Hackers

[Cuz]

Kill all the hackers and let God sort them out....naw...just kill them. God doesn't need to waste his time.

FWIW, Norton is absolutely worthless. I just bought the high-zoot version and I'm still having all kinds of virus nightmares. It won't even detect a lot of what's out there and it updates at least once a day.

What's the right choice for personal anti-virus these days? McAfee?

It's not always the products you use, it's your computing habits that may need to change. For one thing I bet you are logging onto your Windows box with Local Administrator privs which is just asking for a disaster. You need to restrict your ability to hurt yourself so when some piece of spyware or trojan does slip past your defenses it won't be able to do as much damage. Norton is a very good product. You may not like it because you bought the antivirus software and what hit you wasn't a virus but a piece of spam or something else. You must have a layered defense in place and it has to start with a hardware firewall. This is true even for the home user. Spend $40 on a Linksys router and let that be the first line of defense. From there you need a software firewall, something like the ZoneAlarm which is free, or the more encompassing ZoneAlarm Security Suite ($60) which is an "all in one" firewall, antivirus and anti-spam program. Then, because no anti-spam/spyware program ever gets more than 60% of the crap that's out there you need another anti-spyware program like Webroot's SpySweeper ($35/year). And, you need to make sure they are being updated regularly. Plus, you need to make sure your computer is being updated with all the patches from Microsoft. If you are still running Windows '98 you can forget about it because there are so many holes in that which are no longer being fixed by Microsoft. Right now the only two Windows Operating Systems that can be effectively patches are Windows 2000 and Windows XP (all flavors). Also, STOP USING INTERNET EXPLORER as your web browser. Switch to something like Mozilla's Firefox so you don't make yourself vulnerablel to the many IE exploits.

Hopefully you are all starting to see how many things must be done to insure your safe computing. It's not an easy task and takes effort. But, if we ask BlackDragon if it would have been worth it to prevent his attack I'll think he'll say yes.

Eric, I am not meaning to jump on you here, I just happen to be at your post when I decided to respond. This isn't meant to be directed at you but just some general info for BlackDragon and the rest of you to let you all know what's involved in keeping your computers safe. There's a lot more I could include here for corporate level protection but I'll stop so I can get back to reading the other messages.

-Cuz.

[EricW]

I used to have a firewall. I can't because I am now FORCED to use dial up. I live where there is no cable.

And I'm sorry, but as soon as they start shooting these A$$hole punks in the parking lot and sell tickets to the execution on Pay Per View, all this virus crap will slow down considerably. If someone stole a billion dollars in a bank heist, the entire FBI would be mobilized and they would hunt down the SOB's like rabid dogs. Steal five billion dollars in lost productivity and no one in government could be bothered to care. Reconcile *that*.

I'm sick and tired of the wild west mentality of the internet. I don't have f-ing time to be an internet security expert. When I buy "internet security," that's what I expect: SECURITY. Dammit! I'm tired of investing DAYS UPON DAYS UPON DAYS of my time screwing with this horseshit. Breaking into a computer should be a crime on par with kicking the door into my house.

I could go on, but I shall not.

[blackdragon]

EricW,

Please do! These monkeys have left their cans of paint for the internet!

Ivan

[JFD]

Avast! Been very good for me and it's free.

[blackdragon]

For now!

Ivan

[AZ38super]

Avast! Been very good for me and it's free.

I see this all the time and I don't get it...

You install these products to protect something you consider important and yet you are so cheap about it you want it for free. It's like buying some cheap old gun at a pawn shop to protect your life...is that all your worth?

(not saying you yourself are cheap it's just trying to make a point)

Why would someone develop a good solid program that cost them time and money and then turn around and give it away for FREE... Either they are just starting out and will charge later for the better product or they are using it to gather information in some way.

Most anti-spyware is in itself more spyware....

Edited April 13, 2006 by AZ38super

[EricW]

EricW,

Please do! These monkeys have left their cans of paint for the internet!

Ivan

Damned straight, Ivan!

What really gripes me is that *I* am blamed for viruses or whatever the f*** they're calling them these days. I scan my email, don't open attachments from anyone I don't know (and a lot of people I do know), pay my annual anti-virus maintenance, have my firewall turned on...blah blah blah. So, I've done my due diligence. Computers are not a hobby for me, and I'll be damned if I'm going to while away my free time learning about the latest exploit of TCP/IP/EIEIO Port #987654321 or Microsquash's secret back door du jour.

My plan for ending this BS:

- Make all hacking a Class C felony or better

- Put the 13 through 22 year olds doing this bullshit in the big house. If the little turd gets convicted of 3 felony counts in the same trial, well....welcome to LIFE in the big house. I'm all through shedding tears. Throw away the key. See if I care.

- Make software manufacturers financially liable for thier bullshit security holes. Most of it's due to spaghetti-code and the addition of all sorts of obscure, rarely-used connection and data transmission protocols. When you write a piece of software, have ONE area that handles all communication needs. That way it's easy to monitor and easy to shut down. And...most of all...easier to secure.

- Beat website designers over the head with wiffle bat until they use common damned sense. Very few sites *need* to download ActiveX/Java/Web-based executables to my computer. Just give me information I'm looking for and spare me the crapola, thank you very much. And no, I don't give a damn what anybody else thinks. I have my computer set up to ask my permission before running any type of web executable. I have scientifically determined that 98.4% of what people think needs to run on my computer is worthless bullshit.

- Make emails/email software that automatically launches any type of executable a felony.

- Bounce nations that allow hacking right off the damned internet. The U.S. controls the Internet. We are supreme. Either the offending countries (mostly ex-Soviet republics) get their act together, or it's hasta la bye bye.

- Investigate the relations between anti-virus companies and virus generators. I don't think there's outright collusion to any great extent, but there is most definitely an unholy alliance between the two. Like Windows, the virus industry has been turned into a geek-welfare system. I don't know about you, but I'm pretty goddamned tired of being held hostage.

Just off the top of my head...after all...you did ask.

[blackdragon]

AZ38super +1 Thats what my computer guy told me.

EricW, Hell yes!!!!!!!! Some one has to stop this S$&T! I wish I could. We spend a lot of money...And then what, They screw up our stuff again!

Ivan