and use privoxy, but it is wide open under epiphany so I use that only when i need google or to access a non-SSL website.
otherwise, privoxy and tor are almost mandatory to A) block bad cookies, scripts etc and B) have a secure tunnel between my computer and the target URL.
tho a faster computer will shorten the lag by a little bit. | |
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| IMPORTANT --> Spyware - Popups, Homepage Changing, etc
Posted: 2/21/2008 12:13:33 AM | http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/02/21/itv_scareware_peril/
for an interesting read on popups :)
numpty m8 was on about buying mcafee for his low end 1/2 GB system, finally got him to install the trial of eset's security suite and he noticed that it did not take anything like the resources macafee did - think it was 200 mb less on his ram watcher
costs more though, but seems better :)
as for adverts - firefox and adblock plus a decent hosts file of all known advert servers, result is not see the adverts :) | |
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| IMPORTANT --> Spyware - Popups, Homepage Changing, etc
Posted: 2/22/2008 2:31:37 PM | you'd be better to google "torproject" and "linux".
IMHO windows was designed to access data behind firewalls in computer pools, never wandering into the light of day to become malware roadkill. any sysadmin who allows http packets outside the intranet needed to get a secure proxy server to filter out pr0n and "accidental" leaks via Outlook Express e.g. code that compromises a machine via HTMLized email.
while OpenBSD is secure, and the GUI aka desktop can insulate most users from the shell, it's not for the worker drones but for propellorheads. it has security at the top of the list of online security.
Linux is fine and more robust for the Internet IMHO but your mileage may vary (YMMV).
Open Office is a great substitute for MS Office.
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| IMPORTANT --> Spyware - Popups, Homepage Changing, etc
Posted: 3/23/2008 12:32:25 AM |
I am no expert so please be kind I'm running windows xp sp2,spybot,avg and zone alarm and check for updates once a day Am I reasonably secure?Thanks for any help in advance.
As we told folks at Geeksquad, and I know firsthand from my operating systems experience--you're never 100% safe. No matter what operating system you use, no matter what security software you use, because there are always holes around things. It's relative probability
To answer your question with a solution:
1. Make sure your PC is up to date.
2. Don't run more than 1 virus scanner / spyware scanner. Scan regularly if the scans aren't automated.
3. Be aware of what you're downloading and what you're doing!!!
If you do 1. and 3., doing 2. is unnecessary 95% of the time. I run Vista x64 as my client machine and run FreeBSD as my primary system (where all my important data is stored).
Just be smart and like a car, maintain your computer.
1. You wouldn't put PoS motor oil in your car and expect it to run like it was going to be in the Indy 500 would you?
2. Do you think that not going and taking care of your regular checkups would help make sure it stays in working condition? I wouldn't.
People miss that subtle point with computers, and that's why (IMO) there are so many people with issues out there -- it's because using the computer has become simple enough that they ignore the basics and are ignorant in terms of how to maintain their computer.
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| IMPORTANT --> Spyware - Popups, Homepage Changing, etc
Posted: 3/23/2008 12:36:19 AM |
numpty m8 was on about buying mcafee for his low end 1/2 GB system, finally got him to install the trial of eset's security suite and he noticed that it did not take anything like the resources macafee did - think it was 200 mb less on his ram watcher
(...)
as for adverts - firefox and adblock plus a decent hosts file of all known advert servers, result is not see the adverts :)
Quite frankly McAfee home solutions suck, and the so do Norton ones. They often times break your system, in particular between upgrades.
Firefox with Adblock Plus and No-script help quite a bit. No-script can be annoying, but once you have your favorite sites tagged down properly, you can save a lot of time and traffic by not running some annoying Flash ads and Javascript items, amongst other things. | |
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| IMPORTANT --> Spyware - Popups, Homepage Changing
Posted: 3/23/2008 12:53:50 AM |
The view of my home page suddenly changed last night. Everything below the last 5 forum postings has become blurred with the testimonials and preference settings.
I've not added or deleted anything on my computer. No changes at all.
Help?
Happynature
Clear your browser cache and see if anything changes.
Firefox --
Note: Doing 2. will erase all of your cookies, such that you won't autologin to some websites with your username and password.
