Viruses, Hoaxes and Spam, OH MY!

[Dr-Electro]

*leaps atop soapbox*

Hot on the heels of Weebl's and Manny's blog announcement about viruses in the inbox, I offer this little tidbit of IT lore. As a computer professional, I see viruses, hoaxes and spam all the time. I have to deal with thousands of computers used by end users who may or may not have a clue.

Like Manny says, I use Grisoft's AVG, a lovely, free antivirus suite that works, works, works, and keeps on working. I use automatic updates, a built-in feature that keeps me virus free all the time. Grisoft usually has the new updates installed on my computers before MS, Symantec, CA and all the rest even announce that the virus exists. I call that efficient. I like efficient.

I currently manage all the computers (approximately 1200 of them) for a whole, large high school campus. We have safeguards, but students and teachers alike try on a daily basis to thwart those safeguards and cicumvent all my safety measures. They really do these things.

So, all 1200 of my computers are virus free and my campus is the only one in the entire district that can claim to be virus free. All campuses use Deep Freeze as one security measure, but all the other campuses have frozen computers with viruses frozen right in, along with the things that should be there. That is just plain dumb.

Also on the same list as far as I am concerned are those inbox-clutterers, the e-mail chain letters. You know, those whose subject line reads RE:FWD:FWD:RE:RE:RE:FWD:RE:FWD:RE:FWD: FWD:FWD:FWD:FWD:FWD:FWD:FWD:FWD:FWD:FWD:FWD:FWD:FW D:FWD:FWD:FWD:FWD:FWD:FWD:FWD:FWD:FWD:FWD:FWD: and include an adddress header long einough to stretch from London to New York if printed end-to-end.

I'm sorry to burst your bubble if you are among the believers, but Microsoft, AOL, Time-Warner, Neil Patrick Harris, Paramout Studios, Martha Stewart nor anyone else is going to pay you money for sending and forwarding chain letters. ther is no cookie recipe hoax, the US Postal Service is not charging nor will ever charge postage on e-mail. Little Johnny and Little Suzie are no longer missing, they were only gone for an hour or so and are safe at home and in some cases all grown up with kids of their own now. All those people who were asking for prayers have been saved or have gone to Heaven already. Please stop forwarding those prayer e-mails.

In other words, use common sense when you get one of those chani-letter e-mails: Trash them unopened unless you like wasting your own time reading all that stuff. Please, please, please, pretty please don't forward that nonsense to 1,000 of your dearest friends. At least leave me off the list, thank you.

*jumps down from soapbox*

So, to make a debatable topic here, what are your opinions concerning antivirus software, which AV is your favorite, security programs like Deep Freeze, It professionals like me who try to keep you safe online, and any other security challenges you face? Please do not include Kazaa, Napster and their ilk in this discussion, as they already have a thread of their own.

Tell us all what you think and why you feel that way.

[felp]

at the moment i'm using PC-cillin -it hasn't failed me yet and is 1 of the only anti virus proggies I know of that actually has a working firewall - as in i can still play games ans what not, share files and so forth, but unwanted things stay out of the firewall - like sites trying to install spyware of somekind or adware without my concent.
I also agree with every point you've brought up, and i'd just like to add that if you do send 1 of those chain emails to some1 you are actually causing them to receive more spam later on. I have done an experiment proving this (where i had an email account that had not spam in it for 2 years, gave it to a girl, she sends me a chain email, and within a month i have more spam then i can poke a stick at). I intend to create another account of similar name for 3 years without using it more then I use the other, if i receive no spam i feel i've finally proven it and i can then earn the right to yell at people who send those silly things.

but yes you've argued a sollid case that can in no way be challanged (atleast in my eyes).

[shaun680]

Spam used to irritate me, but now I simply send everything that isn't from someone I know to the junk mail folder. I also send everything with the letters "fwd:" in the subject to junk mail, regardless of whether I know the sender or not. Eventually people will give up sending you the picture of the man with half his face blown off, links to goatse.cx, "10 things that are shit about men!" and other such hilarious things. Also it sorts out the shitty "SEND TIHS ON OR HOTMALE WILL DELEET UR ACCOUNTS!!1" which is a bonus. The internet truly does make you stupid.

But Dr-E, I feel your pain. I can't imagine what it must be like to wade through all this shit on a daily basis. Although you do get paid for it :p

The school system here sucks, it blocks bit torrent (although I can see why they would want to do this) and lots of sites. Sure I don't mind if sites like lesbian-scat-fetish.com or whatever are blocked out, but they're literally blocking half the internet. b3ta is blocked for fuck sake! Meaning I have to use cgi proxies, most of which are horribly slow. So I voted against school IT security systems, assuming this is what you meant by it.


EDIT: To make this post on topic :rolleyes:, I use AVG also. Used to use norton, but found it to be a bit bulky. And the subscription ran out anyway.
Also I fully recommend anyone who hasn't already got spybot-search and destroy to do so.

[Dr-Electro]

I also find Lavasoft Ad Aware incredibly useful. I bought one license, installed it on a floppy and use it every chance I get on every machine I think needs it. I have personally killed thousands of spyware files with it. It isn't expensive and you only need one license unless you install it on your hard drives, which is actually unnecessary. Just run it from the floppy on a regular basis, say once weekly, and you are safe and secure.

Of course if you are more paranoid than I am, install it on every machine. The cost will be worth all the sleepless hours you save yourself.

Shaun, I understand your point in voting against school security. I guard the links to this forum with my life. If the powers that be ever learned of this site, it would be blocked in a heartbeat. They can be a bunch of wankers, those meddlers downtown. [/end hypocrisy]:angel:

Is my halo on straight?

