Re: who the hell do I believe?
From: Ad_aware_Lover (anonymous_at_discussions.microsoft.com)
Date: 06/27/04
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Date: Sun, 27 Jun 2004 00:05:32 -0700
Spybot updates the offenders fairly regularly? Don't
confuse Spybot with Ad-aware, buddy. Ad-aware fits that
description, is more user-friendly, plain LOOKS better,
etc.
I say use both, but Ad-aware crushes Spybot, in my
opinion. But use both...use both...
>-----Original Message-----
>I'm amazed at the lack of knowledge concerning this
problem out on TechNet. PC Mag did a huge story on it last
year and I've personally used the info to help end-users
understand the severity of spyware and how to avoid the
issues with it. SpyBot is an excellent program and they
update the offenders fairly regularily. I use it to this
day (Over a year, now) There is a company out of San Diego
called WebSense that actually hires college students to
review and surf on the web for bad sites 24/7, their lists
are a lot more comprehensive but also have to be paid for.
Stick with SpyBot and remove what they recommend you
should. Keep AV and Windows up to date, use a pop-up
blocker and you won't have any problems. I applied this
theorum last year and have been fairly free of issues w/
viruses and spyware
>
>"Shenan Stanley" wrote:
>
>> Headtheball wrote:
>> > I suspect unfair play on my system so I have run
several anti
>> > spyware/malware progs. The stalwarts tell me that all
is ok, (adaware,
>> > spybot) but others tell me I have coolweb etc etc,
funny thing is
>> > many of the lesser known progs all tell me a
different story, it is
>> > almost as though they have added a potential threat
to their free
>> > scan, to make one believe that one should buy their
product. Am I
>> > being unduly cynical?
>>
>> If you don't wish to follow all of the advice
immediately, just want to
>> get rid of your current dilemma, then you are welcome
to scroll down to
>> the section titled "SPYWARE/ADWARE/POPUPS", where your
problem as
>> stated should be resolved by the applications and
suggestions found in
>> that section. If this helps solve your problem then I
again HIGHLY
>> suggest you follow the rest of the advice below (matter
of fact, I
>> suggest it either way.)
>>
>> Suggestions on what you can do to secure/clean your
PC. I'm going to try
>> and be general, I will assume a "Windows" operating
system is what is
>> being secured here.
>>
>>
>> SPYWARE/ADWARE/POPUPS
>> ---------------------
>>
>> There are annoyances out there you can get without
>> trying. Your normal web surfing, maybe a wrong click
on a web page, maybe
>> just a momentary lack of judgment by installing some
software packages
>> without doing the research.. And all of a sudden your
screen starts filling
>> up with advertisements or your Internet seems much
slower or your home page
>> won't stay what you set it and goes someplace
unfamiliar to you. This is
>> spyware. There are a whole SLEW of software packages
out there to get rid
>> of this crud and help prevent reinfection. Some of the
products already
>> mentioned might even have branched out into this
arena. However, there are
>> a few applications that seem to be the best at what
they do, which is
>> eradicating and immunizing your system from this crap.
Strangely, the best
>> products I have found in this category ARE generally
free. That is a trend
>> I like. I make donations to some of them, they deserve
it!
>>
>> Two side-notes: Never think one of these can do the
whole job.
>> Try the first 5 before coming back and saying "That did
not work!"
>> Also, you can always visit:
>> http://mvps.org/winhelp2002/unwanted.htm
>> For more updated information.
>>
>> Spybot Search and Destroy (Free!)
>> http://www.safer-networking.net/
>>
>> Lavasoft AdAware (Free and up)
>> http://www.lavasoft.de
>>
>> CWSShredder (Free!)
>> http://www.spywareinfo.com/~merijn/downloads.html
>>
>> Hijack This! (Free)
>> http://mjc1.com/mirror/hjt/
>> ( Tutorial:
http://www.spywareinfo.com/~merijn/htlogtutorial.html )
>>
>> SpywareBlaster (Free!)
>> http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/
>>
>> IE-SPYAD (Free!)
>> http://www.staff.uiuc.edu/~ehowes/resource.htm
>>
>> ToolbarCop (Free!)
>> http://www.mvps.org/sramesh2k/toolbarcop.htm
>>
>> Bazooka Adware and Spyware Scanner (Free!)
