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Someone hacked my Dad's email- Help me out?

#21
ehque said:
If you are using windows this is near suicidal.
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Macs too. The iSight camera doesnt make me feel any safer. I have antivirus for my macbook too. Its more dangerous to give people the illusion that their macs are vaults just because the majority of virus' and computers on the web are winPC's. Ive never had any major problems on my winPC when I was running 2000, XP, vista, 7, Ubuntu or OSX...hopefully :hmm:
 
#22
James Hart said:
Viewing an email is downloading it.

Go here and run a scan Invalid Link Removed
and then go here an install this free antivirus software http://free.avg.com/us-en/homepage

Otherwise please keep your unprotected machines off our interwebz :spit:
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virus-scan.jpg

virus-scan-2.jpg


This is with no antivirus other than the standard windows firewall thingy, Mozilla firefox, No-script, and ad-blocker, run for the first time today @ like 3:40 eastern time.

I'm installing AVG now to see if that picks up anything, but as it stands now, can I play on the same playground?
 
#24
sloasdaylight said:
This is with no antivirus other than the standard windows firewall thingy, Mozilla firefox, No-script, and ad-blocker, run for the first time today @ like 3:40 eastern time.

I'm installing AVG now to see if that picks up anything, but as it stands now, can I play on the same playground?
Click to expand...

So you don't run 'nothing' you run an up to date PC with some built in and 3rd party protection. Windows firewall and and defender are pretty ok at snagging the major ones. The housecall and avg post was directed to the hacked PC :)

DerHoggz said:
Don't go with AVG, they removed some of their "shields" in the new release, get avast instead.
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I like AVG
 
#26
I had a case where my Norton account was trying to download updates. It locked up midstream and I was not even logged on. A very sophisticated virus got through because of this problem and imbedded itself undetected in my system and attached itself to numerous files. I had no idea since the system kept running but all of a sudden little odd things started to occur. I had to identify the virus, do a search and destroy mission, and delete any files and programs it attached itself to and wreaked havoc. It took me about two weeks to get everything straightened out. Norton caused my problem and did nothing to fix it. I had to do it all myself. I am a little computer savvy but no expert. What happens to people who know nothing about computers? They are usually the unwitting transmitters of malicious virus and programs without knowing they spread them.
 
#27
James Hart said:
So you don't run 'nothing' you run an up to date PC with some built in and 3rd party protection. Windows firewall and and defender are pretty ok at snagging the major ones. The housecall and avg post was directed to the hacked PC :)
Click to expand...

I never said I ran "nothing" I said I've never installed any virus software. If Windows Firewall and defender (whatever that is) are so good at picking up viruses, then why should we bother with AVG/Norton/Avast/ESET NOD32 or any of the other anti-virus programs?

My point is that if you're smart about your browsing and just generally use some common sense about stuff, then the chances of getting a virus are pretty small. I've been building my own computers for about 5-6 years now, and I haven't installed a spyware/anti-virus software program on them except about once every 6 months to a year or so (at which point I'm close to rebuilding anyways, I game online so I like to upgrade my computer and it's components every 18 months or so). I've never found anything more suspicious than some keygens that I know what they are. This whole notion that things like AVG, Avast, Norton, ESET, etc being necessary for any computer out there just seems contrived if you ask me, and just a ploy to get people who don't really know better to buy and install programs that slow your computer's performance down and hog memory while not really doing much.

For the record, AVG is currently running a pretty thorough search of my computer, and so far the only two problems it's found are some keygens I downloaded for some programs.
 
#31
sloasdaylight said:
No AVG/Norton/Avast/ESET/etc guy here reporting in:

After a full computer scan by AVG: A total of 7 "problems" were found, and all of them related to keygens that were downloaded to make programs work. Clearly, running a computer with out a 3rd party anti virus software will wreak havoc on it and it is essential for everyone to download one.
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Congrats... I'm glad your machine is clean.

But... I'm sure there are plenty of people having regular unprotected casual sex that never catch an STD... I'll take the very minor resource hit to have AVG (free, not warezed with a keygen) running backup to a constantly updated Microsoft OS.

I've worked in the Internet/Microsoft world long enough to know something will eventually hit.
 
#32
James Hart said:
Congrats... I'm glad your machine is clean.

But... I'm sure there are plenty of people having regular unprotected casual sex that never catch an STD... I'll take the very minor resource hit to have AVG (free, not warezed with a keygen) running backup to a constantly updated Microsoft OS.

I've worked in the Internet/Microsoft world long enough to know something will eventually hit.
Click to expand...

It seems to me that when big worms/viruses hit, they hit through anti-virus software anyways. The conficker worm for example hit a few million PCs. I have a hard time believing that all of them didn't have norton/AVG/Avast/ESET, etc installed on them.
 
#34
sloasdaylight said:
After a full computer scan by AVG: A total of 7 "problems" were found, and all of them related to keygens that were downloaded to make programs work.
Click to expand...
These are probably safe files generating false positives.

The way most keygens work makes them appear to be suspicious files.

Some keygens contain malware, but unless the scan shows a known signature instead of "unspecified malware" or "fails heuristics" or some other iffy language, it's OK.
 
#38
sloasdaylight said:
It seems to me that when big worms/viruses hit, they hit through anti-virus software anyways. The conficker worm for example hit a few million PCs. I have a hard time believing that all of them didn't have norton/AVG/Avast/ESET, etc installed on them.
Click to expand...

Conficker uses/used a windows vulnerability to infect PCs. How does not using an anti-virus make you any safer? Windows still has many known, unpatched vulnerabilities that other virus could easily exploit. (unpatched because no one has written a virus to exploit it - yet)

There are 3 ways to minimise infection, and if you're on Windows you need to do all three.

Update Windows often
Run an Antivirus (and update it too)
Don't download risky files (or visit risky websites)

Alternatively, i've heard linux has NO viruses out in the wild.
 
#39
Bongolation said:
These are probably safe files generating false positives.

The way most keygens work makes them appear to be suspicious files.

Some keygens contain malware, but unless the scan shows a known signature instead of "unspecified malware" or "fails heuristics" or some other iffy language, it's OK.
Click to expand...

Yea I know, which is why the programs was put in quotes :D
 
#40
ehque said:
Conficker uses/used a windows vulnerability to infect PCs. How does not using an anti-virus make you any safer? Windows still has many known, unpatched vulnerabilities that other virus could easily exploit. (unpatched because no one has written a virus to exploit it - yet)

There are 3 ways to minimise infection, and if you're on Windows you need to do all three.

Update Windows often
Run an Antivirus (and update it too)
Don't download risky files (or visit risky websites)

Alternatively, i've heard linux has NO viruses out in the wild.
Click to expand...

Don't put words in my mouth. I never said it made you safer. Hell, I never said anything as a fact.

My whole point this thread is that if you're smart with regards to where you go on the internet, the chances of getting a virus are really, really low. I've downloaded over 250 gigs worth of stuff this past 12-14 months I've had this computer in it's current form, and the only "questionable" programs I've had on my computer were the Keygens I mentioned. Not to mention that it's not "suicidal" if you don't use them.
 

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