Sneaky Spyware Becomes Internet Scourge

[Candy]

Sneaky Spyware Becomes Internet Scourge (http://dailynews.att.net/cgi-bin/news?e=pub&dt=041031&cat=news&st=newsd862458g2&src =ap)

Spyware, an amorphous class of software that mostly gets onto computers without their users' knowledge, has become epidemic in the past year as people spend more time online and spyware developers get more aggressive. The resource-hungry programs often render machines unusable. :o
There are some scary stories on the link.

Congress is working on a ban, and industry groups have launched efforts to educate consumers and fight back with technology. Experts believe a solution will ultimately involve a combination of law enforcement, education and engineering. 8-[

[mickal555]

I had a spy ware infection, 134 different programs! They infest your computer and ironically keep popping up pop up saying that your comp is infected and they sell you a scanner plus a remover and thats how (this particular mob) made money. I had 130 other spy wares shudder.

[Gullible Jones]

Your solution: link (www.linux.org)

Don't want to move to another OS? Try this (www.mozilla.org/products/firefox) and this (www.mozilla.org/products/thunderbird) instead of Internet Explorer and Outlook Express.

Also, don't forget Spybot (www.safer-networking.org) and AdAware (www.lavasoftusa.com). If you do not have an antivirus right now, use AVG (www.grisoft.com). Always remember to update these programs' definitions, and to check for newer versions, on a regular basis.

A good firewall for those currently lacking firewalls or NAT routers can be found here. (www.zonealarm.com)

BTW, for those who want to switch to Linux, here is the place to look for a distro. (www.distrowatch.com) I am personally not sure which "beginning" distros are best; ask someone else about that. ;)

[mickal555]

Oh its fixed now........ I chucked it out the window. (luckily I had two computers at the time) I now use my old one which was better than my new one anyway but I still had to reconfigure (wipe and reload) it every 6 months now I don't down load,anything.

[frogesque]

I use Adaware, Spybot Search and Destroy, Spyware Blaster and Yahoo popup blocker. It ain't perfect but it does help.

What really ticks me off is when I go to a certain well know e-auction site loading the front page initiates SIX attempts to download a well known tracking cookie (Doubleclick) and every page thereafter has at least one attempt to download. I mean, can these people just not take a hint?

[Candy]

I use Adaware, Spybot Search and Destroy, with NIS (Norton Internet Security). Works great! :D

[frogesque]

Safe Mode is Ok. I don't know all it does but I do know it only gives a very limited set of drivers (hence the poor display and no modem/internet conection)

I went back to yur original link Candy It had 4 tries at downloading Doubleclick! :lol:

[Gullible Jones]

SpywareBlaster can help avert Doubleclick and similar crap. It is obtainable here. (www.javacoolsoftware.com) In my experience, though, it is easier to just turn off third-party cookies and make all cookies session only.

[Robert Andersson]

I don't understand where people get all these spywares, virii, etc from. I've used computers heavily the last 15 years (with Windows too!) and never suffered. Except back in the Amiga days, they could make really clever virii then, and when my sister used my Windows box and in 10 minutes! somehow managed to get it infected.

One key: don't download crap software from unknown sources and use secure software while interacting with other computers (Outlook [Express] and Internet Explorer do not constitute "secure software").

[Kullat Nunu]

I don't understand where people get all these spywares, virii, etc from.

- no antivirus software
- no firewall
- no Windows security updates
- Internet Explorer/Microsoft Outlook
- lack of knowledge
- suspicious sites (warez/porn etc.)

If you don't get malware with that combination, then it's a miracle. :evil:

[Jpax2003]

I've been operating a computer for over 10 years. I got my first virus a year and a half ago. It happens. It's not a matter of if, it's a matter of when.

The new Service Pack for WinXP helps address these issues. It turns the windows firewall on by default and has a popup blocker in Internet Explorer. Or you could download and use the free ZoneAlarm firewall software. ZoneAlarm has the ability to control your cookies controls by site. For instance, you could block all cookies except the ones at badastronomy.com so that you don't have to login each time you come to post.

[electromagneticpulse]

I lost everything on my hard drive from one piece of spyware. It killed something in the registry when i removed it which then killed windows start up. I had all the anti-spyware programs but it was a new version of the "mysearch" tool bar that would reinstall itself once removed so i had to hunt it down in the registry i thought i got rid of it but apparently it just killed my computer.