1. Click Tools, then "Clear Private Data".
2. Check everything (except "Saved Passwords" -- doesn't apply) and press "Clear Private Data Now".
3. Restart Firefox (close out all windows and open it again).
IE6 -- www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/ie6/using/howto/customizing/clearcache.mspx
IE7 --
0. If you don't have a menu bar, right-mouse click the tab bar (the gray area to the right of the raised box with the star next to it), then choose "Menu Bar"
1. Click Tools, then Internet Options.
2. Click Delete.
3. Click all buttons apart from "Saved Passwords".
4. Press "Close" when done.
5. Restart Internet Explorer.
If you have another browser than what's listed up here, feel free to fire back with more info.
If doing the above sets don't solve your issue, try Trendmicro Housecall: . It isn't perfect and it's a fix after the fact, but it can prove to be helpful.
Push comes to shove you'll probably have to call in some experts.
Best of luck,
-Garrett
Cheers,
-Garrett | |
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| IMPORTANT --> Spyware - Popups, Homepage Changing, etc
Posted: 3/23/2008 1:00:50 AM |
you'd be better to google "torproject" and "linux".
I suggest Googling "knoppix". It's a live CD version of Linux, meaning you can run Linux without overwriting Windows. It will be slightly slower than running from your harddrive and straight from your memory, but it'll give you a taste for how Linux feels.
IMHO windows was designed to access data behind firewalls in computer pools, never wandering into the light of day to become malware roadkill. any sysadmin who allows http packets outside the intranet needed to get a secure proxy server to filter out pr0n and "accidental" leaks via Outlook Express e.g. code that compromises a machine via HTMLized email.
It wouldn't matter if it's Windows, OSX, or some other OS. As long as the majority of the users out there use the solution, people are going to target the OS. Plain and simple.
while OpenBSD is secure, and the GUI aka desktop can insulate most users from the shell, it's not for the worker drones but for propellorheads. it has security at the top of the list of online security.
The BSDs never have been and never will be easy to use, and Unix clones are not for the faint of heart. About the easiest Unix distros to download and install are PC-BSD and Ubuntu Linux (and no Linux is just a kernel, not a complete operating system.. there is a difference!  ).
Linux is fine and more robust for the Internet IMHO but your mileage may vary (YMMV).
Be sure to know the caveats and research before you install. I've run into a number of Linux issues in the past, and hence that's why FreeBSD is my OS of choice.
Open Office is a great substitute for MS Office.
That's up for debate. I sure wish that someone had made a nice chart producing feature in OOo... | |
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| IMPORTANT --> Spyware - Popups, Homepage Changing
Posted: 3/24/2008 12:22:50 PM | | I note that no one has posted in a year or so. I am running vista (ugh) anyhow I consistently get 3 spyware "threats" everytime I log onto POF. I use Trend Micro PCcillin and it finds it and deletes it but I only get them by logging on to POF ?? how come? I run virus checker, defennder etc very regularly and do not have other problems that you mention (like home page lock up etc). | |
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| IMPORTANT --> Spyware - Popups, Homepage Changing, etc
Posted: 4/8/2008 6:49:29 PM | | Well I agree with you on the AVG. Get the inter security version 8 and use it for the free days they give you. And get rid of everything else you mentioned on here. If you have anything installed for anti-virus, spyware,firewall, whatever, get rid of it. This does it all and very well I may add. | |
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| IMPORTANT --> Spyware - Popups, Homepage Changing
Posted: 4/9/2008 9:45:23 AM | One of the best sites for free Anti virus anti spyware site is
http://www.majorgeeks.com/
Also if you want to troubleshoot hardware issue, download the ultimate boot disk. | |
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| IMPORTANT --> Spyware - Popups, Homepage Changing
Posted: 4/13/2008 2:36:15 PM | For the folks that may not want to tackle something like a full installation of an operating system that they've only just heard of a Linux LiveCD is a good choice. IMHO the Knoppix and Slax LiveCDs are the easiest to use. (http://www.knoppix.org/ and http://www.slax.org/get_slax.php)
Now, before you start, most built in modems wont work with Linux. If you want the technical part of this, ask and I'll post a couple of links. You'll need an external modem most likely. A DSL modem is an external modem. (More info if you need it)
Download the program you choose and burn it to CD with something like Nero (Nero Burning ROM, yes it's a pun :-) (http://www.nero.com/enu/downloads.html) The program will have an extension of .iso which needs to be burned to CD just as it is. Not copied. A .iso file is an image of exactly what a CD should look like and needs, like a picture, to be printed just as it is. Using Nero smart start, you'll find a selection that says, "Burn Image to CD" or something like that. That's the one you want.
