deliver us from evil
May 14, 2010 5:34 AM Subscribe
Long winded question about new computer, internet, and anti virus programs
Hi all, I'll try to be brief. My wife got a new Toshiba laptop. I already have an Acer Aspire that's been on cabled internet with no problems.
We got wireless so we could both use our computers. Hers got a Malware virus (Security Tool) within an hour of turning it on. I've been running AVG with no problems on my computer.
Took hers back to the store and fixed. They advised me to load Zone Alarm Firewall, AVG, and Spybot Search and Destroy onto her computer. To avoid her computer being online without these, they said I could download these programs onto a zip drive on my computer, then put the zip drive into her computer and install them.
I downloaded them, and installed the Firewall and Spybot onto mine (I already had AVG) with no problems.
I turned off the wireless internet, turned on her computer, and put the zip drive in. I installed the Firewall with no problem, but the other two inform me that I need to have internet access to install them.
SO... is it safe to connect her computer to the internet for the amount of time it would take to download and install AVG and Spybot? And if not, how else can I get them installed?
Thanks for your patience!
Hi all, I'll try to be brief. My wife got a new Toshiba laptop. I already have an Acer Aspire that's been on cabled internet with no problems.
We got wireless so we could both use our computers. Hers got a Malware virus (Security Tool) within an hour of turning it on. I've been running AVG with no problems on my computer.
Took hers back to the store and fixed. They advised me to load Zone Alarm Firewall, AVG, and Spybot Search and Destroy onto her computer. To avoid her computer being online without these, they said I could download these programs onto a zip drive on my computer, then put the zip drive into her computer and install them.
I downloaded them, and installed the Firewall and Spybot onto mine (I already had AVG) with no problems.
I turned off the wireless internet, turned on her computer, and put the zip drive in. I installed the Firewall with no problem, but the other two inform me that I need to have internet access to install them.
SO... is it safe to connect her computer to the internet for the amount of time it would take to download and install AVG and Spybot? And if not, how else can I get them installed?
Thanks for your patience!
You can't catch viruses/spyware from just being connected to the internet.
I wish that were true.
is it safe to connect her computer to the internet for the amount of time it would take to download and install AVG and Spybot
Sure.
posted by anti social order at 6:35 AM on May 14, 2010
I wish that were true.
is it safe to connect her computer to the internet for the amount of time it would take to download and install AVG and Spybot
Sure.
posted by anti social order at 6:35 AM on May 14, 2010
You can't catch viruses/spyware from just being connected to the internet.
If you expand your notion of "bad" software to all types of malware then you certainly can get infected by a worm just by merely being connected to a network.
With that said, if this is a patched copy of a modern OS and you haven't installed all sorts of other dubious things then being network connected to install a few other security packages is probably safe.
posted by mmascolino at 6:36 AM on May 14, 2010
If you expand your notion of "bad" software to all types of malware then you certainly can get infected by a worm just by merely being connected to a network.
With that said, if this is a patched copy of a modern OS and you haven't installed all sorts of other dubious things then being network connected to install a few other security packages is probably safe.
posted by mmascolino at 6:36 AM on May 14, 2010
royalsong: Just to correct your misconception - there have been viruses that can infect you just by you being online through vulnerabilities in the OS. For example, the Blaster worm. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blaster_worm which you could catch just by being online, or even on the same private LAN as another infected computer - no need to open a browser window or open any attachments. Huge amounts of people got infected by that one, naturally...
posted by xdvesper at 6:36 AM on May 14, 2010
posted by xdvesper at 6:36 AM on May 14, 2010
I stand corrected. :)
Still, he's not going to catch malware unless he's specifically being targeted or already has a compromised computer on a local network.
All internet connected computers would be infected all the time if that were the case.
posted by royalsong at 6:40 AM on May 14, 2010
Still, he's not going to catch malware unless he's specifically being targeted or already has a compromised computer on a local network.
All internet connected computers would be infected all the time if that were the case.
posted by royalsong at 6:40 AM on May 14, 2010
My question would be: Is your wireless router secure. Did you set it up to have a encrypted password. Someone could have already invaded your wireless router and that is installing bad stuff?
Make sure you set the security on your wireless router also...
posted by snoelle at 7:22 AM on May 14, 2010
Make sure you set the security on your wireless router also...
posted by snoelle at 7:22 AM on May 14, 2010
he's not going to catch malware unless he's specifically being targeted or already has a compromised computer on a local network
To repeat, I wish that were true.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conficker
"Conficker, also known as Downup, Downadup and Kido, is a computer worm targeting the Microsoft Windows operating system that was first detected in November 2008.[1] It uses flaws in Windows software and Dictionary attacks on administrator passwords to co-opt machines and link them into a virtual computer that can be commanded remotely by its authors. Conficker has since spread rapidly into what is now believed to be the largest computer worm infection since the 2003 SQL Slammer,[2] with more than seven million government, business and home computers in over 200 countries now under its control. The worm has been unusually difficult to counter because of its combined use of many advanced malware techniques."
posted by anti social order at 7:32 AM on May 14, 2010
To repeat, I wish that were true.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conficker
"Conficker, also known as Downup, Downadup and Kido, is a computer worm targeting the Microsoft Windows operating system that was first detected in November 2008.[1] It uses flaws in Windows software and Dictionary attacks on administrator passwords to co-opt machines and link them into a virtual computer that can be commanded remotely by its authors. Conficker has since spread rapidly into what is now believed to be the largest computer worm infection since the 2003 SQL Slammer,[2] with more than seven million government, business and home computers in over 200 countries now under its control. The worm has been unusually difficult to counter because of its combined use of many advanced malware techniques."
posted by anti social order at 7:32 AM on May 14, 2010
Because of stuff like that, security researchers estimate an unpatched PC connected to the internet will be compromised in approximately 4 minutes.
posted by anti social order at 7:41 AM on May 14, 2010
posted by anti social order at 7:41 AM on May 14, 2010
If the new laptop is patched, and is running Windows Security Essentials, then I am not sure what your wife did, but she may need some training.
posted by jasondigitized at 9:32 AM on May 14, 2010
posted by jasondigitized at 9:32 AM on May 14, 2010
If the new laptop is patched, and is running Windows Security Essentials, then I am not sure what your wife did, but she may need some training.
A lot of the stuff simply isn't patched because either no one knows about it, or the vendors haven't had time to make a patch. One big recent zero-day was last month. It was java based and you could be hacked just by browsing a compromised site, even if you had Java disabled. This exploit was hosted on multiple web sites, even famous national news sites.
posted by anti social order at 10:59 AM on May 14, 2010
A lot of the stuff simply isn't patched because either no one knows about it, or the vendors haven't had time to make a patch. One big recent zero-day was last month. It was java based and you could be hacked just by browsing a compromised site, even if you had Java disabled. This exploit was hosted on multiple web sites, even famous national news sites.
posted by anti social order at 10:59 AM on May 14, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
Usually it happens through your browser. Some advertisement or link installs bad stuff without your permission. Or it gets your permission by disguising itself as helpful software. Is your wife net-safe? Has she been taught not to open suspicious items? If not, this is your first step. Get you and your wife the knowledge you need to be net-safe.
Now.. about installing those programs..
If they fixed it at the store (they probably just wiped the drive and reinstalled windows..) and it hasn't been online since that point, I'd say it's safe to connect to the internet. The malware that was there is gone. If it wasn't gone, it would continue it's malicious attempts whenever connected to the internet.
Also, neither your wife nor you should be running your daily computer activities as an administrator. Create non-administrative accounts in windows for both of you.
posted by royalsong at 6:12 AM on May 14, 2010