>> http://www.kephyr.com/spywarescanner/index.html
>>
>> Browser Security Tests
>> http://www.jasons-toolbox.com/BrowserSecurity/
>>
>> The Cleaner (49.95 and up)
>> http://www.moosoft.com/
>>
>> That will clean up your machine of the spyware, given
that you download and
>> install several of them, update them regularly and scan
with them when you
>> update. Some (like SpywareBlaster and SpyBot Search
and Destroy) have
>> immunization features that will help you prevent your
PC from being
>> infected. Use these features!
>>
>> Unfortunately, although that will lessen your popups on
the Internet/while
>> you are online, it won't eliminate them. I have looked
at a lot of options,
>> seen a lot of them used in production with people who
seem to attract popups
>> like a plague, and I only have one suggestion that end
up serving double
>> duty (search engine and popup stopper in one):
>>
>> The Google Toolbar (Free!)
>> http://toolbar.google.com/
>>
>> Yeah - it adds a bar to your Internet Explorer - but
its a useful one. You
>> can search from there anytime with one of the best
search engines on the
>> planet (IMO.) And the fact it stops most popups - wow -
BONUS! If you
>> don't like that suggestion, then I am just going to say
you go to
>> www.google.com and search for other options.
>>
>> One more suggestion, although I will suggest this in a
way later, is to
>> disable your Windows Messenger service. This service
is not used frequently
>> (if at all) by the normal home user and in cooperation
with a good firewall,
>> is generally unnecessary. Microsoft has instructions
on how to do this for
>> Windows XP here:
>>
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/using/howto/communic
ate/stopspam.asp
>>
>>
>> UPDATES and PATCHES
>> -------------------
>>
>> This one is the most obvious. There is no perfect
product and any company
>> worth their salt will try to meet/exceed the needs of
their customers and
>> fix any problems they find along the way. I am not
going to say Microsoft
>> is the best company in the world about this but they do
have an option
>> available for you to use to keep your machine updated
and patched from
>> the problems and vulnerabilities (as well as product
improvements in some
>> cases) - and it's free to you.
>>
>> Windows Update
>> http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/
>>
>> Go there and scan your machine for updates. Always get
the critical ones as
>> you see them. Write down the KB###### or Q###### you
see when selecting the
>> updates and if you have trouble over the next few days,
go into your control
>> panel (Add/Remove Programs), match up the latest
numbers you downloaded
>> recently (since you started noticing an issue) and
uninstall them. If there
>> was more than one (usually is), install them back one
by one - with a few
>> hours of use in between, to see if the problem
returns. Yes - the process
>> is not perfect (updating) and can cause trouble like I
mentioned - but as
>> you can see, the solution isn't that bad - and is MUCH
better than the
>> alternatives. (SASSER/BLASTER were SO preventable with
just this step!)
>>
>> Windows is not the only product you likely have on your
PC. The
>> manufacturers of the other products usually have
updates as well. New
>> versions of almost everything come out all the time -
some are free, some
>> are pay - some you can only download if you are
registered - but it is best
>> to check. Just go to their web pages and look under
their support and
>> download sections.
>>
>> You also have hardware on your machine that requires
drivers to interface
>> with the operating system. You have a video card that
allows you to see on
>> your screen, a sound card that allows you to hear your
PCs sound output and
>> so on. Visit those manufacturer web sites for the
latest downloadable
>> drivers for your hardware/operating system. Always
(IMO) get the
>> manufacturers hardware driver over any Microsoft
offers. On the Windows
>> Update site I mentioned earlier, I suggest NOT getting
their hardware
>> drivers - no matter how tempting.
>>
>> Have I mentioned that Microsoft has some stuff to help
secure your computer
>> available to the end-user for free? This seems as good
of a time as any.
>> They have a CD you can order (it's free) that contain
all of the Windows
>> patches through October 2003 and some trial products as
well that they
>> released in February 2004. Yeah - it's a little behind
now, but it's better
>> than nothing (and used in coordination with the
information in this post,
>> well worth the purchase price..)
>>
>> Order the Windows Security Update CD
>> http://www.microsoft.com/security/protect/cd/order.asp
>>
>> They also have a bunch of suggestions, some similar to
these, on how to
>> better protect your Windows system:
>>
>> Protect your PC
>> http://www.microsoft.com/security/protect/
>>
>>
>> FIREWALL
>> --------
>>
>> Let's say you are up-to-date on the OS (operating
system) and you have
>> Windows XP.. You should at least turn on the built in
firewall. That will
>> do a lot to "hide" you from the random bad things
flying around the
>> Internet. Things like Sasser/Blaster enjoy just
sitting out there in
>> Cyberspace looking for an unprotected Windows Operating
System and jumping
>> on it, doing great damage in the process and then using
that Unprotected OS
>> to continue its dirty work of infecting others. If you
have the Windows XP
>> ICF turned on - default configuration - then they
cannot see you! Think of
>> it as Internet Stealth Mode at this point. It has
other advantages, like
>> actually locking the doors you didn't even (likely)
know you had. Doing
>> this is simple, the instructions you need to use your
built in Windows XP
>> firewall can be found here:
>>
>> http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=320855
>>
>> If you read through that and look through the pages
that are linked from it
>> at the bottom of that page - I think you should have a
firm grasp on the
>> basics of the Windows XP Firewall as it is today. One
thing to note RIGHT
>> NOW - if you have AOL, you cannot use this nice
firewall that came with
>> your system. Thank AOL, not Microsoft. You HAVE to
configure another
>> one.. So we continue with our session on Firewalls...
