Re: Do I have TOO MANY antivirus, antispyware, etc

I was following this post with a bit of interest... that is until the
computer savvy started giving advice!!!

I'm fairly computer savvy when it comes to certain things. I'm ok with
fixing driver issues, updating drivers, maintaining my computer
(defragging every once and a while), running adaware, etc.

But this is absolutely freaking ridiculous!! I have to use the
internet occasionally at work for research. We have firewalls and
virus scan by macafe and we all STILL get spyware.

Initial kneejerk reaction every time my computer locks up or is
disconnected from the server due to spyware:
1) People writing this garbage should be shot in the head.
2) Their bodies should be burned at stake.
3) The remaining pieces should be displayed on television for all to
see.

Spyware ALONE is the sole reason my computer freezes almost daily.
Once I run adaware, my computer does not lock up, Outlook functions
normally (instead of freezing), and everything is peachy once again.

This is vandalism, theft, and sometimes wanton desctruction of someone
else's property. Not only that, there's very little way for normal
guys like me to track these idiots down, because I would call and
harrass the hell out of them.

This is such a no brainer that congress needs to pass some laws with
some harsh penalties. Class action suits do NOTHING.

I thought about starting a web site to sell my computer's processing
power for $5/ms + an additional $0.30/byte of information they track,
then sending invoices to the companies that install the tracking
spyware on my computer. When they don't pay, I sue. Would probably be
a complete waste of time.

Congress is asleep at the freaking wheel on this one, and it's just
wrong.





Steven L Umbach wrote:
> Thanks for the comments but my advice was meant for a novice or average
> computer user which I believe the original poster to be and meant to be kept
> somewhat simple, effective, and understandable. -- Steve
>
>
> "cquirke (MVP Windows shell/user)" <cquirkenews@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in
> message news:m4k9s1p8c5de9ucfhv8ftiuclbls5bkmjo@xxxxxxxxxx
> > On Mon, 9 Jan 2006 19:39:52 -0600, "Steven L Umbach"
> >
> >>Running in Safe Mode is always recommended if you believe you have
> >>malware/spyware as many times that is the only way they can be removed.
> >
> > I'd put it a little more pessimistically than that; some malware can't
> > be safely and/or effectively tackled in Safe Mode, even Safe Mode
> > Command Only. The reason is because while Safe Mode suppresses some
> > intergration points, and Safe Command Only some more, neither
> > suppresses ALL such intrusion points. Plus, you're running the same
> > code base, so if the code base itself is infected, so is "Safe".
> >
> >>I would suggest that you have only one antivirus program installed that
> >>automatically keeps itself current with updates
> >
> > Agreed
> >
> >>and does scheduled full system scans such at least weekly
> >
> > Nah, that's just kicking sand in the malware's face and just asking
> > for a strikeback. If the av missed the malware and allowed it to go
> > resident, it's not that likely to catch and kill it later - even if it
> > has been subsequently updated. Most likely the malware will kill the
> > av and/or its updatability assoon as it goes active.
> >
> > I do scheduled scans, but only of a subtree through which incoming
> > material is routed, before that material goes active. This strategy
> > works best if you avoid apps that hide incoming content, as most email
> > apps do (they hide attachments in mailboxes - Eudora is one that does
> > not). I don't try scanning "the whole system" from Windows, though.
> >
> > I may prefer to use a different av, or a tier of such av, for this
> > "on-demand" scheduled scan, as that meshes better than using the same
> > av for everything. Else the only advantage the on-demand scan would
> > have, is a possibly more up-to-date signature database than the av had
> > at the time the malware first arrived and was created as a file.
> >
> >>but it is fine two have two or more spyware detection and removal
> >>programs particularly if they are not using resources on your computer
> >>all the time. I use AdAware SE and it does nothing until I start it.
> >
> > That's what I mean by "on-demand" vs. "resident" or "on-access".
> >
> >>You can and should create a regular [may also be called limited] user
> >>account to logon to that you use for internet browsing and for any time
> >>that
> >>you do not need administrator powers such as for installing applications.
> >
> > I haven't been a big fan of that, myself. I prefer to avoid the
> > perils of NTFS, and I don't have much faith in band-aids such as
> > account rights - especially if limiting these rights also destroys
> > other possibly more effective controls. Given a choice between a
> > limited account that hides file name extensions and "hidden" files,
> > and an admin account that doesn't lie to me, I'd pick the latter.
> >
> > If you do a lot of malware clean-up, and especially if you offer this
> > as a paid-for service, then you really should get into formal scanning
> > tools such as Bart CDR-booted scanning - instead of hoping the malware
> > you are chasing is too stupid to integrate into Safe Mode and is
> > non-malicious enough not to defend itself against removal.
> >
> >
> >
> >>---------- ----- ---- --- -- - - - -
> > Don't pay malware vendors - boycott Sony
> >>---------- ----- ---- --- -- - - - -

.

Relevant Pages

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