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Posted by Charlie Tame on November 11, 2006, 9:32 pm
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Popfile to filter them out before they get to Outlook Express and since I
was helping to test it I use a real email address in newsgroups. I get about
half a million (Literally) junk emails a year :) Fortunately Popfile
succeeds with 99.0 % of them. Most of them are not "Dangerous" but of course
you could fall for those that claim you have won a lottery or something and
lose your identity. It goes without saying that any attachments are to be
treated with extreme caution.
I think all the Antivirus listed run in the background scanning files as you
use them, you should not really need to scan the whole machine often at all,
but if the system you got has the option to scan individual files that may
not be a bad idea, do it as you get them.
I doubt that anyone here would advise going back to Norton, generally it
seems their products cause more trouble than they are worth unless you have
the "Corporate" edition which seems better (At least it used to).
Both AdAware and Spybot will find lots of minor things like cookies. You do
not really need to worry about those things too much, they are not really
much of a risk. Certainly don't become paranoid. You obviously have
reasonable surfing habits or else would have had problems before. These
groups are a good place to ask about software you plan to get.
Charlie
> Thank you Charlie, you're very kind! I have Windows XP and get automatic
> updates as and when. I never use Outlook Express and instead use my
> Internet
> Provider's email facility but I have noticed in the past few months
> strange
> emails arriving which make no sense (I only opened the first couple that
> came
> but deleted them straight away when I realised they were some sort of
> spamming) so someone out there has my email address and is sending me
> nonsense! How often do you think I should be doing scans for all the
> various
> programmes I downloaded today (7!). My old Norton Anti Virus package did
> it
> automatically and I didn't have to think about it and I'm beginning to
> think
> I should have shelled out the money to save the hassle! Luckily today I
> had
> the time to do these things but most days I don't have a minute. Anyway,
> thank you again to all for the fabulous advice you have given me today.
> This
> site is fantastic and I am very grateful for all the time you have taken
> to
> help me with my problems! I still have to clean up my system but at least
> I've installed all the necessary stuff to help prevent it happening again.
>
> "Charlie Tame" wrote:
>
>> The main thing is not to panic and don't get to feeling you can't work
>> through it. You are nowhere near as "Clueless" as you think because you
>> express the problems very well and unlike some people you respond when
>> things either work or don't. If you were truly "Clueless" you probably
>> wouldn't even realize that there was a problem.
>>
>> Everything suggested so far is reputable and if you have a recent OS like
>> XP
>> the default settings are pretty safe anyway. Be very careful with mail
>> attachments, especially from a source you don't know, and consider
>> setting
>> Outlook Express to read in plain text only. If nothing else that defeats
>> a
>> lot of junk mail. Set Automatic updates to at least collect them ready
>> for
>> install... and as David always suggests watch the Java you have
>> installed.
>> At this point the Microsoft security stuff is okay but not complete and
>> if
>> you use an instant message program tell us so we can offer advice on what
>> to
>> avoid.
>>
>> > The main thing that worries me is the possibility of my personal
>> > details
>> > being hacked into and identity theft. I could put up with the ads if
>> > they
>> > were not harmful though they are annoying. I have just downloaded the
>> > Avira
>> > anti virus though it's not as easy to use as others as I can't work out
>> > how
>> > to do a full system scan. I have also just updated to latest version
>> > of
>> > Java
>> > so I'm working through the easier bits of all your previous
>> > instructions
>> > which has taken up most of the day! In idiot speak, what are the
>> > basics I
>> > should install - I have Avira anti virus, windows firewall, spybot,
>> > superantispyware, ad-aware personal already installed, is there
>> > anything
>> > else?
>> >
>> > "Charlie Tame" wrote:
>> >
>> >> You haven't exactly been stupid, it looks like a reputable site, even
>> >> including a privacy policy which when missing is often a clue.
>> >>
>> >> There are 3 issues you need to learn about. Viruses are malicious
>> >> programs
>> >> designed to propagate or "Spread" themselves. Sometimes they carry
>> >> other
>> >> things and do damage but the main function is to spread. Sometimes
>> >> they
>> >> are
>> >> combined with what's called a Trojan (Horse) program as a payload.