>>
>> But let's say you DON'T have Windows XP - you have some
other OS like
>> Windows 95, 98, 98SE, ME, NT, 2000. Well, you don't
have the nifty built in
>> firewall. My suggestion - upgrade. My next
suggestion - look through your
>> options. There are lots of free and pay firewalls out
there for home users.
>> Yes - you will have to decide on your own which to
get. Yes, you will have
>> to learn (oh no!) to use these firewalls and configure
them so they don't
>> interfere with what you want to do while continuing to
provide the security
>> you desire. It's just like anything else you want to
protect - you have to
>> do something to protect it. Here are some suggested
applications. A lot of
>> people tout "ZoneAlarm" as being the best alternative
to just using the
>> Windows XP ICF, but truthfully - any of these
alternatives are much better
>> than the Windows XP ICF at what they do - because that
is ALL they do.
>>
>> ZoneAlarm (Free and up)
>>
http://www.zonelabs.com/store/content/company/products/znal
m/freeDownload.jsp
>>
>> Kerio Personal Firewall (KPF) (Free and up)
>> http://www.kerio.com/kpf_download.html
>>
>> Outpost Firewall from Agnitum (Free and up)
>> http://www.agnitum.com/download/
>>
>> Sygate Personal Firewall (Free and up)
>> http://smb.sygate.com/buy/download_buy.htm
>>
>> Symantec's Norton Personal Firewall (~$25 and up)
>> http://www.symantec.com/sabu/nis/npf/
>>
>> BlackICE PC Protection ($39.95 and up)
>> http://blackice.iss.net/
>>
>> Tiny Personal Firewall (~$49.00 and up)
>> http://www.tinysoftware.com/
>>
>> That list is not complete, but they are good firewall
options, every one of
>> them. Visit the web pages, read up, ask around if you
like - make a
>> decision and go with some firewall, any firewall.
Also, maintain it.
>> Sometimes new holes are discovered in even the best of
these products and
>> patches are released from the company to remedy this
problem. However, if
>> you don't get the patches (check the manufacturer web
page on occasion),
>> then you may never know you have the problem and/or are
being used through
>> this weakness. Also, don't stack these things.
Running more than one
>> firewall will not make you safer - it would likely (in
fact) negate some
>> protection you gleamed from one or the other firewalls
you ran together.
>>
>>
>> ANTIVIRUS SOFTWARE
>> ------------------
>>
>> That's not all. That's one facet of a secure PC, but
firewalls don't do
>> everything. I saw one person posting on a newsgroup
that "they had
>> never had a virus and they never run any anti-virus
software." Yep - I used
>> to believe that way too - viruses were something
everyone else seemed to
>> get, were they just stupid? And for the average joe-
user who is careful,
>> uses their one-three family computers carefully, never
opening unknown
>> attachments, always visiting the same family safe web
sites, never
>> installing anything that did not come with their
computer - maybe, just
>> maybe they will never witness a virus. I, however, am
a Network Systems
>> Administrator. I see that AntiVirus software is an
absolute necessity given
>> how most people see their computer as a toy/tool and
not something
>> they should have to maintain and upkeep. After all,
they were invented to
>> make life easier, right - not add another task to your
day. You
>> can be as careful as you want - will the next person be
as careful? Will
>> someone send you unknowingly the email that erases all
the pictures of your
>> child/childhood? Possibly - why take the chance?
ALWAYS RUN ANTIVIRUS
>> SOFTWARE and KEEP IT UP TO DATE! Antivirus software
comes in so many
>> flavors, it's like walking into a Jelly Belly store -
which one tastes like
>> what?! Well, here are a few choices for you. Some of
these are free (isn't
>> that nice?) and some are not. Is one better than the
other - MAYBE.
