Security Advice Wanted!

From: mike3 (mike4ty4_at_yahoo.com)
Date: 04/26/04

  • Next message: Rob Schneider: "Re: Security Advice Wanted!" 
    Date: 26 Apr 2004 01:30:56 -0700

    Hi!

    What would one do in the event of a security compromise scenario like
    this:

    You have a serious security problem. Your computer's performance
    suddenly drops after you installed a new set of games. System logs
    show numerous "IP Spoof", etc. errors. AV software shows ten
    mass-mailing worms, and your friends are complaining about the crap.
    You then discover that your registry is being altered and the worms
    just keep hitting and you do't know what to do. Then all hell breaks
    loose. After another reboot for installing more security tools you get
    a strange boot message before the OS loads: "Warning, SMART has
    detected that a hard drive failure may be imminent. Please back up
    your data immediately.". And it keeps happening. Further examinations
    of system files show that rogue malware has insterd itself into the
    operating system and is rummaging through data, disguised as system
    files. Files later begin sisappearing and being replaced with things
    like "C_saaaaaaa.f.f.f" with sizes of 2.00 GB. Others got weird
    content like as "HITHEREHITHEREHITHEREHITHEREHACKOHACKOHACKOHACKO"
    etc. (repeating over and over again). You have backups of all
    important data from just before you installed the fateful software, so
    you don't have to worry about loosing your important files. But
    there's credit card numbers stored on here and you're afraid of
    personal information compromise. Then when you try and boot up again,
    you get "BIOS: Failure on Hard Disk 0" and the system hangs.

    What would I have to do in this or a similar scenario? I didn't
    actually have this happen, but I would want to know what to do in the
    case of such a dire breach like this so I can be prepared for a very
    serious problem like this.

  • Next message: Rob Schneider: "Re: Security Advice Wanted!"

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