computer virus

[patrick and linda]

thought i'd share this experience with you guys. so, at my office i have a file server, has everything one might want, cost plenty when purchased 4 years ago, i also have 4 work stations connected to the file server. ok, several months ago, for some unknown reason, the file server would not accept my nor the administrator's password. so, the system was working but no changes could be made because we couldn't get into the system. in my line of business we upload and receive downloads all the time. our downloads failed which prevented our system from having the necessary changed documents that were needed to conduct business. our computer vendor came out to our location, (at $140.00 per hr) but was not able to get around the password problem. they discover that my system was being used as a remote location for some system in denmark. my computer was receiving and transmitting data, directed from that denmark computer. well, it was cheaper to buy a new file server than pay 140 an hr to delete all data and re-install everything. total cost was just north of $2900.
on the news this morning they were talking about our ability the shut down other countries services, and their ability to partially shut down ours, they also mentioned that most home computers have been invaded and the homeowner isn't aware of that fact. yes, i had all the anti virus software, spyware, adware etc. including updates, but still ran into this problem.
pat

[Don and Brenda]

It is a shame that even with all the latest security programs and keeping up with updates that we are constantly being bombarded with these viruses both from our country and especially others. I was looking at a resort on Lopez island and clicked on their link to look at a photo of their rooms, all of a sudden yellow and red was flashing on the computer saying it was under attack, ended up being a malware virus that could not be erased or quareteed by Norton, fortunately an IT person spent the day with it and got rid of it. So easy to be infected.

[BrentB]

try Malwarebytes
http://www.malwarebytes.org/
on the old server

$20 for real time protection

may work, may not

my price is 2 cents

[BrentB]

Can you boot to command line, safe mode, to a CD or DVD, linux distro?

[smittypaddler]

I've been retired for 6 years now, which in the software industry means I'm a fossil, but I still don't understand the attraction for Microsnot Windoze. I've never had a virus on any Linux system I've been associated with, but in spite of all the anti-virus/spyware/worm/whatever software one has to buy on top of the original price for Windoze, invasion of viruses is still a major issue with Microsnot.

It isn't that Linux doesn't have security problems, but with open source the holes are closed usually within a day of discovery because it's open source, and folks all over the world are participating. I suppose it's like the banking industry lobbies pouring over a million dollars into Washington daily to prevent legislation to stop their predatory high-risk but immensely profitable (for the executives of the bank, not for the customers) activities that caused the most recent Wall Street meltdown. Money talks. I just don't understand why the customers are still customers.

[Sea Wolf]

I've never had a single virus problem with our iMac computers.

Not a big enough target to be worthwhile for hackers, etc., I guess!

Another reason to be in the iMac crowd.

Joe.

[Will-C]

Hi,
On my personal computers I have along with most of the rest of out extended family have been running Avira Antivirus software which is free. The have versions for business that are not free but I got sick of Norton's baloney. I was online a couple years ago with Dell support a guy from India who stripped off my Norton Antivirus and installed the Avira Antivirus as he said part of my problem was Norton related. I do regular auto updates and full system scans and have had no problems in the three years I have used it. They are based in Europe and everyone I have talked to speaks well of them. If I had a business application where Norton had failed I would get these folks a look. I have no interests in the company. I use microsoft software because they have one of the most widely accepted platforms. It was what came on my computer, its what we use at work. Not so bad. Not being a technocrat I saw no sense in trying to be Don Quixote.
D.D.

[Socrateur]

[BrentB]

I was under impression that Apple like Microsoft releases many security patches on a regular basis.
It is difficult for me to define a safe computer, OS, etc since it is a moving target

[Larry H]

Brent,

I have an Apple Mac Mini, running OS-X 10.6.3 and also a Compaq running Windows 7. Both computers are new since Nov 09.

The Mac only gets one or two (if that many) updates or security patches from Apple per month. The Windows 7 machine gets the usual 5 to 10 patches weekly.

I am just a computer user, but my understanding is that Mac computers use unix as the operating core of the computer, and that core can not be changed without the operator allowing the change by entering the administrator password.

If I understand Windows correctly, any .exe file can change the core of the machine, and do not require the admin password to do so.

I do not have any anti-virus software on the Mac. I have not had any problems.

I have AGV free anti-virus on the W 7 machine, and so far I have not had any problems, but the W 7 is only used for navigation and only goes online to access Rose Point for Coastal Explorer updates and to get the W 7 patches.

The Mac can pass viruses thru the machine by getting an infected email, and then forwarding that email to others, but the virus does no harm to the Mac.

Anyone wanting to learn more about Mac computers can check this link to a user forum.

http://www.mac-forums.com/forums/switcher-hangout/

Conclusion, I love my Mac! When Coastal Explorer releases a Mac version, I will get rid of all my PC pain-in-the-A machines.

[BrentB]

ok thanks

I trust Apple and Microsoft about as far as I can throw Steve Jobs and Bill Gates. So many details about the inner workings of PCs, OSs, softtware, I dont know

[Sea Wolf]

[Pat Anderson]

Nope, Apple releases security patches AT MOST a dozen times a year, mostly to iTunes and Safari. The OS gets updated maybe twice a year, not once a week (we are a two Mac family, MacBook and iMac, the other computers are PCs running Ubuntu Linux). There are no known viruses targeting Linux (Da Nag will no doubt correct me here, but this was a true statement the last time I did Google research), and the only Apple viruses reported have been spread through pirated software.

[BrentB]

Computer security vulnerabilities abound.
You might feel safe until you lose something esp of value, like data, PC access, credit card fraud, SSN hijack, hardware failure, PC theft, etc

[BrentB]

I dont look at the number of patches but the number of critical ones