What is with all the viruses?

[hypoclear]

I don't know if it is because I'm over here in China or what.

 

But I have been getting so many viruses in my email. Todays best was from support@symantec.com

with subject of yes your virus report was such and such a new virus, please install this patch. etc etc.

 

On first glace it seemed like a true business letter, nohing funny about it other than the fact I never sent a virus report.

 

They have also been getting bogus bank web sites over here awhile ago.. very close in looks to the real one.

 

The hackers etc etc. were just breaking in, spamming websites and changing sites etc. more pranks than anything and there has always been viruses but this many?

 

What do people think?

 

Mark and Bea

[keelec]

Maybe it is all the unemployed techies from high tech job outsourcing

 

Why do we have viruses?

 

I a good chunck come from HUGE GAPING HOLES in MS Products.

 

Why on earth should anybody need a "Firewall"? If I am running a PC, every way to remotely access the systems should be disabled by default (FTP, Telnet, HTML Server, and dang near everything else other than explicitly requested services).

 

Now, the e-mail viruses are preying on the stupidity of the users as much anything else. And, many of them are paying for themselves by harvesting valuable information from their "hosts" such as e-mail SPAM lists.

 

Why don't we have a seperation of programs and data?

 

Why should a word processing document be able to host a virus? Why do websites that I look at need to run stuff on MY COMPUTER? Why should a movie be able to host a virus? All I want to view is the streaming video.

 

Why is everything that one needs to diagnose an issue buried by default? system files (and viruses) hidden? Extensions required to tell the difference between a "safe" text file and a "deadly" executable program hidden by default?

 

Why can't I configure Word to memorize the "ok" macros, but not the "new" ones?

 

Why doesn't McAfee look for virues in the PST file when searching the HDD?

 

Why can't one view all the MS Explorer addons in a single page and chooose which ones to use and which ones not to use?

 

Anyway, the virues are caused by:

SLOPPY PROGRAMMING OF THE #1 OPERATING SYSTEM IN THE WORLD.

SLOPPY PROGRAMMING OF ALL THE #1 OFFICE PRODUCTIVITY PACKAGE.

TRYING TO MAKE COMPUTERS DUMBER THAN THE USERS

THE VALUE OF SPAMMING E-MAIL ADDRESSES

THE VALUE OF DIRECTED POP-UPS.

 

Oh, and did I mention:

SLOPPY PROGRAMMING OF THE #1 OS AND THE #1 OFFICE SUITE

 

And, I am absolutely convinced that one could write an Outlook E-Mail virus that would run just by viewing the message.

 

----- Clifford -----

[oregonknl]

Hummmm...

 

Clifford, how does MAC manage?

 

I will admit that in the past, the few times I opened a questionable message, I have regretted it.... But that seems to be the only way in.... at least my experience...

[Scott & Lai]

Uh, Clifford,

 

That's like saying robberies are "caused" by easy-to-pick locks, rapes are "caused" by women wearing short skirts, and hi-jackings are "caused" by inept security procedures. Viruses, like the above, are caused by evil sociopaths who should be locked away for good, and kept away from any electronic device more advanced than a light-bulb.....

 

I agree with you about all the MS problems you listed, but they wouldn't be near as much of a problem were there not cockroaches out there writing malicious code.....

[keelec]

That's like saying robberies are "caused" by easy-to-pick locks,

True, but when you leave the keys in the ignition of your Ferrari, who's fault is it when it isn't on the street corner you left it?

 

One just doesn't have to tempt fate.

[Scott & Lai]

True, but when you leave the keys in the ignition of your Ferrari, who's fault is it when it isn't on the street corner you left it?

 

Simple, the thug who took my momentary absent-mindedness as an invitation to take what didn't belong to him, and then likely lead the police on a 90mph chase through residential streets, assault the cops when they catch him, and then sue them for "police-brutality" and racism....

[Jeikun]

True, but when you leave the keys in the ignition of your Ferrari, who's fault is it when it isn't on the street corner you left it?

 

Simple, the thug who took my momentary absent-mindedness as an invitation to take what didn't belong to him, and then likely lead the police on a 90mph chase through residential streets, assault the cops when they catch him, and then sue them for "police-brutality" and racism....

I see both sides of this. One is to make sure you aren't an obvious target. Leaving your keys in insured he picked YOUR car. But that also doesn't make criminals. The blame is on the guy who jumped in and stole it.

 

If I saw a car on the street corner with keys in the ignition, I wouldn't steal it. No law abiding citizen would.

 

So to apply it to the original argument - yes these programs need to be more secure. But often we sacrifice functionality for security, and it's a damn shame that we have to. Hackers will ALWAYS find a way in. We don't create criminals by being vulnerable to them. But protecting ourselves will help make sure it's the "other guy" not us who gets targeted. The main goal is still to stop the criminals. I don't want to have to live in an iron house with bars, wear kevlar in public, and drive a car that will only start if I give a DNA sample just because "hey it's my fault if I don't protect myself". We shouldn't be at THEIR mercy or be THEIR prisoners.

