I'm in over my head!

[Shogun]

Well i've been connected without any firewall and AV software for about 3 months now, Did a scan last week and im totally clean. It is very possible to stay clean without any software.

[turkster]

Well i've been connected without any firewall and AV software for about 3 months now, Did a scan last week and im totally clean. It is very possible to stay clean without any software.

Ah but are you patched to the hilt?

Youd be a good advertisment for Microsoft

[Shogun]

Got sp1 but no other updates Don't bother doing the updates for windows as it usually takes longer to install than actually download.

[turkster]

Got sp1 but no other updates Don't bother doing the updates for windows as it usually takes longer to install than actually download.

Pah your just lucky

I suppose you'll tell me your using IE as well

[Butuz]

How do you connect? Modem or ADSL?

IF your behind an ADSL router/modem, then your "semi-firewalled" as NAT means that external users can't see your machine's IP address (the first, and best line of defense) and most routers ive seen block ports as standard. Only if you download say a trojan from an email or something will you get infected. If you hook up on a modem, with no firewall, your toast!

Butuz

[r1zeek]

When i moved house, i went from having isdn and a hardware firewall to a modem and nothing. AFter a clean win2k install, i hooked to the net to download some drivers, new versio of avg antivirus, and zonealarm, and by the time i had done that (10 mins) i was already infected with somesuch worm.

If you connect any system to the net without a firewall, be prepared for it to be riddled with spyware/viruses within the first few hours. That is NOT scaremongering, that is the truth and its time people woke up and took responsibility for their own PC's security.

Butuz

He does not jest!

I conected a machine to the net just to test an ISDN modem and when I connected later, Zonealarm came up and said "Would you like to allow "msblaster.exe" to access the internet?"
I instinctively clicked no and had to reformat!

[myth]

remeber that an unpatched or unprotected machine has an average life expecanty of 20 minutes once connected to the web.

It was never conected to the web after I did a format and instaled windows, The only way it could have got a virus would be the XP CD!

[Shogun]

Pah your just lucky

I suppose you'll tell me your using IE as well

Suprisingly enough i am Never personally had a problem with it so why change it?
I connect through an ADSL router so NAT is true, but other than that i don't bother. Static ip aswell

[myth]

Well I'm on the PC now... I stoped it by typing shutdown -a.... But windows update gives me a error code... So I am downloading SP2 from another site, I feel its a wate of time though! This thing is evil!

[Shogun]

I bet you its sp2 causing it

[[GSV]Trig]

Well seeing as he says hes not got Sp2 yet thats hardly a good bet...

[bouncin]

hehe i had exactly the same problem its welchia worm definately. get the fix from symantech turn of system restore start it up in safe mode then run the fix hope this helps
''it has to come from a cd or driver somewhere cos im not on the net'' these words will echo around ur head the same as they did mine for about a week lol

[pre]

Why dont you install a software firewall/antivirus on each of the machines he asks you to fix and create an automatic update profile?

[pre]

Suprisingly enough i am Never personally had a problem with it so why change it?
I connect through an ADSL router so NAT is true, but other than that i don't bother. Static ip aswell

NAT will be why to a large extent it stops random incoming connections from being initiated - and thus being attacked by IP. Combined with the fact that you are probably savvy enough not to open AnnaKournikova.jpg.vbs its not a surprise that you've stopped the main entry points for a worm.

[Shogun]

you are probably savvy enough not to open AnnaKournikova.jpg.vbs its not a surprise that you've stopped the main entry points for a worm.

What? That was a virus?

[myth]

I patched it and scaned it and beat it! Now it works! Thank God! It is EXTREAMLY slow!


Edit: Thanks for all your help!