Spyware/browser hijacks/trojans - Read Here FIRST
It seems that more and more posts in this group concern spyware/scumware/malware of some sort. From browser hijacks to systems slowing down to the point of death this definitely seems to be a common occurence these days. I thought it would be a good idea to collect all of the best information, helpful hints, etc and stick it to the top of the topics permanently. Please feel free to ad your own tips, tricks, programs and the like.
This also means that if you (the questioning poster) does not read this topic and you create a whole new topic asking a question that could be answered here you will be ridiculed mercilessly.
Common sense suggestion:
DO NOT USE INTERNET EXPLORER OR OUTLOOK.
It would be preferable if you did not use Windows at all but at the very least DO NOT use its internet products. They are vulnerable, bug ridden pieces of crap. If it were not for these two application 99.9% of all viri, trojans, worms, spyware, etc would NOT exist. If they did they certainly would not spread as much as they do now.
"But BattyDude what else is out there?", you ask. There are a myriad of other browsers that will not automatically install spyware everytime they hit a malicious Active-X site. There are also many email programs that will not activate viri and trojans just by viewing the message in the preview pane. Such as:
Mozilla - Info Download FREE web browser that I, and thousands of others, swear by. Always in development and always being improved on a volunteer basis. Also comes bundled with an amazing email program that progressively gets better at blocking spam as it learns what you think is junk. It filters about 95% of my mail successfully.
Firefox - Info Download FREE Mozilla's baby brother, errr sister?, but just as good. Doesn't have as many bells and whistles but is still an amazing browser. It handles my Gmail account perfectly whereas IE and Mozilla will choke a bit.
Thunderbird - Info Download FREE And this would be Mozilla's email client's little brother/sister. Same powerful spam filter and just as easy to use.
DO NOT OPEN OR CLICK ON ATTACHMENTS. After almost 10 years of email worms, viri, etc you would think that this would be common sense. Personally, it should be punishable by death...of your computer. One chance. That's it. You get infected the Virus Police break down your door and EMP your box. No ifs, and, or buts.
SCAN, SCAN, SCAN. There are many great products out there that will help you avoid all of this scumware. Download it and use it on a regular basis. Here are some of my faves:
Spybot S&D - Info Download FREE spyware scanner
Ad-Aware - Info Download FREE spyware scanner
CWShredder - Info Download FREE (The best hijack removal tool around. The site is an awesome resource as well.)
Zone Alarm - Info Download FREE firewall. Take the tutorial. If you simply click on "Allow Connection" all of the time you defeat its purpose.
AVG Anti-virus - Info Download FREE anti-virus program that has caught everything I have ever thrown at it. Works like a champ.
***NOTE - If any of these sites require an email address use one of your throwaway hotmail/yahoo spam catcher accounts. You will need a valid address for at least one of them***
And finally UPDATE, UPDATE, UPDATE!!! - all of your scanners are only as good as the information they are working with. If you have not updated the spyware definitions or virus definitions for a month then you are vulnerable for anything bad that's been released since then. And also remember to UPDATE WINDOWS!!! Most exploits are the result of a patch that Microsoft has released. This trojan/worm/virus writers disassemble the patches to see what they fix. Then they will create something to exploit exactly what the patch fixes. Why would they do something silly like that? Because they know that most people do not update Windows. They also know that auto-update is disabled by default in Windows (bright huh?).
You will also notice a treand in the pricing - FREE FREE FREE FREE - It will cost you nothing,nada, zip, zilch to keep our internet clean and free of scum. It may take a little bit to get used to how Mozilla may look (there's an IE skin to make it look the same again if you really want it.). It may take a little while to get in the habit of scanning your computer on a regular basis. But you know what? But then again...would rather be constantly infected or briefly disoriented? It's your choice.
So...for those of you who missed it the last time:
DO NOT USE INTERNET EXPLORER OR OUTLOOK.
DO NOT OPEN OR CLICK ON ATTACHMENTS.
SCAN, SCAN, SCAN.
UPDATE, UPDATE, UPDATE!!!
UPDATE, UPDATE, UPDATE!!!
UPDATE, UPDATE, UPDATE!!!