[Scott & Lai]

Amen, JP! Spot on, everything you said

[hypoclear]

I'm doing my best and have chatted with Cliff about this before.

 

I'm running win2k with zone alarm pro firewall and norton antivirus which is catching all of them. I run ad aware 6.0 which you can get updated file deffs to, spybot search and destroy, hijack this, and a new one that was rated highly by zdnet spy sweeper and one other in their review aluria's spywatch... geeez!

 

This is like triple locking the door lock to your car so you can open the door and undo the ignition lock!

 

But ok if it is just trolling for email addys that is one thing... but why the viruses? Just for no other reason than to be a pain in the neck?

 

i have noticed some days I'll get like 20 emails and all of them are viruses.. and other times it is all spam and I usually use mailwasher pro each morning when i have the most email to thin it out and hopefull bounce back to them so no more from them.. that is running today 65 email 23 good ones.. sigh

 

Mark

[Jeikun]

I'm doing my best and have chatted with Cliff about this before.

 

I'm running win2k with zone alarm pro firewall and norton antivirus which is catching all of them. I run ad aware 6.0 which you can get updated file deffs to, spybot search and destroy, hijack this, and a new one that was rated highly by zdnet spy sweeper and one other in their review aluria's spywatch... geeez!

 

This is like triple locking the door lock to your car so you can open the door and undo the ignition lock!

 

But ok if it is just trolling for email addys that is one thing... but why the viruses? Just for no other reason than to be a pain in the neck?

 

i have noticed some days I'll get like 20 emails and all of them are viruses.. and other times it is all spam and I usually use mailwasher pro each morning when i have the most email to thin it out and hopefull bounce back to them so no more from them.. that is running today 65 email 23 good ones.. sigh

 

Mark

23 good ones? I'm lucky if I get 2

[ndjarrett]

I'm doing my best and have chatted with Cliff about this before.

 

I'm running win2k with zone alarm pro firewall and norton antivirus which is catching all of them. I run ad aware 6.0 which you can get updated file deffs to, spybot search and destroy, hijack this, and a new one that was rated highly by zdnet spy sweeper and one other in their review aluria's spywatch... geeez!

 

This is like triple locking the door lock to your car so you can open the door and undo the ignition lock!

 

But ok if it is just trolling for email addys that is one thing... but why the viruses? Just for no other reason than to be a pain in the neck?

 

i have noticed some days I'll get like 20 emails and all of them are viruses.. and other times it is all spam and I usually use mailwasher pro each morning when i have the most email to thin it out and hopefull bounce back to them so no more from them.. that is running today 65 email 23 good ones.. sigh

 

Mark

LOL! Sounds like ME! I run McAffee Virus Scan Enterprise (I think it is a little better than Norton). I have a router with built in firewall (because of work). I run AdAware 6 & SpywareGuard & SpywareBlaster 7 Spybot Search and Destroy (Spybot & AdAware are essentially the same...but they each pick up a few things the other does not).

[John & Hai Yan]

But ok if it is just trolling for email addys that is one thing... but why the viruses? Just for no other reason than to be a pain in the neck?

 

 

I always wonder, if the people making and/or selling the anti-virus and anti-spyware products, are the same ones making the viruses and other malicious things. I agree, what is the purpose in making them? Other than, "Because they can."

 

By the way I need to buy a couple of these anti-spyware products. Anyone have any suggestions on the best products out there. Is it safe to download them from the internet. Or should I purchase them in the mail. I have two computers networked. Do I have to buy them for both computers. I assume I do.

[warpedbored]

I am not an expert but I bought Norton Internet Security. It stopped the popups and eliminated the spyware. Works very well IMHO. Cost was 60 dollars

[se_lang]

I don't know if it is because I'm over here in China or what.

 

But I have been getting so many viruses in my email. Todays best was from support@symantec.com

with subject of yes your virus report was such and such a new virus, please install this patch. etc etc.

 

On first glace it seemed like a true business letter, nohing funny about it other than the fact I never sent a virus report.

 

They have also been getting bogus bank web sites over here awhile ago.. very close in looks to the real one.

 

The hackers etc etc. were just breaking in, spamming websites and changing sites etc. more pranks than anything and there has always been viruses but this many?

 

What do people think?

 

Mark and Bea

When I first started this Visa process I was looking on news groups OMG if you ever use one of them mask your emails address, no joke I was getting about 150 viruses a day at peak I got 500 in one weekend as time went on it thinned out and went away, but the only times I was ever infected was my own fault I have a hardware router/firewall I don't use antivirus software if I think something is wrong I go to norton website and they have a free virus scan but no fix, if a virus is detected I down load Avast or a trial version of something think FREE or cheap it is all out there someplace.

[Scott & Lai]

By the way I need to buy a couple of these anti-spyware products. Anyone have any suggestions on the best products out there. Is it safe to download them from the internet. Or should I purchase them in the mail. I have two computers networked. Do I have to buy them for both computers. I assume I do.

Two of the programs I use, Pop-Up Stopper and Adaware 6, are both free. I downloaded them from the Net with no problems. They are excellent programs, though you may also wish to supplement them with additional ones, as others here have done.