>>
>> Symantec (Norton) AntiVirus (~$11 and up)
>> http://www.symantec.com/
>>
>> Kaspersky Anti-Virus (~$49.95 and up)
>> http://www.kaspersky.com/products.html
>>
>> Panda Antivirus Titanium (~$39.95 and up)
>> http://www.pandasoftware.com/
>> (Free Online Scanner:
http://www.pandasoftware.com/activescan/)
>>
>> AVG 6.0 Anti-Virus System (Free and up)
>> http://www.grisoft.com/
>>
>> McAfee VirusScan (~$11 and up)
>> http://www.mcafee.com/
>>
>> AntiVir (Free and up)
>> http://www.free-av.com/
>>
>> avast! 4 (Free and up)
>> http://www.avast.com/
>>
>> Trend Micro (~$49.95 and up)
>> http://www.trendmicro.com/
>> (Free Online Scanner:
>>
http://housecall.trendmicro.com/housecall/start_corp.asp)
>>
>> Did I mention you have to not only install this
software, but also keep it
>> updated? You do. Some of them (most) have automatic
services to help you
>> do this - I mean, it's not your job to keep up with the
half-dozen or more
>> new threats that come out daily, is it? Be sure to
keep whichever one you
>> choose up to date!
>>
>>
>> SPAM EMAIL/JUNK MAIL
>> --------------------
>>
>> This one can get annoying, just like the rest. You get
50 emails in one
>> sitting and 2 of them you wanted. NICE! (Not.) What
can you do? Well,
>> although there are services out there to help you, some
email
>> servers/services that actually do lower your spam with
features built into
>> their servers - I still like the methods that let you
be the end-decision
>> maker on what is spam and what isn't. If these things
worked perfectly, we
>> wouldn't need people and then there would be no spam
anyway - vicious
>> circle, eh? Anyway - I have two products to suggest to
you, look at them
>> and see if either of them suite your needs. Again, if
they don't, Google is
>> free and available for your perusal.
>>
>> SpamBayes (Free!)
>> http://spambayes.sourceforge.net/
>>
>> Spamihilator (Free!)
>> http://www.spamihilator.com/
>>
>> As I said, those are not your only options, but are
reliable ones I have
>> seen function for hundreds+ people.
>>
>>
>> DISABLE (Set to Manual) UNUSED SERVICE/STARTUP APPS
>> ---------------------------------------------------
>>
>> I might get arguments on putting this one here, but
it's my spill. There are
>> lots of services on your PC that are probably turned on
by default you don't
>> use. Why have them on? Check out these web pages to
see what all of the
>> services you might find on your computer are and set
them according to your
>> personal needs. Be CAREFUL what you set to manual, and
take heed and write
>> down as you change things! Also, don't expect a large
performance increase
>> or anything - especially on todays 2+ GHz machines,
however - I look at each
>> service you set to manual as one less service you have
to worry about
>> someone exploiting. A year ago, I would have thought
the Windows Messenger
>> service to be pretty safe, now I recommend (with
addition of a firewall)
>> that most home users disable it! Yeah - this is
another one you have to
>> work for, but your computer may speed up and/or be more
secure because you
>> took the time. And if you document what you do as you
do it, next time, it
>> goes MUCH faster! (or if you have to go back and re-
enable things..)
>>
>> Task List Programs
>>
http://www.answersthatwork.com/Tasklist_pages/tasklist.htm
>>
>> Black Viper's Service List and Opinions (XP)
>> http://www.blackviper.com/WinXP/servicecfg.htm
>>
>> Processes in Windows NT/2000/XP
>> http://www.reger24.de/prozesse/
>>
>> There are also applications that AREN'T services that
startup when you start
>> up the computer/logon. One of the better description
on how to handle these
>> I have found here:
>>
>> Startups
>> http://www.pacs-portal.co.uk/startup_content.php
>>
>>
>> That's it. A small booklet on how to keep your
computer secure, clean of
>> scum and more user friendly. I am SURE I missed
something, almost as I am
>> sure you won't read all of it (anyone for that
matter.) However, I also
>> know that someone who followed all of the advice above
would also have less
>> problems with their PC, less problems with viruses,
less problems with spam,
>> fewer problems with spyware and better performance than
someone who didn't.
>>
>> Hope it helps.
>>
>> --
>> <- Shenan ->
>> --
>> The information is provided "as is", with no guarantees
of
>> completeness, accuracy or timeliness, and without
warranties of any
>> kind, express or implied. In other words, read up
before you take any
>> advice - you are the one ultimately responsible for
your actions.
>>
>>
>>
>.
>
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