I would like to see the makers of these programs tied to a post while a very inaccurate person throws rocks at their heads (as was done in biblical times). Its a little harsh but when you lose all your work and all your stuff because someone made an illegal program and illegally installed it on your computer with mallicious intent its probably a lot nicer then what the lawyers of everybody who's suffered is going to do to them, this been before or after they get out of jail.

I cant believe how desperate companys are getting over the few people that are using pirate software, 1/3 of microsofts software is pirated they know who is using pirate stuff but they don't do anything about it they make several billion a year probably because they aren't spending their money on useless programs that are going to get cracked. I mean virus', spyware, malware, etc can all get onto the windows system and any program written in it is therefore flawed and can be exploited.

Following on from the exploited point IIRC several companys got taken to court for producing spyware and then selling bogus programs to stop it working. Apparently racketeering has gone .com on us 8-[

[Candy]

Hey, I never heard of pop-up protection until I came to the BABB.

I haven't heard of such protection, then I know others haven't.

Best to keep the word out! :D

[Gullible Jones]

People get virii, spyware, adware, trojans, etc. by not being careful enough. If a person uses Internet Explorer as a primary browser, they are going to get infected with something at some point, because IE is a poorly designed, insecure browser and is integrated into Windows. If someone uses Outlook Express to open all their e-mails, and does not know what settings to use for it, then they will probably pick up a virus. If someone's machine is not properly firewalled, they may find themselves infected with a trojan or subjected to a DoS attack. The problem is that many users, being relatively new to computers, don't learn this stuff until something nasty happens.

[electromagneticpulse]

www. bandit600.ch
www. videolucky.it
www. ulqini.it
www. amicodiieri.it
www. sms-animati-nokia.it

Just 5 sites a came across which killed my browser while looking for info. Lucky I hate active X so they couldn't install themselves as i dont let it run.

Edit: they were almost working links then, big no no :lol:

[frogesque]

A new trick I have only just seen is a page where the mouse pointer bears a Doubleclick tag on it. I just closed the window browser pdq.

electromagneticpulse One I find that has a nasty habit of hijacking a page is Ad Avenue .Inc, if I don't let it load the page gets arrested and doesn't display.

[SAMU]

Don't share information in public forums as to how you fight viruses and popups as the writers of them then use that info to defete your attempts to stay clear of them.

Don't mention what programs you use because they can write to infect those programs.

Share good things you learn of how to protect and use your computer only with personal friends and tell them not to share either.

Pity that it's like this but no one in government has passed a law allowing open season on those vermin. And the richest people in the world now, whose wealth depends on providing a good computer product to you, have not lobbied for such laws.

[frogesque]

SAMU, the internet is about free and open exchange of information, ideas and concepts. Regretably it has also become open territory for the scammers, spammers, racketeers and just plain nasty. The old advice is still the best, if you have doubts about a site, don't go there, if you get an e-mail with an unknown attachment don't open it.

I don't think BA is the right place to do it but I do belive in name and shame. Marketing is BIG business and CEOs and directors should be held accountable for their actions. The Law won't/can't/isn't interested in doing it so we have to take matters in hand ourselves.

Every key on my keyboard is private to me unless I decide to share that information with others. Just because I go to a news site to read an item of passing interest it does not mean I want to buy products either related or unrelated to that article and I definitely do not want malware on my pc slowing it down and causing problems. Neither do I want to hide in a dark corner cringing before the marketing bullys who think they have a right to invade my privacy at will. I will defend my space and for me anyway, part of the strategy is keeping informed, sharing information, and plain old common sense.

[CTM VT 2K]

I have worked very hard over the years to keep my system spyware and virus clear... and my email almost SPAM-Free (the latter with diminishing effectiveness). I do not use MSIE or Netscape. The browser I do use, I have cookies and pop-ups turned off. I took drastic steps to protect myself. I do not feel that is really enough though. It's about time to go on the offensive. How can we work together to put a stop to all this nonsense?

[Robert Andersson]

Don't share information in public forums as to how you fight viruses and popups as the writers of them then use that info to defete your attempts to stay clear of them.
That is what is called "security by obscurity". I will hapilly tell the world everything about my servers (OS, software, configurations and hardware) except the passwords. I can do this because I keep them secure in the true sense, and updates as soon as vunerabilities are discovered (and they will, but I know about them before they are exploited).

[Wally]

I use Norton firewall/AV. Just yesterday, I checked out the statistics. It shows a remote access attempt had just been blocked a few minutes earlier. I noticed a "show details" button and clicked it. Norton chewed for a few seconds, then displayed a map of the N.E. USA, with a circle and crosshairs on a small town in Penn. Under the map, it listed Comcast Cable and gave the address and everything (even saying "5th floor").

