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58 Comments
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -2/+22spyware is spreading because everyday more and more noobs start using computers.
- music13, on 10/12/2007, -8/+27True that, I recently bought a MacBook and the idea of not having to constantly worry about viruses and spyware is really assuring. Also, a little more on topic, why don't sites like MySpace.com that know there is a lot of spyware, etc on their site take action against it?
- T-DOT, on 10/12/2007, -1/+16"run regedit.exe"
You're not seriously telling people who have spyware on their computers to run the registry editor. The reason they have spyware is because they have no idea how to use their computers properly. The last thing they need is to play around with the registry. - dimatt, on 10/12/2007, -0/+14Die Myspace, just die.
- UserAgent, on 10/12/2007, -12/+24screw macs. macs suck. I use windows all the time and I have never gotten a viru... $#!#######H{{# ^#$%GDH$^#413yu PORNO^%%2 ydp.^G#^&d 5634f(()0[9
- Bob042, on 10/12/2007, -1/+13Hmm, concentrated stupid people in one place... Yeah, i'd think it would be common sense that that particular group would be worse off for spyware and viruses.
With some of the hideous HTML pages on that site, I'm surprised people managed to get past the default theme, much less know how to protect against spyware. - halleyscomet, on 10/12/2007, -8/+18First, Get an Intel Mac.
Second, install Parallels.
Third, install Linux in the Parallels install.
In Linux, install the VMWare Player, and use that to boot BSD from a CD or DVD. The key is to boot from Read Only Media.
Disable ALL virtual and network folders that can exist through VMWare or Parallels. Kill Copy and Paste too, just to be safe.
Finally, do ALL your web browsing with a copy of Firefox in that nested BSD install.
Of course, you need to have the host Mac behind a hardware firewall that blocks all ports except those you explicitly need.
And you need to install anti virus software on the Mac and Linux installs.
If you want to get carried away, do all your browsing from a copy of Lynx running from the BSD install.
That SHOULD keep you SOMEWHAT safe. - factoryjoe, on 10/12/2007, -1/+10It's completely a honey-pot. Except that people actually *really* do hang out there.
However, people shouldn't presume that these MySpace kiddies are actually surfing on their own computers... I went to an Apple store in downtown San Francisco where there's about 25 demostations set up... *All but one* had someone checking their MySpace profile. The last guy was on Hotmail.
Woe, the irony. - thenativeraver, on 10/12/2007, -1/+10I blame AOL for giving the ignorant masses access to the net.
- CurtHowland, on 10/12/2007, -14/+23Silent, I'll join you in getting buried.
You use your Mac, I'll use my Linux, and we can watch as Windows implodes. - w9thwonder, on 10/12/2007, -2/+10MySpace users have to account for 99% of the revenue of tech-support companies. It is because like moths to a fire, they just cannot resist punching the monkey.
- halleyscomet, on 10/12/2007, -2/+9@oslointhesummer
"You can't get infected by visiting a myspace profile."
So, how long have you been using Lynx as your primary web browser? - mcgarry83, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6Why doesn't the government step in and make spyware and malware illegal. Its time they did something about it for all the casual users who dont know enough about computers to keep them up. I know how, and it still drives me nuts every time I do a scan and find crap.
- Mikealot, on 10/12/2007, -2/+7Hah, you must think we're talking about Linux. However, for the purposes of this article, we're talking about Windows, where, Administrator or not, one n00b with 5 minutes can totally ruin a PC.
- pr0t3st, on 10/12/2007, -2/+6Do you live under a rock?
http://blog.washingtonpost.com/securityfix/2006/07/myspace_ad_served_adware_to_mo.html - chrono13, on 10/12/2007, -2/+6Yes, and then their favorite game doesn't work. And their obscure "must have" software. Image editors stop working, cd burning programs stop working, games, etc.
See this thread: http://www.digg.com/security/July_to_be_Another_Big_Patch_Month_for_Microsoft#c2223701
No citations of actual programs, but anyone who has seriously ran multiple limited user accounts for a family knows what I'm talking about.
And of course, once you get all your applications running as Admin again (through runas), then you are only marginally safer than you were prior.
Limited user accounts is broken. With a proper setup in a work environment, it can be made to work - but at home, with just one machine (say, XP Home), multiple users (say, a family) and regular use (fun, games, personal work, etc) it is difficult.
Linux has it right. Sudo is awesome. Mac - the same.
In my opinion, this is Windows single greatest issue, bug, defect, and design flaw. Fix it, and almost all Windows problems related to viruses, malware and accidental damage would be cured.*
* (developers of applications would soon get in line and develop apps that can *run* and function as a limited user once Windows default was changed to limited users).
-end rant. - crilen007, on 10/12/2007, -5/+9I'd like to see how Vista fairs before I make any ASSumptions about Windows.
