Computer Spyware & Viruses

[Ben]

Does anyone else have problems with spyware and viruses on their computer? I've been using Spybot Search and Destroy, but every so often new viruses are detected. What programs do you recommend to remove them? :confused:

[Tina]

Nope. How are you getting so many? Downloading from questionable sites? Opening e-mail attachments?

Antivirus:
I recommend McAfee Antivirus (http://us.mcafee.com/). (Norton can wreck havoc with a lot of your software)

Firewall:
Do NOT depend on Windows firewall for safety. Your best bet is a hardware firewall, but if you don't have that use Zone Alarm (http://www.zonealarm.com/store/content/home.jsp).

Spyware/Adware/Malware:
Spybot Search & Destroy (http://www.safer-networking.org/en/index.html)

Secure Browser:
Most of all use a secure browser Firefox (http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/) or Opera (http://www.opera.com/)

Secure e-mail client:
And use a secure e-mail client, anything BUT Outlook (dubbed 'LookOut' by savvy PC users), use Eudora (http://www.eudora.com/), or Thunderbird (http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/thunderbird/).

Do not engage is risky web behavior:

Do not open questionalbe e-mail attachments. When you mouse over the link and see something questionable delete it..do not click it. Ever.

Do not download cracked software or game componants. These more often than not have viruses written into them. The sites that host them can also have VB script embedded in the code and you can get a virus just from visiting these sites because the code is executed when the page loads. (Especially when Internet Destroyer is the browser you are using)

Do not use peer to peer programs. (Kazaa, BitTorrent etc. etc. etc.) that is just asking for trouble.

[gunderstone]

The main reason systems can become infected is because the user on the running PC has administrative control and programs that run will do so at the level of the logged in user.

As an admin you can do anything to your own system and therefore so can any virus or spyware.

You don't need to be an administrator to read your email or to read the news on the Record-Journal website so log in with an account with USER only privileges. If you need to do something one off (install a printer driver let's say) you can invoke "RUN AS" on the system to do that. If you need to do multiple actions where invoking "RUN AS" would become cumbersome then you can run SWITCH USER (if you have this enabled on your XP or Vista system) and do everything you need to do and then go back to the lower permission account

I work for Microsoft so I'll do my best to not sound like I have software bias but it's going to be tough; Firefox and Opera are just as good as IE - they do not have all the functionality of IE nor are they anymore or any less secure than IE. I would argue that IEs capability to be upgraded more easily than Firefox or Opera (previously they needed to be uninstalled and then newer versions installed to get security enhancements) makes IE easier to bring back to a standard security point.

No matter.

There is no browser, Firefox or Opera or even IE that is going to protect your system from malicious attacks when you are the admin - admins can do anything and with that control and the right scripting a virus, worm, trojan or malware is going to own your system and that is the end of the story

Same is true for Eudora or Thunderbird. They have somewhat less functionality than Outlook (not Outlook Express - I am speaking of Outlook) but they are no more or no less secure. I've been running Outlook since version 95 (and every version in between) with no issues - again, it goes back to the level of user control you're logged in with and what activities you're engaged in on the system.

Tina is absolutely correct when she indicated that you should "not engage is risky web behavior" - 100% on the mark there

I use nothing but the Windows Firewall on my systems (other than the fact that my Linksys router is also a firewall in front of my systems as well) and I have seven systems here and none of them have anti-virus software running on them (save my work laptop - that's a business requirement).

My systems are not impacted by spyware (I do occasional scans of them and then remove the software - keeps overall system overhead low as I do not need real time monitoring).

My systems are not impacted by viruses either and I check them once in a while with Symantec (again, I take the scanners off once I do my full system sweep once a quarter).

I've heard of some people complain about Symantec and I've heard some people complain about McAfee - I've always had good luck with either but I have personally found that I like Symantec better. As far as hosing up systems; both will in certain circumstances and more often than not the reason systems become negatively impacted by running ANY anti-virus software is due to not enough memory installed in the system (#1) or too slow of throughput of their hard disk (#2) where the disk is often an older drive at 7,200 RPM with 2MB of cache (or worse, 5,400 RPM) and on an older ATA 100 controller. Serial ATA with 7,200 or 10,000 RPM drives with 8 or 16MB caches are the way to go today and you need to have more than 512MB of RAM in an XP system and more than 1GB on a Vista system to not have Anti-Virus software jam them up. Most Antivirus software suites require 256MB to 384 MB of RAM on top of what the OS wants (XP really wants 256 and Vista really wants about 600 despite what it says anywhere else) so given all of that is where the RAM factor comes in and the performance hit as most people have way too little memory installed on their systems.

[Ben]

Thank you both for your advice. I ran Symantec as well as an online-based program that I'm sure you've heard of called HouseCall. Things seem to be running visibly smoother right now. I don't engage in risky behavior, but I think my problem was that I've had this computer for over a year without any permanent protection and Windows firewall turned off.

I am also connected via a LinkSys router and I don't believe that it is defined as a secure connection so I'm wondering if that plays a part in spyware/viruses.