Never knew Norton would do this for you. Not sure why/what Comcast wanted on my PC, but thought it was pretty cool how Norton would backwards trace the attempt to show exactly where it came from. . .

then again, I'm pretty easily amused. . . 8)

[electromagneticpulse]

Don't share information in public forums as to how you fight viruses and popups as the writers of them then use that info to defete your attempts to stay clear of them.

Don't mention what programs you use because they can write to infect those programs.

Share good things you learn of how to protect and use your computer only with personal friends and tell them not to share either.

Pity that it's like this but no one in government has passed a law allowing open season on those vermin. And the richest people in the world now, whose wealth depends on providing a good computer product to you, have not lobbied for such laws.

Yes as i mentioned microsoft don't. 1/3 of their products are owned through illegal means but they still make one hell of a profit. Also your advice is correct in some sense, yes hackers and trojan/virus/spyware/etc makers do look on forums also so do the hackers employed by the pentagon to hack their systems or the ones employed by microsoft to see how easy it is to upload things into a microsoft program. These people are called corporate hackers they work for the corperations but are paid to not use anything they have to buy, they tend to steal computer bases left out side of a company building every 6 months or so when they get a hardware update.
They have computers from the old 286 processors up to the new giga ones on sale. These kind of people set up companys like spybot and adaware because of their knowlidge in hacking and knowing how to stop them getting in because they know where they get in. Posting on a forum helps the good side more then the bad.

As Robert said he is happy to share the information about his servers. The securist way to keep your paswords safe is to save them into a .txt file on a floppy disk, you then insert the disk and copy the text out (which is stored in RAM) and then paste it into the entry field, this then stops any key mapping that can be used to find your passwords. Im guessing people will probably wonder why a floppy disk, well its removable if you keep the file on you hard drive programs can trace your path to get it, if the path is to 'A:\Passwords.txt' when that floppy disk isn't in your computer it can't be accessed and limits the chance of a remote access to the file for someone to get it.
Also while im surgesting security help i would surgest not allowing anything to access your computer the simplest method of doing this is to remove the processor hit it with a sledge hammer then place into a pit full of petrol and egnite. :D

[electromagneticpulse]

I use Norton firewall/AV. Just yesterday, I checked out the statistics. It shows a remote access attempt had just been blocked a few minutes earlier. I noticed a "show details" button and clicked it. Norton chewed for a few seconds, then displayed a map of the N.E. USA, with a circle and crosshairs on a small town in Penn. Under the map, it listed Comcast Cable and gave the address and everything (even saying "5th floor").

Never knew Norton would do this for you. Not sure why/what Comcast wanted on my PC, but thought it was pretty cool how Norton would backwards trace the attempt to show exactly where it came from. . .

then again, I'm pretty easily amused. . . 8)

All you need is a user log in on that computer that would cover the time of the attack. Then you could sue them for it, Infact you could do it anyway as they would have to provide that information of the user who logged in and was running it at that time.

I never knew norton could do that either but it could be a false positive as zombie networks can be set up to pass things like that between them. Stupid zomies :evil:

[Robert Andersson]

I use Norton firewall/AV. Just yesterday, I checked out the statistics. It shows a remote access attempt had just been blocked a few minutes earlier. I noticed a "show details" button and clicked it. Norton chewed for a few seconds, then displayed a map of the N.E. USA, with a circle and crosshairs on a small town in Penn. Under the map, it listed Comcast Cable and gave the address and everything (even saying "5th floor").
I doubt that this was the location of the intruder, or at least I hope that it wasn't. All Norton have is an IP address. ONLY the ISP of the user could possibly translate one of their IP addresses to a geographical address, and most can't.

If Norton could show you that geographical address of the intruder, it would mean that the ISP (Comcast Cable) publically shares this information. If so, anyone can get any of their customers' home address from their IP addresses, which would be pretty horrific.

Most likely, what you got was the geographical address of the ISP (Comcast Cable), not the intruder which was a customer of theirs. Also, you was probably not targeted, but just happened to get in the way of a standard port scan.

[Gullible Jones]

NAV has a system for tracking attacks?

Whoa... Are there any firewalls for Linux like that?