On the opposite side, the blocks in place have disabled some truly fine research sources, just because they are hosted on free pages hosts. If the "gurus" would bother to check content, we could use some of those. Oh, wait! Stupid me! That would mean more work for the lazy gits! Disregard. (and pout)

[manny]

This things I have in place to keep the bad guys out:

AVG (http://www.grisoft.com/us/us_index.php) - Anti-virus, updated as often as I can

Admuncher (http://www.admuncher.com) - I cant remember the last time I got an unwanted pop-up, also has lots of nifty features such as blocking banner ads, embedded music etc etc. It's nice and discreet and doesnt slow stuff down. I've only just reformatted and I'm up to this already:

Ad Muncher Usage Statistics for v4.51 Build 8415
Adverts removed by Ad Muncher: 7,265
Approximate bandwidth saved: 56 MB
Counter started: October 23, 2003


SpyBot (http://www.safer-networking.org/) - As well as detecting auto-installing crap you can pick up, it has a handy immunise feature which stops it from installing in the first place.

Netgear Router (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00005B6S7/104-2242209-6768763?v=glance) - As well as allowing me to share multiple computers over the same net connection easily, it acts as a physical block, which although not perfect, (ie. if my computer is infected by my own idiocy, it isnt gonna stop me broadcasting bad stuff out), stops most nasty things from reaching my pc.

[Dr-Electro]

Manny, you mad little character! I must have Admuncher! I thought Google Toolbar was good at blocking popups. Wow!

I also need a router at home. Here on campus, I am behind five firewalls. Formerly, I didn't worry much about bad things getting past all that filtering and protection, but recently I have learned that our so-called security net has more holes than Swiss Cheese from Switzerland!!!

Yes, I have instituted more security measures at my level. Now I am going for more.

*dons armor* *grips spam-swatter and popup sword*

Bring it!

[shaun680]

Thanks for the link to admuncher manny, I uninstalled google toolbar since I got the handy google search-box on my desktop and have been looking for a decent ad blocker.

Suprise suprise, the site is blocked by my university. Thank god for anonymouse.


EDIT: Bah, it's shareware. Anyone know a decent free one?

[manny]

i paid for it, well worth 25 bucks in my opinion :)

[ZekeyLizard]

I use the Google pop-up blocker

normal virus-scan

and POP-UP-STOPPER

[PoofBird]

just got the new google bar

very good

[smiley clown]

This seems to be a good place to ask for help. Our computer has some kinda spyware which changes our home page to "global-finder" every time we restart the computer. Mum went to the computer store and the guy tried to flog her a 15 quid disc to get rid of it. Is there any free stuff to zap the spy ware???

[PoofBird]

Originally posted by smiley clown
Is there any free stuff to zap the spy ware???

try ad-aware (http://download.com.com/3000-2094-10045910.html?legacy=cnet)

should do the trick. Worked wonders for me on a number of occasions.

[*cough*]

Originally posted by manny

Admuncher (http://www.admuncher.com) - I cant remember the last time I got an unwanted pop-up, also has lots of nifty features such as blocking banner ads, embedded music etc etc. It's nice and discreet and doesnt slow stuff down.

Downloaded installed and have registration code for....

Very nice piece of software that... well worth a download.

[Dr-Electro]

An interesting note concerning school computer security:

Filtering Software Not Perfect

Yesterday, an interesting turn of events took place on campus. One of the students in a French class was researching in the Library. He stumbled across http://www.videosgay.tv in the surfing history on the computer he had been using. He appeared to be quite offended. I submitted the URL to our filtering service, Bess at N2H2. I also had a bit of a chuckle, but not where the students could hear me.\

I just tested the link. It is now blocked. :D

[smiley clown]

Thank you Poofbird. It destroyed 22 spyware files on our computer.

The school system were on is useless because some sites you know are fine and it blocks you from them. Rubbish.

[Dr-Electro]

Originally posted by smiley clown
Thank you Poofbird. It destroyed 22 spyware files on our computer.

The school system were on is useless because some sites you know are fine and it blocks you from them. Rubbish.

As I stated farther up the page. As a campus-based IT expert, I see this all the time. I have a feeling that if you write down the blocked URL's and pass them on to your technology people, they will respond similarly to the way I do. I review the site and ask that it be unblocked. I am not always successful, but it works most of the time.

Believe it or not, I am actually here to help the students. (and the teachers and the buttheaded administrators)

[smiley clown]

Well our IT Technician is evil. Im sure you're not.

[SemiCircle]

Originally posted by smiley clown
Thank you Poofbird. It destroyed 22 spyware files on our computer.

The school system were on is useless because some sites you know are fine and it blocks you from them. Rubbish.

only 22? i get 22 new ones a week! mind you, i only recently got a blocker, so i've been being hit by the full barrage of stuff.

[Dr-Electro]

Originally posted by smiley clown
Well our IT Technician is evil. Im sure you're not.

Sorry. Evil is a requirement.:twisted: (Only joking. The kids and I have a really nice relationship.) I normally treat them nicely and with respect. I get some of that in return. I ignore the rude and disrespectful ones unless they push their luck. Then I haul them before the authorities.:D

[Shpox]

I am young myself but im not a complete fool and know much these things. I recently installed Norton Antivirus 2004 Perfectly but i had a trouble with one virus. I recently got rid of it a while back when it came back but the virus came back a week ago. It was the W32.blaster.worm which im sure you've heard of. The problem was that my Nortan picked it up , deleted it but the restarting feature was still there. I got rid of it. My point is do you think Norton 2004 is a trustable product. It has been in the past but is this new equipment worth ?



Emails are the main source of virus's. Well in my hotmail anyway. I dont know about you but when i installed my junkmail filter in hotmail virus's and spam arrived. Always in there infesting my emaisl but i never see them. I too get spam and forwards mainly with virus's aimed at me.
A tip from me is dont open any attachments if your not sure what they are. Saves you heaps of trouble.

Also i'd like to say our school software is not trustable in manyways. Even with the new computers its simple to get a virus. No warnings.. no nothing. The Virus scanner is there but doesn't seem to do anything. Is this the same at your school ?



One last question from me. Never been sure of this but i think its possible. Can you get hidden virus's in mp3 files ? or jpg files. Never researched the fact. I think its possible. Just a thought.

