Virus Warning!

[Oaken]

Microsoft® Malware Protection Center : Taterf – all your drives are belong to me!!!1!one!

hold on to your panties, ladies and gents.

[Absalom]

Thanks for the warning. This is a pretty good article that is linked as well. Though, considering the title of the post.. i googled the link rather than clicked it.

Disabling the Explorer ‘autoplay’ feature is useful in helping to avoid these problems. In Vista it’s easily done via the Control Panel. On Pre-Vista OS’ (if you’re admin) you can disable it globally by running ‘gpedit.msc’ -> administrative templates -> System. There are other ways – such as playing with the registry if you’re pretty l337, or tools such as TweakUI. Of course, one can manually hold the ‘Shift’ key when inserting media to disable it, but then you have to remember stuff. You think you’re safe, but infections can come from the most unlikely of places....

The section about turning off the autorun feature is really a good idea and has been for years. Just to recap on how to turn it off for you XP people:

Start->Run
gpedit.msc
Select "Administrative Templates" from the list on the left
Select "System"
Then on the right pane, select "Turn off Autoplay" (double click it)
A dialog should come up with some options for it. Select the "Enabled" radio button.
Under the Enabled button, in the drop down box change the selection to "All Drives"
click ok.

Your system is now set to no longer automatically run anything on CD's, USB keys, or removable drives that are inserted into your system. This just removes a convenience (or annoyance) of getting a pop up every time you insert one of these drives.

As mentioned, you should be sure your browsers are up to date as well. Personally, I don't trust Internet Explorer even with all its updates because many malicious coders will target windows and IE. I would suggest FireFox if you are not currently using it. Those with 2.x of the browser are probably pretty safe (properly configured) though version 3.0 just came out with some pretty good features aside from its security.

Also, I would advise you to be sure your virus scanners are up today, and not just the freebies you can get from the web. Kids, if you can't afford McAfee (or your Symantec's if you prefer) then ask your parents to help protect your computer (and theirs if they use it). It is WELL WORTH the investment to have a quality virus scanner.

[Oliselia]

I would also recommend heading over to the MS site and using the MSRT.

-Oli

[KJ]

Originally Posted by Absalom

Also, I would advise you to be sure your virus scanners are up today, and not just the freebies you can get from the web. Kids, if you can't afford McAfee (or your Symantec's if you prefer) then ask your parents to help protect your computer (and theirs if they use it). It is WELL WORTH the investment to have a quality virus scanner.

I have had zero issues with AVG free edition, nor have millions of other users of it. To suggest virus protection is inadequate because it is "Free" is just plain bad.
Using common sense while browsing the internet is the BEST virus scanner imo.

[Majestrix]

Originally Posted by KJ

I have had zero issues with AVG free edition, nor have millions of other users of it. To suggest virus protection is inadequate because it is "Free" is just plain bad.
Using common sense while browsing the internet is the BEST virus scanner imo.

Sigh, actually assuming your protection is just as good as a fully paid for product is "just plain bad".

Even AVG admits that AVG free provides only basic protection. It doesn't provide any protection against rootkits at all. The majority of infectations I see on PC's are almost always a variation of some kind of rootkit.

If you wish to use "free" protection that is your business, however don't assume your fully protected and don't come back to the forums to complain when you get a virus, or your account hacked or worse...

Maj

[Absalom]

I have had zero issues with AVG free edition, nor have millions of other users of it. To suggest virus protection is inadequate because it is "Free" is just plain bad.
Using common sense while browsing the internet is the BEST virus scanner imo.

My statement wasn't blindly given. I have used a few free scanners before and while they have found SOME malicious material, they were normally slow to find it or newer threats not yet in their definitions.

I mentioned McAfee and Symantec because these companies are very active in updating definitions, as well as improving the scanner technologies used to discover possible threats on your system before they are in any scanner's definitions.