>> >>
>> >> Trojans do not usually have any automated propagation, instead they
>> >> are
>> >> "Planted" by someone with access to your machine or by persuading you
>> >> to
>> >> download them from a website or maybe as an email attachment or some
>> >> instant
>> >> messenger. Trojans have some motive such as collecting your passwords
>> >> and
>> >> sending them to a remote operator, or perhaps they give the remote
>> >> user
>> >> some
>> >> control over your machine.
>> >>
>> >> Although some bad software is a combination of the two, you see that
>> >> they
>> >> are not the same. Anti Virus may not protect you from Trojans and Anti
>> >> Trojan will not protect you from virus. A firewall will most
>> >> definitely
>> >> NOT
>> >> stop you getting infected by these things, but it may be useful in
>> >> preventing them from communicating with a remote operator or possibly
>> >> prevent some viruses from spreading. The most useful aspect of a
>> >> software
>> >> firewall is that it can be set to warn you if something on your PC is
>> >> trying
>> >> to connect to a remote operator so in the case of a password stealing
>> >> Trojan
>> >> for example it might save your info although it will not get rid of
>> >> the
>> >> Trojan.
>> >>
>> >> The third nuisance is spyware / adware which is a commercial product
>> >> designed usually to monitor your activity and bombard you with ads
>> >> they
>> >> think you will be interested in. For example if you visit Ford and
>> >> Chevrolet
>> >> dealer websites they might send you car ads. I should ad that is only
>> >> an
>> >> example, reputable companies like Ford and Chevy would steer clear of
>> >> this
>> >> crap. This kind of software behaves a lot like a Trojan in that it is
>> >> often
>> >> hidden in something else and can send information to other places.
>> >> More
>> >> "Legitimate" versions may be used to "Pay" for free software but again
>> >> you
>> >> would be asked to install those versions.
>> >>
>> >> No matter how much "Protection" you apply in the form of software you
>> >> can
>> >> still get caught by new versions of these things, so your best
>> >> protection
>> >> will always be your knowledge. Some of these things can be installed
>> >> by
>> >> "Exploiting" vulnerabilities in the operating system or some other
>> >> software
>> >> so it is important to have the latest updates always installed.
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> > Oh my God, this is worse than I thought. I paid and downloaded from
>> >> > pcsecurityshield.com from a recommendation on another site for their
>> >> > value
>> >> > for money and ease of use (one of these comparison sites). My
>> >> > Norton
>> >> > Anti
>> >> > Virus etc had just run out and I was trying to find a cheaper
>> >> > version.
>> >> > If
>> >> > I
>> >> > remove these from my system I am going to have nothing protecting
>> >> > the
>> >> > system
>> >> > so do you recommend I have a back up ready to install when I remove
>> >> > the
>> >> > Shield. Going from what you have all said The Shield is not
>> >> > protecting
>> >> > me
>> >> > then but instead threatening me. I can't believe I've been so
>> >> > stupid.
>> >> >
>> >> > "Panda_man" wrote:
>> >> >
>> >> >> "Clueless blonde" wrote:
>> >> >>
>> >> >> > I stupidly dowloaded Drive Cleaner which popped up on my computer
>> >> >> > today. I
>> >> >> > am absolutely clueless when it comes to computers and need to
>> >> >> > know
>> >> >> > what
>> >> >> > to do
>> >> >> > next. I have the Shield Anti Virus and Firewall already
>> >> >> > installed
>> >> >>
>> >> >> ...
>> >> >>
>> >> >> > I just paid out for
>> >> >> > Shield anti virus 2 weeks ago which I thought would have
>> >> >> > protected
>> >> >> > me
>> >> >>
>> >> >> ...
>> >> >>
>> >> >> >What do you experts think? Please please help me!!!
>> >> >>
>> >> >>
>> >> >> Who did you pay for this pest *Shield Anti Virus* ?
>> >> >> Start by removing all of them from Add/Remove programs
>> >> >>
>> >> >> Then -> click here http://pandaman.my.contact.bg/Gen_MRI.htm
>> >> >>
>> >> >> --
>> >> >> Panda_man
>> >> >> Silver level Contributor
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>
>>
>>
>>
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