[*cough*]

One last question from me. Never been sure of this but i think its possible. Can you get hidden virus's in mp3 files ? or jpg files. Never researched the fact. I think its possible. Just a thought.

I would imagine this to be possible.

I have several programs that I use for Steganography projects, this is basically where you use a picture of something, and then you can effectively 'hide' another file with it.

To create a virus along the same principals using music files would no doubt be easier, as the difference in file sizes would not be as noticeable.

[Dr-Electro]

There are definitely viruses and worms that hide in image files and music files. Steganography is not the only way to piggy-back them either. E-mail attachment worms are the most common right now, but it is only a matter of time until the virus writers return to bugging photos and mp3s.

Keep your guard up. Having a virus scanner on your computer is only one step in protecting yourself. Even if you have other security measures installed, don't pass up an opportunity to download the latestvirus definitions from your virus checker's company. As previously stated, I (as a professional as well as privately) trust AVG and have every computer with AVG installed set up to accept automatic updates. The AVG people often release the new virus definitions before the big companies like Symantec and Computer Associates can make their press releases telling the world that they are working on a new update.

Also, if you can afford it or swing it in any way, add a router with a cryptic password (written on the bottom of the router so yo will have it if you ever need it again), a firewall, but preferably not Mcafee, as it slows your surfing to a crawl and us anti-spyware software. Spam filters for your e-mail also help, but not if you have to spend big bucks to get them. Also, the current Google toolbar is aces at killing popup ads. A little work now can make the rest of your virtual life easier.

[*cough*]

Originally posted by Dr-Electro
A little work now can make the rest of your virtual life easier. [/B]

Wise words all Dr E, but especially the bit above.

I use Norton Systemworks personally.. have AdMuncher for Spyware and use Spybot Search And Destroy on regular intervals for other stuff, plus ZoneAlarm as firewall.

My machine in on 24/7 downloading rubbish... so I set all the virus scans and spyware scans to 4am, meaning they never interrupt my computer usage, but I know my computer is safe.

[Dr-Electro]

Under normal circumstances, I am in bed by 1 am, so that's the time for mine. Anybody else care to relate their safety strategy?

*cough* has planned well. *bestows blue ribbon for strategy*

[Cherokee Red]

I just put on AVG after a recommendation from computeractive (If you've never read it, it's well worth the buy. Good for all levels of experience with great tips and stuff!)
AVG just helped me get rid of a virus off my comp. And it's only shareware still.

[Destrukto]

In addition to using fully updated AV software and Spyware removers and good firewall I also email the following text to anyone who forwards a hoax mail to me... :twisted:

http://www.virtualsalt.com/warning.htm

[Cherokee Red]

That's sooo good. I think they would think twice about sending out stuff after that (assuming they can understand what it means in the first place)

[Dr-Electro]

Originally posted by Destrukto
In addition to using fully updated AV software and Spyware removers and good firewall I also email the following text to anyone who forwards a hoax mail to me... :twisted:

http://www.virtualsalt.com/warning.htm

Thank you! I am now armed against hoaxers. I laughed myself silly reading that, but I had no trouble devining its inherent seriousness. In other words, it will be effective.

If I can find it again, or one of you search mavens can find it before me, there is a little animation called "Man On a Soapbox" and you will absulutely love it. It is a virtual greeting but I can't find the original message I got it from. I'm looking, though.

[Dr-Electro]

This particular thread has been idle for a while, but it still has some life left in it, at least for me.

Today I found out that the school district's main web server at our technology annex has been hacked by a Frenchman. He was only using our server as an FTP server, but he was one excellent hacker. Our security guy found him and was ready to evict him, but he wanted to make sure he could block hte Frenchy out so that he could not return and retalliate.

He got the job done. Woo and yay. The most amazing thing about it is that he managed it with only the security levels available from a 13-year-old Pickbox!!! Imagine that! A techie that talented wasting away in a public school system!!!

Oh, well, I am glad to have him here, regardless of the circumstances.

[Twatybollocks]

We need some software to track down those ejits that open up attached files from strangers called obob124987%@1234zcv.net and spread viruses, the same software should be used to find the aprox 4% who reply to SPAM and actually make a purchase, because 4% is all these people who send out the SPAM need to make a big profit.
Once tracked down, a culling needs to take place and all these ejits destroyed, then there will be no need for antiviruses or SPAM blocking software.

My answer is simple and practical. I've already designed the email I will be sending out to track the ejits down, the subject is, "IF YOU OPEN THE ATTACHED FILE IT WILL SERIOUSLY F*CK UP YOUR COMPUTER." and it will be from formatyour@hardrive.com

[Dr-Electro]

Twatybolocks, a true Utopian point of view. I wish somebody could make it so. Good luck, you'll need it.

New virus definitions from AVG today. There is apparently a new Microsoft Macro Virus on the loose. In a few days, we will get a Johnny-come-lately warning from Symantec and NAI.

[ZekeyLizard]

What I wish I knew was why people make viruses in the first place. An entire lifes work can be lost within minutes. One persons hard work, deleted just because some scumbag feels like giggling at someones bad luck as everything they have striven for is annihilated.

[Dr-Electro]

Originally posted by ZekeyLizard
What I wish I knew was why people make viruses in the first place. An entire lifes work can be lost within minutes. One persons hard work, deleted just because some scumbag feels like giggling at someones bad luck as everything they have striven for is annihilated.

The absolute truth is that the very first virus was supposed to be a love note from a programmer to his girlfriend. It had a glitch in the code and reproduced itself. The name virus was stuck on it by the programming genius guru who figured out how to stop it, because it reproduced similarly to a living virus.

Every other virus after that has been a copy cat with malicious intent. Crackers like to brag about how much destructoin they can cause.

Have any of the rest of you ever met an end user who thought they would get sick themselves from a computer virus? I lost count of them ages ago.