[Captain Kidd]

Not sure why/what Comcast wanted on my PC, but thought it was pretty cool how Norton would backwards trace the attempt to show exactly where it came from. . .Is Comcast your provider? If so, you'll get a lot of those. I cannot remember the details, but a similar situation happened to me when I installed ZoneAlarm. ZA's info said that ISP's tend to send out "are you online?" queries to their customers. Traffic and statistical stuff I think.

Congress is working on a ban, and industry groups have launched efforts to educate consumers and fight back with technology. Experts believe a solution will ultimately involve a combination of law enforcement, education and engineering.I was for it until I heard it being discussed indept awhile back. The two or three major spyware companies are behind the bill. Why? Because the bill will introduce detailed steps they have to do to get onto a person's computer instead of the willy nilly stuff they're doing now. Wanna download 1,000,000,000 smilies? Sure, but you're going to agree to about three times that many spyware programs. (It's being done now but this'll make it even more legal.) Their argument is, "it's in the licensing agreement [of the software you're downloading]." However, a lot of said LA's if printed out are literally thicker than a New York City phone book. There's even talk that it'll make programs like Adaware and Spybot illegal as they're removing (via third party methods) programs the consumer agreed to install in the first place. (I remember a couple years back the spyware companies actually did initiate a lawsuit against the Adaware people, fortunately it didn't get far but if this bill passes...)

So, basically, if congress passes the bill, the spyware companies win. Go figure.

[Darasen]

What needs to be done is have people with more technical knowledge write the bill.

I have been fighting with some freakin horoscope app ( ironic) i can assure you that I did not OK.

make it illegal to develop or knowing distibute any application that does not include an uninstall routine.

make it illegal to develop or knowing distibute any application that re-installs itself.

Ot just uise a Mac. :)

[Gullible Jones]

No, do not use a Mac. MacOS requires you to use very, very expensive computers.

[Candy]

Wanna download 1,000,000,000 smilies? I would totally be in heaven! :P

[Avatar28]

There's even talk that it'll make programs like Adaware and Spybot illegal as they're removing (via third party methods) programs the consumer agreed to install in the first place. (I remember a couple years back the spyware companies actually did initiate a lawsuit against the Adaware people, fortunately it didn't get far but if this bill passes...)

So, basically, if congress passes the bill, the spyware companies win. Go figure.

I doubt that it would make anti spyware programs illegal. After all, even if the customer agreed to put it on the first place, they're also making the decision to have the program remove it. I don't think that using a 3rd party program to do it will be illegal.

That said, I don't know that it will do much to help since, as you say, it will leave loopholes you could drive a tractor trailer through and just effectively make it illegal. Not to mention that some of the worst offenders are located in other countries, especailly Russia and are run by the Mafia. :-(

[electromagneticpulse]

Wanna download 1,000,000,000 smilies? I would totally be in heaven! :P

Want my old computer? its been infected with one of those :lol:

I have been fighting with some freakin horoscope app ( ironic) i can assure you that I did not OK.

make it illegal to develop or knowing distibute any application that does not include an uninstall routine.

make it illegal to develop or knowing distibute any application that re-installs itself.

I have to agree with this i've had so many things install themselves with no 'OK' button pressed. Why would i say 'OK' to a trojan being installed on my computer, or a program that breaks my IE, or one that breaks my whole computer when i try and remove it (as they provided no legal means to do so).
I think i might have to get into a bit of scripting to kick some of these trojan users in their backsides. I know a command that will stop their computer working... why not use it against them :D

[Wally]

Not sure why/what Comcast wanted on my PC, but thought it was pretty cool how Norton would backwards trace the attempt to show exactly where it came from. . .Is Comcast your provider? If so, you'll get a lot of those. I cannot remember the details, but a similar situation happened to me when I installed ZoneAlarm. ZA's info said that ISP's tend to send out "are you online?" queries to their customers. Traffic and statistical stuff I think.



Nah. I've got Charter (unless they're a subsid. of Comcast).

I think Robert A. is right when he said Comcast was most likely the ISP of the person doing the port scan (assuming that's what it was).

Gullible J. You have to buy Norton's Firewall/AV product to get the tracking, I think. I don't think it's part of the straight up AV product all by itself.

[Gullible Jones]

I know about that. Other firewalls have the same thing, or (like ZoneAlarm and Black Ice) freely downloadable intrusion tracking systems. I'm just wondering if there's something like that for Linux.