UPDATE, UPDATE, UPDATE!!!
It seems that more and more posts in this group concern spyware/scumware/malware of some sort. From browser hijacks to systems slowing down to the point of death this definitely seems to be a common occurence these days. I thought it would be a good idea to collect all of the best information, helpful hints, etc and stick it to the top of the topics permanently. Please feel free to ad your own tips, tricks, programs and the like.
This also means that if you (the questioning poster) does not read this topic and you create a whole new topic asking a question that could be answered here you will be ridiculed mercilessly.
Common sense suggestion:
DO NOT USE INTERNET EXPLORER OR OUTLOOK.
It would be preferable if you did not use Windows at all but at the very least DO NOT use its internet products. They are vulnerable, bug ridden pieces of crap. If it were not for these two application 99.9% of all viri, trojans, worms, spyware, etc would NOT exist. If they did they certainly would not spread as much as they do now.
"But BattyDude what else is out there?", you ask. There are a myriad of other browsers that will not automatically install spyware everytime they hit a malicious Active-X site. There are also many email programs that will not activate viri and trojans just by viewing the message in the preview pane. Such as:
Mozilla - Info Download FREE web browser that I, and thousands of others, swear by. Always in development and always being improved on a volunteer basis. Also comes bundled with an amazing email program that progressively gets better at blocking spam as it learns what you think is junk. It filters about 95% of my mail successfully.
Firefox - Info Download FREE Mozilla's baby brother, errr sister?, but just as good. Doesn't have as many bells and whistles but is still an amazing browser. It handles my Gmail account perfectly whereas IE and Mozilla will choke a bit.
Thunderbird - Info Download FREE And this would be Mozilla's email client's little brother/sister. Same powerful spam filter and just as easy to use.
DO NOT OPEN OR CLICK ON ATTACHMENTS. After almost 10 years of email worms, viri, etc you would think that this would be common sense. Personally, it should be punishable by death...of your computer. One chance. That's it. You get infected the Virus Police break down your door and EMP your box. No ifs, and, or buts.
SCAN, SCAN, SCAN. There are many great products out there that will help you avoid all of this scumware. Download it and use it on a regular basis. Here are some of my faves:
Spybot S&D - Info Download FREE spyware scanner
Ad-Aware - Info Download FREE spyware scanner
CWShredder - Info Download FREE (The best hijack removal tool around. The site is an awesome resource as well.)
Zone Alarm - Info Download FREE firewall. Take the tutorial. If you simply click on "Allow Connection" all of the time you defeat its purpose.
AVG Anti-virus - Info Download FREE anti-virus program that has caught everything I have ever thrown at it. Works like a champ.
***NOTE - If any of these sites require an email address use one of your throwaway hotmail/yahoo spam catcher accounts. You will need a valid address for at least one of them***
And finally UPDATE, UPDATE, UPDATE!!! - all of your scanners are only as good as the information they are working with. If you have not updated the spyware definitions or virus definitions for a month then you are vulnerable for anything bad that's been released since then. And also remember to UPDATE WINDOWS!!! Most exploits are the result of a patch that Microsoft has released. This trojan/worm/virus writers disassemble the patches to see what they fix. Then they will create something to exploit exactly what the patch fixes. Why would they do something silly like that? Because they know that most people do not update Windows. They also know that auto-update is disabled by default in Windows (bright huh?).
You will also notice a treand in the pricing - FREE FREE FREE FREE - It will cost you nothing,nada, zip, zilch to keep our internet clean and free of scum. It may take a little bit to get used to how Mozilla may look (there's an IE skin to make it look the same again if you really want it.). It may take a little while to get in the habit of scanning your computer on a regular basis. But you know what? But then again...would rather be constantly infected or briefly disoriented? It's your choice.
So...for those of you who missed it the last time:
DO NOT USE INTERNET EXPLORER OR OUTLOOK.
DO NOT OPEN OR CLICK ON ATTACHMENTS.
SCAN, SCAN, SCAN.
UPDATE, UPDATE, UPDATE!!!
UPDATE, UPDATE, UPDATE!!!
UPDATE, UPDATE, UPDATE!!!
UPDATE, UPDATE, UPDATE!!!
later