[Dude]

I think it is good that the schools get rid of some sites but weebl&bob??? OMG!!! Its not porn, its not a game. Whay the poop did they ban it?They also banned the cause page but I figured out why (Peepers put a naughty word on one of the threads) The school filtering polacy is getting a little out of hand, instead of putting up notices in the computer rooms saying "no games, no e-mails, no chat rooms" ect, the should just put up a notice saying "No fun". I finished a hour and a half exam today and had a computer lesson the next period and we still had to do work and no breaks. School computers are BAD.

Woo, that was a long post for me...

[Ninja Duck]

Sorry if this was posted somewhere else and I didn't read it, but how do you get rid of spyware and such that can throw ads at you even when you're offline? It's not deadly, but it's fairly annoying to get ads for phallic increasement that look vaguely like system messages, and I have to click "OK" to close them. Of course it's not OK!

[PoofBird]

spyware is best eliminated with Adaware, by Lavasoft

download it here (http://www.lavasoft.de/software/adaware/)

[Smeagle]

Originally posted by PoofBird
spyware is best eliminated with Adaware, by Lavasoft

download it here (http://www.lavasoft.de/software/adaware/)
Adaware is good, but Spybot Search & Destroy (http://download.com.com/redir?pid=10194058&merid=104443&mfgid=104443&edId=3&siteId=4&oId=3000-2144-10194058&ontId=2144&ltype=dl_dlnow&lop=link&destUrl=%2F3001-2144-10194058.html) is soo much better.

[Ninja Duck]

Many thanks. I'm very grateful. :isay: That's my grateful face.

[Nocashvalue]

I have somethng going wrong on my PC sometimes that causes the cursor on the screen to vibrate quickly and randomly click without me doing anything to the mouse. Is this a virus?

Oh, and do you have anything that will really peeve an annoying kid who helps run 'ICT Club' I.E use the computers?

Also, do you know any way of getting past school filters? Some idiot told the Admins about http://www.everwars.com , Is there any way to get onto it?

Oh sorry, Just one more....
What does Spyware actually do? I know it gives you popups... etc. but what else? I think I may have some spyware on here, installed with MSN+ But I have no idea how serious spyware is, if It is really serious, I'll uninstall, if not, I can live with it :D

Thanks!

[Dr-Electro]

Spyware can be used to steal your identity. Kill that spyware as quickly as you can.

Somebody once told me how to use C.G.I. proxies to thwart the filters. Of course, someone else had already beaten me to the punch and filtered out all C.G.I. proxies, so no go there. You can try to find a loophole by using Google to navigate to Everwars instead of trying to go there directly. If that doesn't work, maybe I can remember what Jinko told me about the C.G.I. proxies.

Try Deep Freeze.:twisted:

The vibrating mouse pointer sounds suspiciously like "Female Viagra" which is not a virus, but a prank or joke file. Run a virus scan to be on the safe side. Do it now. We'll wait here while you run it.

[Ninja Duck]

School filters sometimes only block the main page, so typing www.whatever.com/whatever to bring up the 404 error page might get you in, assuming they decorate their 404 page so it links to other parts of the site. Sometimes, though, they'll catch you anyway. My history teacher threatened to punish the class if someone went to some of the more evil political party websites like the PPP and the "Church of God". How rare.

EDIT: Don't click that link. It's just an example.

[Hiddenpower]

School filters are a pain in the arse at my school, they block so many sites there's little point in even trying to use the internet. E-Mail privelages being revoked cos some kids abused it was really the last straw for me at school so I havn't been in the IT department for almost a year now.

[Dr-Electro]

The main points of school filtering are intended to reduce the school system's liability should a parent discover that a student had encountered questionable content while websurfing at school. Killing e-mail priveleges for students is becoming more widespread because most schools now see student e-mail as a time-waster. If you are reading your e-mail, you are not using the computer as tool for learning.

Whether it is accurate or not, liked or hated, school web filtering is here to stay. No student needs to be looking a pronography in the classroom while everybody else is trying to do legitimate research. All those billions of dollars, pounds, euros, shekels, yen and or clams were not spent so students could use the computers exclusively as toys. There really are legitimate uses for those things and the schools want their students to learn those things so the students can make a decent living in the real world when school is behind them. No evil intent there, is there?

[Dude]

My school filters any web page that swears.

There is a thread on the Crap basket that says some swearword and the thingy filters it. They also done it to the cause for a while.

So pleassssssssse can all the people that read this not put naughty words for titles in threads.

[weeblsmymum]

My school had www.jesus.com filtered.
What makes this really strange is that its a Catholic school...

[Ked]

Originally posted by Dr-Electro
Killing e-mail priveleges for students is becoming more widespread because most schools now see student e-mail as a time-waster. If you are reading your e-mail, you are not using the computer as tool for learning.

Yeah, our school had just filtered Hotmail after many students were caught using it in class. I don't mind it really, I go to school to learn, not to mess around searching the net for mindless and timewasting rubbish, or mailing friends (especially so when they're sat next to you).

There are some problems with the filter though, which I found out in my last History lesson. We had to go on the internet to find some information about the Ku Klux Klan to complete an activity we were set. The school's filter had filtered this out, (of course as the Ku Klux Klan were racist) and it made it hard for most people to complete the work set. Me and some others were able to find a way around it though and get our work completed.

I did talk to our IT Technician about it after the lesson, and he did say that the filters were somewhat ineffective, and explained that people estimate that there are 1000 new porn sites created a day, making it hard for the filters to catch them.

Hopefully the filters in our school will be improved so it can make work for us easier.

Also, I forgot to mention. Our school has the power to strip students of their internet priveleges should they search the internet for porn, or any sites that could be seen as controversial. This way many people don't search for porn anyway.

[Ninja Duck]

There are plenty of unpopular free email sites (i.e. www.parrot.com ) that the schools probably don't block.

And can you really blame them for wanting to block the KKK sites? It's bloody pronographic! Maybe your teacher wanted you to use your textbook, or search at home, or maybe she didn't think the assignment out well. No teacher in their right mind would tell their students to go to a hate site.