- dave98, on 10/12/2007, -3/+7for all of you with friends, brothers, sisters, parents, grandparents... or whatever... that are prone to spyware.
Get them off the administrator account! Problem solved. - eatasandwich, on 10/12/2007, -7/+10Surely if everyone does get a mac then all the malicious spyware will start appearing on the mac. I could aslo just have no computer whatsoever!!!!
Can we have a digg filter that filters out the mac stuff from now on? It's like arguing about religion or something, nobody listens to anybody except the people they agree with in the first place.
It's depressing that so many good stories get ignored, and the same old crap gets dugg to the first page just because the mac addicts can't shut up! - OwdenBowden, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4I have an Idea - How about we hold the Websites Hosting Cos accountable for what transfers? Then maybe they will monitor the crap that is placed on their networks.
- chrono13, on 10/12/2007, -3/+6"I use Windows XP ... guess what, NO SPYWARE!!!!"
Yes, because there are scanners out there that detect 100% of all viruses/spyware/malware. And rootkits are only a myth.
http://www.securityfocus.com/infocus/1562 "Past its Prime: Is Anti-Virus Scanning Obsolete?"
And there are test that show that various anti-virus scanners are woefully inefficient and almost all have false negative percentage rates in the double digits.
I am glad that your scanners say you are clean though.
Does that give you piece of mind when you shop online, check your e-mail and keep personal documents saved on your computer? - Experiment626, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3The Zlob trojan that was mentioned in the article (the one that masquerades as a video codec download) was probably the culprit behind the problems encountered by one of Leo Laporte's KFI Tech Guy radio show callers a couple of weeks ago (who downloaded a codec update for WMV and got his system hosed with adware and spyware). The poor guy even followed the instructions of one of the popups - "to remove a virus in your system, buy this antivirus product for only $24.95..." - he actually forked over cash in order to get more spyware!
- decay, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4LMAO I havent seen a popup for so many months now...
Too many dumbasses on the internet I guess. - vinbob, on 10/12/2007, -4/+7@d0om
You forget that many linux & mac users where once or still are Windows users.
Your claim that Windows has more "superior" software than any other platform is ill-informed FUD, you just sound as if you haven't used any other platform. - Himself, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3how about not.
personal responsibility is the way we like things. - nicepants, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2It's a double-edged sword. Without these "non-tech savvy individuals", I wouldn't have a job...yet I'm constantly brought to the brink of madness when attempting to explain things to them.
- Lordxerxces, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3My personal opinion, if any ones bored enough to find it, is that:
As long as there are things, there will be things to ruin. As long as there are things to ruin, there will be people to ruin those ruinable things. As long as there are people to ruin anything ruinable, there will be people to try to prevent them from ruining those ruinable things. As long as there are people to try to prevent other people from ruining the things that are ruinable, then there will be people to try to ruin the ruinable things. As long as there are people to try to ruin the ruinable things, there will be things to ruin. As long as there are ruinable things, there will be things. (see top)
People who do not want their things ruined pay attention to halleycomet's insightful opinion somewhere around here. - Himself, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2here's a thought:
quit running your desktop in an administrator's context
for everything else there's DiamondCS products - d0om, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2i second that.
- Mikealot, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4There's been a bunch of crap with embedded video and adds and stuff. See http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/07/21/myspace_adware_attack/
- astrotrain, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1** writes on a sign and holds it up reading**
"Firefox, AVG AntiVirus and Spybot"
All three are free in price and from the Microsoft Empire. - chrono13, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1ghostbuster, perhaps you missed my link to "Anti-virus scanning is obsolete"
Or maybe you missed the part where I said that most Anti-virus scanners have percentage of fail-to-detect rates in the double digits.
So, basically you failed to read past... what, the third line of my post?
Your post was terrible, il-informed and completely lacking any display of intelligence, yet I still had the decency to read the whole thing before replying to it. Try to show the same courtesy or respect next time, please? - dasunst3r, on 10/12/2007, -2/+3Unfortunately, it's not that simple. I've seen instances where a *limited* user was able to install some programs and potentially make global changes. How that happens is beyond me.
- toastgodsupreme, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2When will someone just design spyware that destroys people's computers? Only after they get burned are normal users willing to learn to take precautions.
- JohnnyNova, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Sigh, another "leading vendor of anti-spyware software" fueling the paranoia about spyware.. l.a.m.e.
- BlackLineFish, on 10/12/2007, -2/+3LYNX, that't too funny. I just found a site and downloaded LYNX and spent a half hour browsing some forums. (Can't post to DIGG using LYNX, though.)
BTW, no spyware problems while using LYNX. No mac needed.
--gh
(Next, I need to get EMACS to replace Word, and PINE to replace Outlook and I would be all set.) - uownedge, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1As per usual, I see most of the same arguments floating around. Bleh. One more time; market share is only a valid argument if you're NOT talking about system security. If you're talking about whether or not a system can easily be infected, market share has nothing at all to do about it.