Now that you have your shiny new LiveCD, put it in your CD Drive and restart your computer. Knoppix will start up a GUI (Graphical User Interface) that may remind you of windows. Slax will start in command line mode (looks like the old DOS systems) but will have printed instructions on how to get its GUI running.
So, now you've got whichever of these operating systems you've chosen running. Poke around, it's very hard to hurt your hard disk. Knoppix will have mounted it though so watch what you write there. It will write to your hard disk.
The email and desktop programs are accessible from a menu that is opened by clicking in just about the same area as the start bar in windows. You'll see it :-)
Play with the system, as long as you don't open and save files from your hard disk, you wont hurt it. Both of these systems should automagicly found your LAN connection or Modem. So all you'll have to do is start that connection by clicking and maybe adding a phone number user name and password. Like normal.
These Linux systems (Live CD systems) exist only on the CD and in your computer's memory, so, if you screw up, reboot, and you're back with a clean slate! There's lots of help on line for using Linux, like the Linux Documentation Project (http://www.tldp.org). Yes you will be learning another operating system, but you're doing that anyway with Windows. So?? Why not learn one that's harder to hack.
And there are more linux users than just me. :-) I saw another Slackware user (Bob Dobbs Lives!!!) on a post here. I use Slackware and OpenBSD. Windows only for some old games that I like. I think someone was using Unbuntu and I hear that's pretty good too. I would suspect that if folks wanted to get using Linux that another forum could be started.
Welp, the timer just went off so the bread should be done. I'm going to go get fat! Mmmmm Fresh Homemade Bread!!!! Lotsa Butter!!!!!!!! Mmmmmmm
Sometimes I wish the internet would transmit smells too.........
.......Or maybe not, the dog just farted!
Merv | |
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| IMPORTANT --> Spyware - Popups, Homepage Changing, etc
Posted: 5/17/2008 5:54:42 AM | I don't get any spyware I haven't been for over a year. I don't run a virus scanners and rarely use any spyware scanners. I use a program called sandboxie which sandboxes any program I run under it, meaning system files etc can not be effected. I only run xp firewall, works fine. I run in admin mode which is just asking for trouble.
Prevention is better than running spyware scanners and virus scanners that hog up your resources.
www.sandboxie.com | |
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| IMPORTANT --> Spyware - Popups, Homepage Changing, etc
Posted: 6/21/2008 1:05:01 PM | In addition to the virus, adware, and spyware scanners, remember to clean your registry periodically. Your registry can take on gargantuan proportions and really slow your system down.
As far as firewalls go, I don't worry so much about what comes into my system as what goes out of my system. I've tried many, many firewalls in the more than 15 years I've been online and the best I've found is at ashampoo dot com. And it's free: at least is was when I downloaded it.
As previous posters have said, maintaining your computer is just as important as maintaining your car.
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. | |
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| IMPORTANT --> Spyware - Popups, Homepage Changing, etc
Posted: 6/29/2008 8:20:53 PM | | Ok, I do alot of piracy & know quite a few "Geeks" in the internet world. Also in my own experience have come to the conclusion that the free software or "open source" software is usually better. Avast, AVG & clamwin are all excellent antivirus programs that are free. Norton & McAffee are totally junk, can cause problems & will never protect you as well as the free ones mentioned above. Also Norton & McAffe just use up so much of you system resources that just isnt necessary. The Microtrend online scan is also good to do as a secondary scan when time permits. Now the best in spyware removal is Spyware doctor. it isnt free but it does the best out of anything I have ever used & Ive used them all. But it is always good to have 2 or 3 antispyware programs installed but not running at the same time. So adaware would be for my second. | |
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