[Shadow_Keeper]

I used to use Norton Internet Security, but found that it was:
a) Too bulky for my liking
b) The firewall had a tendancy to block sites which you couldn't change.

I changed to McAfee VirusScan (and firewall) and everything is fine, I hardly notice slowdown (whereas for me Norton was a resources hog).

The previously mentioned "Lavasoft Ad-Aware", and "SpyBot Search and Destroy" I do recommend highly, and also the now stopped ANTS (Trojan Scanner), which has been replaced by a2 (http://www.emsisoft.com/en)

As for emails, I honestly don't mind the denziens of spam I recieve, I hardly use email anyways. I do however have several "dummy" accounts - hotmail accounts purely for signing up to things, and as I thought would happen, thats where the spam is re-directed, and a few "clean" accounts (which I use for sending email to known people ONLY). If its something important then I'll clear the inbox of the "dummy" accounts and send from one of them, or send from a "clean" account.

I used to be behind a router, but recently its started playing up. I'm waiting for the replacement to arrive - that was 3 weeks ago...

All in all, I only remember behing the recipient of a virus the once, and I went on a fun trip around the system deleting the pieces that were left behind.

[Dr-Electro]

At first, our filters only blocked the "official" Klan sites. Then all the sites based on free servers, regardless of content were blocked. Now, with the really bad keyword filtering we are stuck with, any site that has any text anywhere with three K's in close proximity is banned automatically.

We are fighting an uphill battle with the control freak in charge of filtering to get this changed. The Internet has become almost useless for research at school. In addition to that, our tyrant of a superintendent has a closed-door policy, so we can't go over the control freak's head and are forbidden to approach the school board with our concerns.

There are legitimate historical lessons to be learned concerning the KKK, but for now the Internet is not the place to get the information. I had a quick look and even some of the university-based sites are blocked. It makes me believe that some people are wiling to shoot education in the foot in the name of reducing personal liability.

I almost forgot to mention that our district has received dozens of grants to purchase new computer equipment for our schools. A proviso in every one of these grants is that the teachers assign research to be done using the Internet. Our district is killing the golden goose by not taking an active part in deciding what gets filtered and what is allowed for research purposes.

[dizziblonde]

Hell first post and I may as well jump right on in on a big one :)

I'm a teacher (little kids - not teenagers!) and I'd kill for the sorta computer network you seem to have set up Dr-Electro. We struggle on with a computer room where no printers work and there's one computer connected to the net - totally unfiltered and I don't ever recall seeing a firewall on it either :rolleyes:. It's a total nightmare to teach on - but at least it's better than the last place I worked at where the head was just convinced the internet was an evil evil place!

Generally unless they're seriously well-maintained - I don't trust school computer networks at all, I don't share floppy discs between school comps and my network at home because I've seen the sort of junk that can lurk on them. My own computers are anti-virused (and updated regularly), firewalled and spyware scanned - am I seriously gonna mess that up by bringing all the junk that's on the school computers home? Hell no!

I think (with the age group I have - 8-11yr olds) that there does need to be some form of filtering on the internet because they're really still learning to use things like search engines and the like, so there's more of a risk stumbling across things - I'd settle for the computers actually being connected to the net to be honest - quite how they're going to learn when our head won't network them up, get a decent connection in and let the children use it is beyond me. I should say this is in the UK btw so things are slightly different.

I'm rambling here- and the snow's lagging my computer making it hard to type so I'm gonna stop and go away and hide quietly somewhere.

[PoofBird]

Yeah,

it wouldn't be the first time an innocent cat-loving eight year old types the words "Cute Pussy" in Google.

[Dr-Electro]

Well, hello there, Dizziblonde. Welcome to the forums.

There has been a lot of thought and work put into making the entire school district as modern technologically as can be, considering the budget constraints. We are really in a slump here. Our local economy is primarily based on the oil business. Right now, that business is only really good in the Middle East.

Enough of that nonsense, though. Our school district has the advantage of having a large student population. Oh, it's not much compared to Houston or Dallas, but we do have over 30,000 students enrolled at all grade levels combined. That's a bunch of rugrats, let me tell you.

I have no idea what to offer you as a solution for getting networked at school. I am amazed frequently by encountering people younger than I am who are technically challenged and downright frightened of computers. I actually heard a twenty-something say, "Computers are going to take over the world. They brainwash all the people who use them into doing their dirty work."

I've grown used to the idea that most people my age are not computer savvy. I've been working with computers since 1968. It sounds like your school's master is a member of that backward-looking and backward-thinking group.

I do recommend that you download AVG antivirus version 6.0 (it's free) on that beleagured computer at school. Just surf to Grisoft (http://www.grisoft.com) and follow the links to the free download. They have released version 7.0, but it is no longer free. They still offer free automatic updates to 6.0.

Also, go to the Google home page. Click the Tools & Services link directly below the Google logo. Scroll down the tools and services page unitl you see Google Tolbar. Download that according to the instructions. When you see the dialogue box that allows you to Run In Place or Save to Computer, choose Run In Place. This will install Google's toolbar in your browsers. The biggest accomplishment of that download is that it protects you against pop-up ads. It is also free.

I hope that helps a little, anyway.

[Lika Laruku]

Never heard of it.

[Dr-Electro]

School is where you go to learn stuff. I. T. stands for Information Technology, which is what I do at a high school. In other words, I am the computer person at a school and try to keep viruses from destroying all my hard work.:D

[Noo_Noo]

as far as spyware is concerned, i use spybot S&D and it sorts everything out. I also use pop-up stopper (www.panicware.com) to block the annoying advers for penis enlargement etc.

I was also pissed off about the school's filter filtering everything, it even filtered pages with 'password' and 'passport' in because they apparently contained the word 'ass'. I have found two ways around it though, one of which is bound to work:

go to www.landoflinks.com/translation and translate the webpage that is blocked 'from japanese to english' (if the page is in english) and it should go straight through :D .

the other method is easier, but the site itself may be blocked. go to www.pureprivacy.com and just type in the adress of the site there, and select 'no referer' and 'no cookies' from the options below. easy.

