How do you get infected?

EQuito

It amazes me the amount of posts in this forum. How do you people get infected like that?

I browse the web left and right including porno sites and I don't get any of that sh*t, I don't understand.

It can't be just because I'm behind a router, can it?

entropy

Sometimes sites say, "Download required to view" and you get a confirmation box and people just flow with it without thinking

EQuito

entr0py wrote:

Sometimes sites say, "Download required to view" and you get a confirmation box and people just flow with it without thinking

What kinds of sites do stuff like that cause I don't come accross any of those?
I bet they're gaming sites, chat rooms, music/files sharing or some stuff like that huh?

entropy

Well, the one I most clearly recall is a site for serials. Figures, though...

Thrax

I agree with EQ.

I go to dozens of websites a day, and have for over 10 years. I have NEVER been infected with spyware. <b>NEVER</b>.

So what kind of lame crap are people going to?

muddocktor

I really don't know, because I've never gotten that crap either. One of my relief's on this job had gotten a crapload of spyware though; pretty sure it was from spam porn links sent to his aol or yahoo email address. It took me a couple of days to get all that crap out of his laptop.

EQuito

Thrax wrote:

I go to dozens of websites a day, and have for over 10 years. I have NEVER been infected with spyware.

Same here.
I just can't imagine peolple saying 'yes' to stuff that they don't know anything about.
Oh well, at least the ones that do say 'yes' but later regret it, have a place like this forum to come for help.

Cheers!

GHoosdum

Have you guys ever run Adaware? I'm sure you're at least getting a lot of tracking cookies placed on your PCs. There's also plenty of spyware that isn't as obvious as some of the hijacks, so you might be blissfully unaware of possible infections.

shwaip

I think it also has to do with windows updates...a lot of the people I talk to on AIM have never updated windows...not even any of the SPs

muddocktor

GHoosdum wrote:

Have you guys ever run Adaware? I'm sure you're at least getting a lot of tracking cookies placed on your PCs. There's also plenty of spyware that isn't as obvious as some of the hijacks, so you might be blissfully unaware of possible infections.

Faithfully, Adaware and Spybot 1.3. I get a few tracking cookies, which I wipe regularly.

GHoosdum

I get a similar box of junk. It seems like I'd still get registry keys and values back when I still used IE, but once I switched to Firefox, it became strictly tracking cookies.

kanezfan

i'm in the same boat. I've never once gotten infected with any of this crap. as far as tracking cookies, so what. i run forefox only these days too, but don't get too comfortable, if/when firefox can get some significant market share, these jackasses will start writing **** for it too.

Guyute

In my case it's my wife. She hates the thought and incovenience of "dis-abling cookies" and accepting everything as we go. Plus, she surfs a lot of job sites and home stuff (i.e. Martha Stewart, cooking /recipe sites, etc.) that seem to be FULL of junky stuff. When I run Ad-aware after she is on the PC, it basically empties her cookie folder. But i can't stop her, so I pray and look to this forum for salvation. She got nailed three days ago by a virus (see my answer to another guy lamenting WMP problems). It's frustrating, but better than cooking my own meals LOL.

Thrax

I run spybot/adaware all the time. Have for over a year.

No infections. Not one. And I refuse to use anything but IE, too.

madmat

Having cut my teeth on scumware removal stemming from my wife, I'll enlighten you...lots of it comes from "free" software such as screensavers, Comet Cursor, Gain (also known as Gator), toolbars for "easier internet searching", free games, desktop themes and other assorted crapola like that.
Weather Bug is another one...The point is if you'd read the EULA you'd see that this crap is being installed in your system by you by allowing the main item you wanted (that Bridget Fonda screensaver perhaps) to be installed in the first place.
It's like this, 1% of the freeware out there is out there just to be there by guys that love doing it and want to make the world a better place, the other 99% is out there to make the almighty dollar (rubel, rupee, ducket, pound or whatever the writers monetary system is) first and formost and the useful tidbit you're after (that Rico Suave' desktop theme) is just the bait to get you to download the crap you don't want.
Yeah, there are sites that force this garbage upon us by way of trojans and/or worms but the sad truth is that most of this crap comes from the willing use by the ill-informed.
Use good spyware protection, run a firewall, use good anti-virus protection but most importantly make user profiles for the noob's that use your computer with limited status and put a password for any admin level user and don't let the noobs have the password.
They can't install software without getting an admin password and you can go over what they're trying to install and decide whether they need it or not.
Just a bit of advice I've found that works rather well but can be a strain upon your marriage

Vicodin

Bear in mind people, this is a predominantly tech forum.

The base core of regulars are SIGNIFICANTLY more versed in the ways of avoiding such things.

I think because we're surrounded by like minded people we forget the 'mainstream' users couldn't even connect to the internet if you removed that blue E from their desktop.

It's sad, but true.

Having said that I'm going to make Bonzai Buddy talk some more.

I love that little purple monkey almost as much as I like that cute little crocodile in my GATOR folder.

(cough)

Fold on.

primesuspect

Yep, as a guy who basically does spyware removal for a living nowadays, I can say that the majority of it comes from the three internet evils: "FUN", "CUTE", and "FREE"... Basically, if it's fun, cute, or free, it has spyware.

Especially cute.

Oh god, I hate cute.