Even Veterans get whacked
MediaMan
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Those that visit our forums frustrated with virii, trojans and spyware astonished at "how did this happen?"
Don't feel bad.
Even us veterans of PC Geekdom get whacked. I can't remember my last infection...it was +5 years ago...maybe more but last night I got hit. I was setting up a test PC for a new review and right after the clean install of WinXP I went to Windows Update. I did not pass Go. I did not surf. I fired up the browser and chose Windows Update.
Boom.
5 nasty trojans clamped their teeth and claws into the system and held on for dear life. They were nasty to remove. I ran the cocktail mixture of AdAware, Spybot, Hijack this and several on line virus scanners and deleted keys from the registry manually. They kept coming back and redirecting the browser. The trojans planted URL redirects and key loggers for games.
Eventually I won (after an hour and a half) but by then I opted to reinstall the OS due to requiring an unaffected platform for benchmarking.
How did this happen?
Well it's never happened before but it's important to ask "what changed?". What changed was that my router is acting up so I plugged directly into the cable modem.
That's right...no firewall protection by the router anymore. Also I did not enable WinXP's built-in firewall in light of not using the router. I've never had to install AV software during a system build as I'm only visiting Windows Update during the first installation process. When I'm done installing all of the software from CDs, etc...then I install AV software before poking around the net and downloading email. ALWAYS have AV software and keep it update.
T'was that missing firewall the fubared everything. It's the little things that you forget about that catch you.
So if you come here infested, riddled with, frustrated by and otherwise PO'd with a trojan, virus or spyware and you didn't open those "RE: your payment" type emails...don't feel like you are at fault.
It happens to the best of us.
Don't feel bad.
Even us veterans of PC Geekdom get whacked. I can't remember my last infection...it was +5 years ago...maybe more but last night I got hit. I was setting up a test PC for a new review and right after the clean install of WinXP I went to Windows Update. I did not pass Go. I did not surf. I fired up the browser and chose Windows Update.
Boom.
5 nasty trojans clamped their teeth and claws into the system and held on for dear life. They were nasty to remove. I ran the cocktail mixture of AdAware, Spybot, Hijack this and several on line virus scanners and deleted keys from the registry manually. They kept coming back and redirecting the browser. The trojans planted URL redirects and key loggers for games.
Eventually I won (after an hour and a half) but by then I opted to reinstall the OS due to requiring an unaffected platform for benchmarking.
How did this happen?
Well it's never happened before but it's important to ask "what changed?". What changed was that my router is acting up so I plugged directly into the cable modem.
That's right...no firewall protection by the router anymore. Also I did not enable WinXP's built-in firewall in light of not using the router. I've never had to install AV software during a system build as I'm only visiting Windows Update during the first installation process. When I'm done installing all of the software from CDs, etc...then I install AV software before poking around the net and downloading email. ALWAYS have AV software and keep it update.
T'was that missing firewall the fubared everything. It's the little things that you forget about that catch you.
So if you come here infested, riddled with, frustrated by and otherwise PO'd with a trojan, virus or spyware and you didn't open those "RE: your payment" type emails...don't feel like you are at fault.
It happens to the best of us.
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Comments
Great point about the firewall/router issue, too!
Some bright spark (not I) left my works exchange on a dialup public IP for a weekend. That machine was riddled in minutes
Just gives you errors. Enable auto updates and then you can hit win updates manually and get the downloads and disable it again if you want.
It coughs up a variety of goofy errors without the auto updates in the new XP security center set to yes. Turn it on and all is well
I install sp2, reboot, disable the windows firewall which i hate then enable auto updates and hit windows update and scarf any fixs.
MS is really trying to stop dangerous software I know but they jack up a lot of the tools I use also. When you try stuff that seems to start to launch but doesnt check task amanger and kill then right click on the link/program and do a run then uncheck the box saying "protect my stupid computer from malicious activity" or some nonsense. Several of my registry editing tools for example no longer work without this added mouse click anymore.
Tex
If an ISP ever tells you that, tell them to stand by while you download and install a software firewall like ZoneAlarm. It's just too dangerous out there without a firewall. There are too many script kiddies and naive computer owners unknowingly hosting worms on their systems. Just don't chance it.
Dexter...
HouseCall +Trend +Microsystems (HouseCall)
Command +On +Demand (Authentium's Command Antivirus Online Scanner-- they have an online scanning site, http://www.commandondemand.com/ )
Symantec + Security +Response (Symantec's Security Response page, hyperlink to thier online scanner is usually on that page).