[HiTmAN]

seems now that there is a decrease in spam mail :D

anyone else noticed that?

must be something to do with all the new anti-spam legislation

[Smeagle]

Originally posted by HiTmAN
seems now that there is a decrease in spam mail :D

anyone else noticed that?

must be something to do with all the new anti-spam legislation
Actually, now that you mention it...

I used to get at least two or three emails to my junk mail folder a day, telling me to enlarge my penis, get a fake diploma, or buy a camera. But now that I think about it, I haven't actually had one single piece of spam for about two weeks...

:D

[mr jones]

woo so true :) how could i not notice lack of junk?!

[Dr-Electro]

My Yahoo! mail Bulk folder still gets an average 125 hits a day. There are fewer penis-mailings but more breast-mailings.

[Cainam]

Quick tip - If you don't want to get a bunch of spam, never ever NEVER click on the link in a piece of spam that removes you from the mailing list. It won't work. The reaction to this is "OOOH, a valid email address with someone on the other end that looks at this crap. Send him more, and sell the address to my spammy friends."

[Dr-Electro]

The absolute truth. The harder you try to get them to leave you alone, the more they pester you. There ain't no such thing as remove me from your mailing list.

[mini_ninja_pir8]

i hate,hate,hate some fowards,like those stupid chain letters ones about how some little boy is dying and for everytim u pass this on he gets 5 cents for his operation, i mean WHAT THE FUCK IS UP WITH THAT?????really fucks me off,
and spammer type companies, well they can go kiss my ass, i mean how in the world did they get my address,and they send me all thses shit letters about how i should get this, and do that,
and the only newsletter im actually happy to see in my inbox is the linkin park ones,but for the rest......grrrrr

iv got norton antivirus 2002,works ok from what i do on the net,checks all of my parents outgoing and incoming emails,and scans the computer every bloody week, cant really complain about it(apart from the fact its so damn slow,but thats my fault 4 d/loading all my messengers and stuff:D:D)

The Internet has become almost useless for research at school.

what dr electro said there(^ points up) is totally the same with my school(high school) the technitians make it sooo damn hard to search for anything at my school because,they block out almost all the sites that has the word"chat" in it, for instance, i was looking up some info on mars the other day in discoveryschool.com and next thing u know i got a letter saying that i was banned for two weeks because i was entering a potentially dangerous zone, and it was only discovery, and besides, they could see all the pages i was in and everything!!!

my school is sooooo strict about their precious net systems that cant even log onto weebl&bob!!!!!

and in addition to that, our system and networks are so damn slow they have to be unfrozen every five minutes,and im not joking!

school's systems here (in new zealand) are a bloody joke,
no wonder everyone has a computer at home!!!

oh yeah..just remebered something(actually two things)
first one is that there was 3 girls(mine is an all girls school,oh the shame)anyways, im working 0n my computer,and then inturn around, and theres these girls looking at porn on the school system!!!!yet, i dont think they were ever blocked,anyhoo, onto my second point(i love htis thread 4 some reason) i met this guy over my school system, hes 23, right so anyways, were emailing each other and then he writes all these flirty comments that im sure that would of got his ass kicked, and the techies here didnt even pick it up!!!!!!!

i think that they dont know that theyre speshful little system has major defects,

(oh and i think the techies's wishlists last yr 4 xmas were up to date computers with xp formatted to the system,even though i have it at home and it sucks!!!!!but we have windows '95 on the school system so i guess they would really like that:D)

[Scribbly]

I use norton antivirus (http://www.symantec.com/nav/nav_9xnt/) for virusses,

Lavasoft Ad-aware (http://www.lavasoftusa.com/) for spyware

Iolo system mechanic (http://www.iolo.com/sm/) to keep my system clean (and as a pop-up killer)

I have two email adresses; a new one and an old one. I used to get over 15 spam e-mails everyday on the old one but now it has reduced to maybe 3 in two days! I don't know how that happened, but whoever did it deserves more money :p

[mini_ninja_pir8]

yeah, i have norton,
i dunno how to check if i have spyware,

how do i do that??

and what does it mean by "temporary internet files??"
how do tey get deleted??

i think someone in my family has been looking at porn(its not me,i hate that stuff,ewww)

i have two address, well i used to have 10(yes u can be:eek: )
but since i hardly eva use them all i now have two

[HiTmAN]

Find spyware using Spybot - Search and Destroy (http://www.safer-networking.org/index.php?page=download).

Temporary Internet Files is where Windows keeps all the webpages you have been on in the last few days (this speeds up internet browsing, and also allows you to view them offline).

To delete them, click the Tools menu in IE, click "Internet Options...", click "Clear Files". It might take a while.

[mini_ninja_pir8]

uhh..ok

do they disappear by themselves???the files i mean???

[Dr-Electro]

No, the anti-spyware program removes them for you. I have never used Search and Destroy, but in Ad Aware, you scan your drives, memory and registry first. Then, you see a list of items that the scan found in your system. You place a check mark by the items you want removed and when you press "Continue" Ad Aware kills them. It could be a tad easier to select all, since everyone normally wants to rid themselves of all spyware, but the program works very well.

[Evilone]

Originally posted by Dr-Electro
No, the anti-spyware program removes them for you. I have never used Search and Destroy, but in Ad Aware, you scan your drives, memory and registry first. Then, you see a list of items that the scan found in your system. You place a check mark by the items you want removed and when you press "Continue" Ad Aware kills them. It could be a tad easier to select all, since everyone normally wants to rid themselves of all spyware, but the program works very well.

I really reccommend S&D, it has other great features too, most notably an immunise feature which can block a lot of the spyware getting onto your pc in the first place...

