You realize that is a crapload of things to do right?
As for Avast Free not having anti-script or whatever it is called, I think this is also the reason I got infected with “Windows Smart Security” that apparently got made around the time of the infection since I couldn’t find one google result complaining about it until the next morning after the infection took place.
Actually, I think I had Avast Professional and it still did not detect anything (and I think the virus was contracted via my browser) however I wonder if the fact it was saying “Avast will expire soon” has anything to do with this (and it did not expire). Also, can a browser of my choice have non scripting incorporated in it? Since I love to use AOL explorer more than anything…
As for paying for security programs, I mean, are they really that much better than free ones? Why can’t the free ones just have as much features as the ones we pay for? To be perfectly honest anti-virus programs TODAY are just about as essential as freaking internet browsers. Windows users need them now more than anything. There is such high demand on it right now and it’s ridiculous having people pay for security just because some homos out there like to make infecting malware.
Aren’t the programs being payed for need to be constantly updated? Do the updates cost too?
Also what is the difference between non script in a program like Malwarebytes PRO and non script in a browser like Firefox with no script?
WinPatrol is Free with updates occuring infrequently.
The PLUS update is a one time fee that provides access to its own repository of many applications.
Your $29.95 investment today is a one-time cost, good for each computer you personally own and use. No hidden fees, advertisements or unwanted toolbars.
I was going to ask, guessing this quote is saying that no AV program (free or otherwise) will prevent viruses/worms/etc. and protect against them 100%, what is the point of paying for anything? Don’t these malware programs update themselves contantly along with the program you’ve payed for? At one point your computer will crash and the soon-to-be-infamous malware program will disable even your 40 dollar just-updated-two-days-ago-but-apparently-not-as-recently-as-some-homo’s malware program. So now you won’t be able to use the program you used your bucks for.
Correct me if I’m wrong but the only advantage of paying for antivirus programs is the scripting thing? What other advantages are there (that have to do with safety)?
avast! has Resident Protection that is the first layer of defense that is free.
avast PRO has a second layer of defense that costs a bit more
Script Blocker
The resident protection of the Professional Edition includes an additional module, not contained in the Home Edition, called Script Blocker. This module watches all scripts being executed in the operating system (so-called WSH scripts - Windows Scripting Host), and scans all the scripts run as a part of a web page within your web browser (Internet Explorer, Netscape Navigator and Mozilla).
WinPatrol is a another layer of defense and is free
WinPatrol takes snapshot of your critical system resources and alerts you to any changes that may occur without your knowledge. WinPatrol was the pioneer in using a heuristic behavioral approach to detecting attacks and violations of your computing environment. It continues to be one of the most powerful system monitors while staying a single small programs.
As a robust SECURITY MONITOR , WinPatrol will alert you to hijackings, malware attacks and critical changes made to your computer without your permission. As a MULTI PURPOSE SUPPORT UTILITY WinPatrol replaces multiple system utilities with its enhanced functionality. Traditional security programs scan your hard drive searching for previously identified threats. WinPatrol will alert you to dangerous new programs while others prepare to update their definition/signature virus data files.
You realize that is a crapload of things to do right?
It does appear that way. Some of the suggestions offered were "either-or", not everything is necessary.
The primary one is to make sure software is up to date. That will minimize any possible attack vector. www.secunia.org supplies (free for personal use) the PSI, which I find very useful. [b][edit][/b] It would be interesting to see what it makes of your AOL browser.
As for Avast Free not having anti-script or whatever it is called, I think this is also the reason I got infected with "Windows Smart Security" that apparently got made around the time of the infection since I couldn't find one google result complaining about it until the next morning after the infection took place.
Probably vulnerable software was the reason. As you mention below, this was a new infection, not added to the database of most AV scanners. You were one of the lucky first to become infected with it. If you had been using a browser with no scripting, you would have been able to choose not to run the particular script that performed the drive by download (assuming that's what it was.Did you click on anything for the infection to occur? Or just visit the page hosting it?
Actually, I think I had Avast Professional and it still did not detect anything (and I think the virus was contracted via my browser) however I wonder if the fact it was saying "Avast will expire soon" has anything to do with this (and it did not expire). Also, can a browser of my choice have non scripting incorporated in it? Since I love to use AOL explorer more than anything...