There are various results on the web showing results between many scanners. There are better than McAfee or Symantec, though I doubt people really need the level of protection they provide.

I have had zero issues with AVG free edition, nor have millions of other users of it.

After your assumption that I blindly suggest people at the Den spend money and that something that is free can't possibly be good, you go on to say :

Using common sense while browsing the internet is the BEST virus scanner imo.

This is likely what makes ANY scanner work well. Having a set of precautions that you take while you browse the web will make even the worst free tools work better since they will have less to look for. Many free tools can do well, but in my experience and in many test results (which you can feel free to search for) there are other tools which performed much better and missed finding known and unknown threats far less.

If you use a free scanner like AVG and you have no problems, then I am happy it is working well for you. In the end, I'll agree that you should be careful what you do online and do research on the software you wish to use to protect you and your system.

*** Information added 7 Minutes and 27 Seconds later... ***

It doesn't provide any protection against rootkits at all. The majority of infectations I see on PC's are almost always a variation of some kind of rootkit.

This is just one of the threats I was referring to when I mentioned "unknown" threats in my previous post. Some scanners will only scan files in a few ways, scanning the headers of the files against the data contained in their definitions. If they come across "root-kit.exe" and it appears to be a perfectly legitimate executable (which it likely will) instead of some known set of malicious code (perhaps a buffer overwrite or something to that effect) then some of these free scanners may not even notice this as a threat. Before you know it your level 70 warlock is dancing naked spaming "/yell free gold at the mailbox! "

Do the research and be sure what you have is really protecting you. If you do find that AVG is better, then I applaud you for doing enough research to come back and throw it in my face. At least I know I helped one person be a little more safe.

[KJ]

@Maj. lulwut? Where did I mention I assumed anything? Don't put your words in my post. I know what I need. I know what works for me. Sign more posts please the charactor info to the left was'nt enough for me to know who you were.

@Ab I never said one was better than the other. I Pay 50 bucks for an antivirus program you better make me at least think it is better than the free download at downloads.com.

The point is people need different levels of protection but you cannot dismiss a "Free" program simply cause it is free. I am not going to research anything "to throw it in your face" you earn your money you spend it where you want to.

[TiaMaster]

Actually, the WORST practice on the internet is the way people use the "Quote/Unquote/Reply" method when they are displeased with a post. You don't NEED to argue - people usually don't change they're opinion anyway.

Easier just to say "thats your opinion" and move on. You can pretty much just assume if someone dissects your post in this manner they just want to mince words with you. The long "Quote/Unquote/Reply" thread just waste space anyways.

And just in case, I see Absalom was the one who did that here and I want to say that this is just my opinion and it does not mean people who do that are wrong, just that IMO its easier to simply express your opinion then move on without arguing. Friendly advice is all this is - I just wanna make forums better and happier.

[Majestrix]

KJ - I'll try to put this as politely as possible. Just because a "free" version of AV software works for you does not make it something I think should be recommended to the masses.

Since you insist on implying I have dismissed the program out of hand or somehow don't know my stuff I will be more specific.

I have plenty of experience with AV/AS products from:
Symantec, McAfee, Trend Micro, Grisoft (the makers of AVG free), Webroot, Panda, Kaspersky, Computer Associates, Spyware Doctor and CounterSpy.

I have also used many of the free products you've mentioned:
AVG free, Spybot, Lavasoft, Merijn, Atribune and free scanners from the above manufacturers...

IMHO that just because you are a very safe internet user it does not mean others are, if that's the case they most likely need better protection than what a free version would provide.

As for your comment about my signature; sign your posts however you like, I plan to continue to do the same with mine...

[Absalom]

Majestrix is saying pretty much what I was trying to get at.

I really don't want to turn this thread into something it shouldn't be. I was a bit upset in the manner that my post was replied to so I suppose my reply to that might have reflected such. Anyway.. let's let that topic die. I seem to have a knack for starting heated threads when it is not my intent.