[Nocashvalue]

Dr electro, I might have just found a loophole in school filtering. If you set up an auto direct website, like one at www.cjb.com that shortens the url from say... filtered.mysite.freeserve.com/122342543654754 to filtered.cjb.com , what things like that do is that they redirect to the page, but keep the url. So, what you could do is to make maths.cjb.com redirect to www.games.com or something of the sort. This will render all URL filtering useless.

[mini_ninja_pir8]

i should try that on our school systemi mean, ill gt in huge trouble for ahcking into the system,but hey!

wonder if that will actually work..


*ponders*

[Dr-Electro]

Originally posted by Nocashvalue
Dr electro, I might have just found a loophole in school filtering. If you set up an auto direct website, like one at www.cjb.com that shortens the url from say... filtered.mysite.freeserve.com/122342543654754 to filtered.cjb.com , what things like that do is that they redirect to the page, but keep the url. So, what you could do is to make maths.cjb.com redirect to www.games.com or something of the sort. This will render all URL filtering useless.

Of course, I MUST try to close that loophole. *snicker-snicker*

(after I try it for myself)

[Cainam]

Originally posted by Dr-Electro
Of course, I MUST try to close that loophole. *snicker-snicker*

(after I try it for myself)

Evil, yes you are.:twisted:

Here's one for you: A supervisor at my work got caught yesterday ( saturday )surfing the net for porn for 8 hours (!), on a weekend, and paying himself for overtime. Nice, no?

Porn sites are another good place to stay away from on the internet. You wouldn't believe the ammount of spy-ware and crap that those sites will send your computer along with naughty pictures! I found that out the hard way when I lent a laptop to a friend, and he went looking for god knows what. When I got it back, it would try to call out to some German pay-to-call server every 2 seconds. Whatever program it had in it was imbedded worse than a virus. It was easier to just format c: & start over.

[HiTmAN]

Here (http://www.doxdesk.com/parasite/) is a large list of different spyware programs and what they do, along with a quick check script if anyone might find them useful.

[Nocashvalue]

Gah! I have some spyware stuff that changes my homepage constantly, and Ad-aware doesn't pick it up...
Help!

[HiTmAN]

Try downloading SpyBot S&D (link up a few posts)

[Evilone]

Originally posted by Dr-Electro
Of course, I MUST try to close that loophole. *snicker-snicker*

(after I try it for myself)

heh, i've been using that one for years, using AltaVista Babelfish and translating from Korean to english (no korean text, so it stays engish).

[Nocashvalue]

I downloaded S&D... But it keeps working... :@
Help! (I'm also getting website shortcuts re-appearing on my desktop)

[Smeagle]

You didn't by any chance download msn messenger plus at about the same time that these changes started happening, did you?

If so, uninstall msn plus, then when you re-install, tick the box which says "do not download additional advertising software" (or something along those lines) ;)

If not, then just ignore me...

[Nocashvalue]

lol... Nope...
If it helps, the website it changes the homepage to is (DO NOT CLICK!) http://brutal-video.net

Please help meeeeee

[mini_ninja_pir8]

i clicked that link from hitman and it said i didnt have any spyware,must be my good internet skills:D

heh,

what does the link(that nocashvalue had) go to????
im curious, and if i clicked it......not good

[vampiress]

oi. good thread. i'm about to get a nice new virgin laptop. i will have to dl some of these programs. i used to use pow pop up blocker but now i just use the google bar.link (http://www.analogx.com/contents/download/network/pow.htm) anlogx has some interesting utilities and they all work fab for me.

as for email. i have tons of hotmail/yahoo accounts and i use
eprompter (http://www.eprompter.com/). a small fabulous pop3 email program. it downloads text only. i delete just about everything that is spam, and no opening to possible pop-ups and other nasties. it also can check multiple accounts at a time. i have 3 hotmail and 3 yahoo accounts. if and when hotmail and yahoo change their logins, the eprompter folks are very quick and professional. i love this program.

i also send a link to these website when i get a hoax email(which i do from my grandma several times a week)
http://hoaxbusters.ciac.org/
http://www.truthorfiction.com/
www.snopes.com/
http://www.urbanlegends.com/ulz/


ok, so at the risk of sounding ignorant. what is a firewall. i think i have one on my router, but i don't quite know what exactly it does. i do have wep turned on for the wireless bit. i want to make sure to start this laptop off right. and fix up my mates pc.

heh i used to be a top shelf geek, but technology ha left me in the dust.

[Dr-Electro]

Not in the dust, yet, dearie. You are still state-of-the-art. The firewall helps to protect you from nasties trying to hack into your computer. A physical "fire wall" is a wall specially constructed to halt the spread of fire inside a building. A firewall on your router is there for your protection against unwanted intruders. You can add software firewalls, also, but they will hurt the performance of your computer.

A tip from another router guru: Find out the largest number of possible characters you can have for a router password. Make up something as totally random as you can, including characters like !@#$%^&*()_+ as long as they are not considered syntax errors. Write your password on a sticky note and paste it to the bottom of your router. That way, if you need it seven or eight years later, you will be able to look it up rather than try to remember it. The HaXXors out there will have a very difficult time trying to access your IP address. Even if they eventually break your code, they will encounter another IP address they have to try to decode. It sure slows them down.

[mini_ninja_pir8]

router????????

*looks weirdly*
im only a "kid" so i dont know too many of these programs, but i know alot more than my parents do,

actually, i should scan my system, ive been playing with alot of flash-using sites(my latest is the ring site:D)

apparantly the google toolbar lets you look at the pop-ups,but does anyone know how i could delete that option if i did get the toolbar??how does it download??

[Dr-Electro]

It downloads easily. Go to the Google home page. Click on Tools and Services. Scroll down the page to Google Toolbar and click the handy button. The rest of the download is automatic.

If you get the toolbar, just click on the popup blocker tool in the bar to allow popups from the site you are looking at. Control+click allows one popup at a time, like login boxes, to come through unblocked.

To remove the feature, right click in any blank spot on an active toolbar in your browser. Select Customize, select Google Toolbar and clear the checkbox for Popup Blocker. To restore it, customize again and check the box.