See above. And if you want to use AOL software, and it doesn't have the option to at least prompt to run scripts, all bets are off. I don't know, I don't use their browser. (Nor anything else.)
As for "Avast will expire soon" that would have nothing to do with it. Those warnings start to happen several (~20 days, I think) days before updates are disabled. But if you had ignored it for that long, and it had stopped updating, then maybe.
As for paying for security programs, I mean, are they really that much better than free ones? Why can't the free ones just have as much features as the ones we pay for? To be perfectly honest anti-virus programs TODAY are just about as essential as freaking internet browsers. Windows users need them now more than anything. There is such high demand on it right now and it's ridiculous having people pay for security just because some homos out there like to make infecting malware.
There has been a 585% increase in rogue antimalware programs in the first 6 months of this year alone. These "homos" (you redneck, you) are often very qualified, prolific software writers, making very large sums of money, hired by organized crime syndicates. There is a lot of money involved.
Regarding AV manufacturers providing AV's for free - and yes, they are essential - who pays for their staff to eat? Feed their kids etc?
If the AV is a sideline of the main business, like, maybe, MSE by Microsoft, then they can afford to provide it (or a version of it) for free. If the company's main job is to provide security software, who is going to pay for development and updates if the software is free? The malware writers get paid darned well. The AV writers have to carry out R&D to try and keep up. It costs.
Aren't the programs being payed for need to be constantly updated? Do the updates cost too?
Yes. No.
Also what is the difference between non script in a program like Malwarebytes PRO and non script in a browser like Firefox with no script?
I don't know. Maybe one uses definitions, the other is user choice? But really, I don't know.
Problem with definitions-based software is that if you are unlucky enough to stumble upon a zero-day trojan (just released) only system hardening (Noscript, behavior blocker etc) will save you.
Would you begrudge paying a mechanic the fee for keeping your car serviced? The component of your air ticket that keeps the aircraft maintained? Health insurance?
Thing is, with security for computers, you have more free choices around than are available in other fields of possible day to day hazard.Good choices. You couldn’t actually fly safely on a carrier that gave away free seats regularly, because the aeroplane was well built 20years ago, and they have decided to save on maintenance. (Actually, they can’t do that. But if…) Who would willingly get on the thing?
Have a look at the malware forum at G2G and you will see this nasty popping up all over and infecting all the big boys as well as the little ones - and that includes ESET McAfee Norton Avira Avg et al
Due to the nature of the Anti-malware community we tend to get a clearing result within a few days - there is a new one now that infects intel drivers - again no AV detects this, it is discovered by looking at a rootkit scan. And after three days we know how to kill it. There is a greater interaction between the malware community than there is amongst AV companies, plus we get samples faster
The only defence is to run IE8 in protected mode, on Vista enable UAC and watch what you click. Never use the no or cancel button use the X on all popups on web sites
The reason for the growth in numbers is what is known in technical terminology as ‘polymorphism’, an old defence technique which involves changing the binary checksum of every copy (or download) of a piece of malware. This makes it much more difficult for antivirus programs to detect the programs.
"The primary reason for the creation of so many variants is to avoid signature-based detection by legitimate antivirus programs
Fake antivirus software can be hard to catch using heuristics because they are often willingly installed by users who think the programs to be genuine, bypassing systems such as Vista’s User Account Control (UAC).
According to Luis Corrons of PandaLabs, the rogueware business is controlled by up to 200 gangs globally, but 78 percent of the business could be in the hands of a top ten criminal entities,
Whenever you have NoScript installed inside the Firefox or Flock browser I grant your bet one hundred procent. Or you must be willingly install a rogue av and after being warned against this one million times the person that does so is utterly stupid or should not be behind a computer keyboard.
And because the main problem here is PBKAC (problem between keyboard and computer) they still cash on this scheme grand scale, because people have no notice of what a safe browser is (millions don’t even know what the simple term browser stands for) and then hordes click after everything they see under their cursor, one could right click, one could left click and one could click away - easy victims. And the reality is what I just described,
Crap…was typing this up, went to go do something, came back then restarted my comp without knowing this was just about done and ready to post…oh well.
This is what it looked like:
Thanks! That was some great insight.
Secunia is running a scan now…the past 20 tries I’ve tried with antimalware programs to scan and delete infected files, failed, as they just closed down due to a setting created by the virus, and every time I try to reopen the application it says files are missing. This is none other than the crappy virus being a B.