NOW, maybe it's just me, but when I see a story like this, my first thought *isn't* "GET A MAC LOLZ!" (No, I'm a Mac user, and OS X is my choice OS -- don't get me wrong here). I love this type of story though. Why? Because when i see something like this, the only thing I see is this: $$$$$$ That's right! People will PAY you to clean the malware off of their windows boxen! And I love every minute of it. As far as my personal computing goes? I use Windows when I need it, I use my Mac whenever I don't need Windows, and I use Linux when I want something to putz with. Do I think the rest of you guys should switch to Mac? No! It's just my personal favorite. If anything, I hope more people jump on the Windows bandwagon, because for me, that's the difference between eating at Wendy's, or the Le' Mont this weekend ;) - nicepants, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Until the kids get tired of having to log into their profile to run things and just use mom's administrator account, which had to have admin privileges because of some crazy greeting-card-making software that she cannot live without. Hence the middle school kid installs numerous games, and consequently spyware, and the oldest son, employed as a level III network tehnician, must spend upwards of 4 hours removing SurfSidekick and friends....only to have everything return once middle school boy gets back on his myspace.
If someone would supply me the home address of the CEO of SurfSidekick, I would go to his house and punch him in the face. Photos to be posted on flickr along with a paypal donations button for any possible legal bills. - TimTim, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1@crilen007:
The new security features in Vista will not do anything to stop spyware! Spyware will be installed through the front door just like it is in XP. I think people are getting a false since of security if they wait for Vista to solve their spyware problems.
Anti-spyware makers are still going to make big money on Vista! - Crypty, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2As long as there are idiots there will be spyware. Do us all a favor and go buy your mac computers.
- Himself, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2here here
its the new stigma... to replace "I use AOL" - DelMonte, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Many Windows geeks are the real elitists here.
89% of PCs are infected with malware, and Windows geeks have a very condescending attitude towards the people affected. Instead of pushing for an "idiot-proof" approach, they seem to enjoy seeing their friends and family suffer from these problems, so they can feel superior and then fix their computer, sometimes for a fee.
Many of those in the remaining 11% are either working in the security/Windows IT industry, and are profiting from other people's misery, being paid for removing malware. Yet they are gloating about being the smart ones while the rest are supposedly all idiots... - astrotrain, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1LOL..
The fact is the high priced AntiSpyware Software doesn't work as the free and donated
stuff. I've seen it happen..
While Norton states "Your System is Clean", I ran Spybot against the same system
and found 5 instances of Spyware (not cookies..it was spyware weaved into the registry). - ghostbuster, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Add Adaware Personal Edition and Ewido 4.0 to those, together with a free firewall like ZoneAlarm, and you might be reasonably save ...
... if you keep them all uptodate, keep your computer clean (fe. with CCleaner) and do regular scans with AVG, AdAware, Spybot and Ewido.
Offcourse no need to say anything about Windows Updates ........ - arlene1985, on 12/01/2007, -0/+0XoftSpy provides free scan: http://xoftspyantispyware.blogspot.com
Webroot make a superb antispyware software called spysweeper - it's gone over 5 releases already and is considered to be a top of a game: http://spy-sweeper-download.blogspot.com
ParetoLogic XoftSpy is easier to use and cheaper, but features an outstanding spyware pattern database.
While http://spysweeper-download.blogspot.com provides more flexible and feature-rich solution for advanced users and demanding customers. - motang, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1@factoryjoe Is MySapce that big of a deal? I guess I don't care because I am not a teen anymore. Although I do remember using MySapce back in 1999 for storing anime that was cool. Either way they need to surf more cautiously, if not for themselves then for others which spyware can install and email spam from an infected computer.
- d0om, on 10/12/2007, -9/+8not worth the sacrifice of superior software to switch to a mac just to avoid malware.
- Mikealot, on 10/12/2007, -3/+2I think it's a bit much to ask that everyone have enough interest in computers to troubleshoot them. If it were like maintaining a pool, which hasn't changed in years and years, then people would have no problems. But the spyware problem is a fairly new one that quickly changes and adapts. People want the ease of use on a computer to resemble that of other devices like a TV or DVD player, where you can get on, do what you want, and get off.
- ghostbuster, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0"Yes, because there are scanners out there that detect 100% of all viruses/spyware/malware. And rootkits are only a myth."
uuuhhh Chrono ... wich planet are you coming from? ;-)
Okay ... for discussion's sake:
- Name a scanner that detects them all
- Why are rootkits a myth? - ghostbuster, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0"Instead of pushing for an "idiot-proof" approach, they seem to enjoy seeing their friends and family suffer from these problems"
What would be such a approach?
Something like the self-help topics that some malware-helpforums are using? -
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