[Cainam]

I'm impressed with my ISP, Earthlink. I have anti-virus software, but so far Earthlink's email service has been what is catching the virus mail. Third one this month this morning.

[mini_ninja_pir8]

i got the toolbar,
it works really good

theres that new email virus going around...i havernt been caught with it but it would suck big time if i got hit

[Cainam]

Talk about a hoax! Earthlink users are being hit hard with fake email that says that internet srevice will be cut because of a problem with billing, just click on the link and re-enter your credit card information. It is a fake link set up to steal people's credit info. This has also been done to several other internet providers. Always either call or verify that the email really did come from where it says it did before you make any response to these kinds of messages.

[qwerto]

hmm u have a point!:confused:

[qwerto]

How did you get this topic?

[leeroy]

hi, im looking for some advice from a resident guru, i'm gettin a new pc in a couple of days and was wondering what kinds of protection i should get, i have a network in my house and a router, do all routers have firewalls? how can i find out if mine does? and what kind of antivirus software is the best? i also was wondering if linux os is effected as much by viruses as windows?

[HiTmAN]

Originally posted by leeroy
i also was wondering if linux os is effected as much by viruses as windows?

heh

my anti-virus program (F-Prot (http://www.f-prot.com/)) spat these statistics out:

40569 viruses for Windows/DOS
315 viruses for Unix/Linux

not too large a difference then

[Dr-Electro]

That's because there are still more jackss virus writers producing code for Winders than for any other OS. Pure statistics, friends. One day, when Linux and FreeBSD surpass Windows, they will have more virus code than Windows. Supply and demand, sort of, but on the supply side. Oooh! Reaganomics for viruses!!

Ok, latest hoax to latch on to my locality:

New Pepsi Can Hoax!! (http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/blpepsi-can.htm) Read all about it. Do not send me a FWD: FWD: FWD: FWD: FWD: FWD: FWD: FWD:FWD: FWD: FWD: FWD:FWD: FWD: FWD: FWD:FWD: FWD: FWD: FWD:FWD: FWD: FWD: FWD: of this hoax. I will be quite upset with you.

[Smeagle]

Dr E, today while doing some work on the school computers we discovered a terrifyingly easy way of accessing and editing parts of the System 32 folder, which you may want to know about (unless you already do). It's so obvious you're probably already guarded against it, but our school wasn't so I thought I'd say it anyway.

If you open up Microsoft Paint and go to open a file, you can actually access the system 32 folder, then highlight any of the files, and simply press delete (to make them show you have to change files of type to show all files first). This doesn't work with any programs other than paint (that we know of), but it's quite a scary loophole, especially for IT technicians such as yourself, as any student could completely ruin the entire network in a matter of seconds...

It might just be that our technicians have done the admin stuff in a crappy way, but just in case I advise you to check this as soon as possible, before a more destructive pupil discovers it ;)

[HiTmAN]

Yea, Smeagle, a friend and I found that out a last year, and got in trouble for it ;) Very typical Microsoft. Also, if you right click a folder in this view and select Open, you can actually open the system32 folder, and go up a few levels to any of the folders below it. I managed to access the Registry Editor :eek: doing this.

Also, you can use Notepad, Word, or any program that saves in HTML or text to create a link (<a href="C:\">C:\</a>), which will go directly to the C drive :(

You might want to look at these, and perhaps find a solution, but I think there are problems with Windows itself.

:rolleyes:

[Cainam]

Originally posted by HiTmAN
I think there are problems with Windows itself.

:rolleyes:

No! Say it isn't so!

[Dr-Electro]

Thanks for the heads up, guys. I hack the registry myself all the time. I have even set up regedit stashes that contain lines of code to make changes to the registry with a single click of the mouse.

What saves me from the student hackers at my school is Deep Freeze. It makes absolutely no difference what they hack on any of the computers, as soon as the automatic reboot hits all their changes are lost. :D

Deep Freeze lets anyone make changes on the hard drive. That includes System32. Every 45 minutes the frozen computers reboot automatically unless they are in use. Even if they are rebooted automatically the result is the same. When the computers come back on, they are right back to the way I set them up!:twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :rawk:

Case in point: I just finished setting up a new Music Theory computer lab for the assistant choir director. She was going to be all upset and bent out of shape when the first group of students started trying to customize the computers. I took her aside and told her to just watch.

I went over to one particular computer that a female student had just hacked the bejeezus out of. She had it looking like a psychadelic bad trip. I excused myself and restarted the computer. The looks on all their faces were totally priceless when it came back up with my Panther Wallpaper and school logo. I thought my face was going to break from trying not to grin ear-to-ear.

[HiTmAN]

How rare. I suppose that taught the students a lesson :p

By the way, everyone, there is a new critical XP/2K update, which is apparently "one of the most serious Microsoft vulnerabilities ever released".

I would get it soon, before some fucktard writes a new worm to exploit it.

[PoofBird]

not sure if it´s a coincidence, but i installed that patch, but hadn´t yet rebooted :rolleyes:

I did get quite a nasty worm attack last night, which norton solved for me...

[Cainam]

Originally posted by Dr-Electro
I thought my face was going to break from trying not to grin ear-to-ear.

+ for you, you evil dragon.:notworthy

[Dr-Electro]

Thank you, Cainam. + back to you for your :notworthy

[mini_ninja_pir8]

heh, thanks for the xp update, im going to look at it now, actually,

or tomorrow,


meh...(just got home from school)

now i guess...

[mini_ninja_pir8]

i use norton antivirus 2002 for my computer(looking into getting AVG),

google toolbar for my pop ups

and update my pc regularly with ther latest symatec(&windows) updates,

easy

plus, im behind a firewall, and a security patch(got it when the blaster worm came out:D)

the only problem with my system, is when i got the worm,but that was easy enough,
just scanned my system and got the blaster worm tool thingy to clean it up!!!!!

simple, and the taste of the hackers not beign able to get to my system,amazing