[Robert Andersson]

I know about that. Other firewalls have the same thing, or (like ZoneAlarm and Black Ice) freely downloadable intrusion tracking systems. I'm just wondering if there's something like that for Linux.
I don't know, I just us iptables and don't care tracking the intruders. It is generally irrelevant since in 99.999999...994% of the cases you are just a random target. All you need is the IP, then you can track down the intruder as well as Norton etc. can. There must be web services for that?

[Gullible Jones]

D'oh! :oops: Wow, that was stupid... Forgetting what an IP address is... Lack of sleep must be getting to my head.

[mickal555]

My computer is agian infected :( :cry: :cry: :(
Edited to add: HElp!!!!!!!!!! :cry:
Edited HELP!!!!!!

[Maksutov]

Not sure why/what Comcast wanted on my PC, but thought it was pretty cool how Norton would backwards trace the attempt to show exactly where it came from. . .Is Comcast your provider? If so, you'll get a lot of those. I cannot remember the details, but a similar situation happened to me when I installed ZoneAlarm. ZA's info said that ISP's tend to send out "are you online?" queries to their customers. Traffic and statistical stuff I think.



Nah. I've got Charter (unless they're a subsid. of Comcast).

I think Robert A. is right when he said Comcast was most likely the ISP of the person doing the port scan (assuming that's what it was).

Gullible J. You have to buy Norton's Firewall/AV product to get the tracking, I think. I don't think it's part of the straight up AV product all by itself.
And if you buy that product and install it on a system with anything less than a 3GHz CPU with 1G of memory, expect your computer's performance to crawl to a near standstill, as resources are almost completely hogged by the Symantec products.

[electromagneticpulse]

My computer is agian infected :( :cry: :cry: :(
Edited to add: HElp!!!!!!!!!! :cry:
Edited HELP!!!!!!

Try AdAware and Spybot - search and destroy, their the two i use and they get rid of all my infections. And the nurse at my local GP's office stops me getting them aswell :D

[Tranquility]

Well whaddaya know:

Spammer sentenced to 9 years jail time (http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,118493,tk,dn110504X,00.asp).

[mickal555]

Serves them right

[electromagneticpulse]

They also have pritty much everyone against them as i think everyone has been spammed. They just get their own jury and judge bias against them... i'm not complaining :D

[Raptor1967]

You know the saying stung once shame on you stung twice shame on me. Well there is a simple way to prevent getting hit by these spyware producers and if you have kids who use your computer this is definitly a must have. There is a file located in your winodws/system32/drivers/ect it is called HOST Simply adding the site addressess that you do not want on your machine to this file and pointing it to 127.0.0.1 Will prevent your system from seeing that site. I have reduced my spyware infection rate down 90% using this method. I hesitate to post my list as it is VERY large but if you would like a copy just ask and I will post it.

NOTE it is a simple text file that you can edit and change all you want.

[Candy]

You know the saying stung once shame on you stung twice shame on me. Well there is a simple way to prevent getting hit by these spyware producers and if you have kids who use your computer this is definitly a must have. There is a file located in your winodws/system32/drivers/ect it is called HOST Simply adding the site addressess that you do not want on your machine to this file and pointing it to 127.0.0.1 Will prevent your system from seeing that site. I have reduced my spyware infection rate down 90% using this method. I hesitate to post my list as it is VERY large but if you would like a copy just ask and I will post it.

NOTE it is a simple text file that you can edit and change all you want. Awesome for folks to know, Raptor1967. =D>

My system must have a built in 'spaminator', because I never get spam. :-k

[Robert Andersson]

There is a file located in your winodws/system32/drivers/ect it is called HOST
In the event you run a unix flavor, it's called /etc/hosts. Since almost no spyware etc. targets *nix, switching to Linux might be the best way to avoid stuff like that. Edit: In addition, since just about any type of program is readily available for free, you don't have to resort to downloading crappy Windows "freeware", which often carries spy/adware.

[mickal555]

You know the saying stung once shame on you stung twice shame on me. Well there is a simple way to prevent getting hit by these spyware producers and if you have kids who use your computer this is definitly a must have. There is a file located in your winodws/system32/drivers/ect it is called HOST Simply adding the site addressess that you do not want on your machine to this file and pointing it to 127.0.0.1 Will prevent your system from seeing that site. I have reduced my spyware infection rate down 90% using this method. I hesitate to post my list as it is VERY large but if you would like a copy just ask and I will post it.

NOTE it is a simple text file that you can edit and change all you want. Awesome for folks to know, Raptor1967. =D>

My system must have a built in 'spaminator', because I never get spam. :-k
Same I use an adreess that came with my Internet so mabie it gets stopped there