Edit: Secunia is done but it didn’t do anything. Just scanned and that’s it, didn’t even install, though I doubt it wouldn’t have been overcome by the stupid virus.
And every time I try to install a program in SAFE mode, it says something like “administrator disabled doing that”.
Guess I’m going to have to manually remove it via the registry editor and so on. I mean it’s not in my task manager (I checked) and I disabled startup item related to the infections…I have registry editor left. For some reason I doubt this’ll do anything though.
These pages and several others have been made just today or yesterday. That’s how new this crap is.
I was ok with just downloading the fixes these links had, but for some reason I guess they don’t know what WWS actually does. It nullifies every attempt to scan and remove it. It just freaking closes everything and prevents you from installing programs in safe mode. Wtf? Safe mode? Why there? I should be safe there, obviously. Guess it shouldn’t be called safe anymore.
My Avast PRO (demo version) was running and updating every day, even telling me with its macintosh-like voice (lol)
I was getting torrent files, and it was most likely from that. Still, I had avast running, and 87% of the time it would catch something. I thought I was going to be safe always with Avast. Found out I was wrong though. Avast fails, maybe not as much as AVG (which I don’t recall at all serving me in any way, i.e. I never witnessed it actually stopping anything, maybe it did secretly without me noticing) but it still fails. There’s just never a 99% perfect security program…is there? I’m talking about free and costly ones. There are so many different anti-virus programs out there…how do I found out which one is the best for me to use? Which ones worth the most for its money and is the cost reasonable, etc.? Not necessarily which program is the most powerful.
Where do I check whether or not my browser has script blocker?
By the way this is what pops up when I go to Help on AOL Explorer:
So I think it’s like IE…especially since it mentions IE8 on it. Also prior to checking this thing out, I was told recently by something that my AOL Explorer is like my Internet Explorer…guess they are very linked.
Yeah read it myself some time back. Holy eff.
I said the following on a few other forums. I believe whoever makes these programs is entering hell, even more so now since this involves a lot of money as you say, and this is also affecting me since I use this computer for studying, leisure etc. and it’s getting messed up by some lowlife.
Didn’t think about that…oops.
Just want to know where to I check to see if my browser has noscript or not.
If you are unable to conduct a conversation without resorting to profanity then I can no longer see any point in visiting this forum, obviously I have annoyed you somehow in my previous life. I have never said one thing is better than another - all I recommend is sensible precautions. I will finish off those I am helping and bid you adieu
It does not mean the NOD32 is better than Avast because when I switched back to avast after 2 weeks,my PC was infected by 542 samples of win32 vitro which NOD32 was unable to detect
I decided to test that and visit the malware site I came across earlier in (in Ubuntu) in Windows XP. No Vista. No UAC. No Protected Mode. No anti-virus. No No Script (Polonus).
Firefox told me the page was an attack site. Even ignoring the warning, the page wouldn’t load properly.
Better luck in Opera.
Scam AV tells me I’m infected and tries to download a malware file.
Is my computer infected?
No.
MS FUD: 0, A secure up-to-date system + knowledge:1.
Congratulations Freewheeling Frank, I take my hat off to you. Due to your offensive, stupid remarks, you have just alienated, ( in my opinion ) the most talented person who visits this forum. His expertise, and knowledge at malware removal is unrivalled here. Not only that, he goes about his business, in a pleasant, calm, and very professional manner. Willing to help anyone, without question or judgement.A person who spends hours, analyzing logs,that no one else understands. His contribution to this forum and other forums, is invalueable.
Most people on this forum, myself included, have very little idea about removing serious malware. Many people who visit, seeking help, often leave, frustrated, due to the lack of expertise.
So to upset, one of the few people who has the expertise, is rank stupidity.
And Freewheeling Frank, loudmouth, what is your contribution ? How many people do you help ? I may be wrong, I don’t recall you, ever, giving, professional malware removal advice.
The one thing that surprises me, is the fact, that no one else, is, telling you, what a moron you are. It’s a bit cliquey here though isn’t it.
So once again F.F many congrats, I will expect, if Essexboy, no longer visits, this forum, you will, be filling his shoes, and, giving people, advice, on cleaning, their pc’s. I look forward to that ;D
