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Safe Hex - Safe Computing TipsAlso see:Safe Computing - The Risks |
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by seadog on Aug-13-02 at 21:12 Here is a good security and trojan scan from BLACKCODE.COM -Services -> Security Scan: http://www.blackcode.com/scan/ "The BlackCode Security Scan is an Online tool which makes an exhaustive test on your computer or firewall searching for open ports." It takes a few minutes to run. It comes in 2 sections. |
The most basic advice the security experts give is to avoid
opening unsolicited e-mails.
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You can also try using these links:
On-Line Scans for Viruses, Trojans, and Variants
1. Symantec (Norton Antivirus) Security Check - Free on-line scan
2. Trend Micro (PC-cillin) - Free on-line Scan
housecall.antivirus.com
3. Online virus detection is best at RAVanivirus.com. Be sure and check Unpack executables and uncheck smart scan which is a quick scan. This site is best for checking one file or folder online.
A note - I usually follow with http://www.panda.com as it does the best cleanup. Both work in the background while you cruise the web. Very straightforward, unlike Housecall. I never use Housecall anymore. I use the other two as one finds more and the other repairs more.
[Housecall does not find as much as these two.] (Thanks, xyste)
4. Panda's Active Scan
www.pandasoftware.com or
5. Antivirus Expert - Online Virus Scanner
http://www.centralcommand.com/downloads.html 30 day trials and free utilities
[ And more free online virus scan links:
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Free Antivirus Programs
5. Download an AV Program with free updates.
AVG Antivirus - www.grisoft.com
6. F-Prot AVP for DOS download page.
Experienced Users Only
www.complex.is/f-prot/
7. AntiVir - Free updates
www.free-av.com
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8. Zone Alarm personal firewall - Anti-Hacker Countermeasure.
www.zonelabs.com
9. Learn about Internet security and why you need a firewall
at Steve Gibson's Shields UP site.
www.grc.com
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10. Update your antivirus definitions weekly/monthly as updates come out.
11. Scan your computer for malicious code each time after updating definitions.
12. Create, then update your Rescue Disks for each anti-virus program after each update.
Much of the material above is repeated from: http://forums.zdnet.com/group/zd.Security.Virus.Alerts/cnet/cnetnt.tpt/@thread@12523@F@1@D-,D@ALL/@article@mark@12523?ROS=1&OC=75, a ZDnet discussion forum thread.
If you have "Mission Critical" information on your computer, plan to periodically backup those files and
The Housecall site, will do a free check of your computer for viruses. It will take a few minutes the first time that you use it. (See the others mentioned above.)
The FBI (NIPC) is providing early alert information about 'events' (virus activity, denial of service, etc.) that can affect the operation of the internet, WEB, and business networks and systems. National Infrastructure Protection Center (the Feds!)
For another discussion of security concerns (by soundgod), see Protect your computer from VIRUS ATTACKS!
Northwestern University - about computer viruses and virus protection
Determine that your system and those of all your coworkers, friends, and associates are not vulnerable by verifying that file sharing is turned off.
* On a Windows 95/98 system, system-wide file sharing is managed by
selecting My Computer, Control Panel, Networks, and clicking on the
File and Print Sharing button. For folder-by-folder controls, you
can use Windows Explorer (Start, Programs, Windows Explorer) and
highlight a primary folder such as My Documents and then right mouse
click and select properties. There you will find a tab for sharing.
* On a Windows NT, check Control Panel, Server, Shares.
For an excellent way to instantly check system vulnerability, and for
detailed assistance in managing Windows file sharing, see: Shields
Up! A free service from Gibson Research (http://grc.com/)
Another Exercise by the National Cyber Security Alliance to get you to improve online security:
Pretty Park is a privacy invading worm. Every 30 seconds, it tries to e-mail itself to the e-mail addresses in your Microsoft Outlook address book. It has also been reported to connect your machine to a custom IRC channel for the purpose of retrieving passwords from your system.
How do I get it?
Please note that at this time there is no quick fix download for this worm.
Another great source for information on many computer viruses.
"The best protection is to make sure you have the most current virus signature files available for your anti-virus software." .......
DO IT!
Sometimes a trojan scanner can pick up things your AV misses. A very good Anti-Trojan program called "TDS-3" (TrojanDetectionSystem) is at tds.diamondcs.com.au/ for a 14 day trial before purchase. Another good Anti-Trojan called "The Cleaner" is available from www.moosoft.com/ for a 30 day trial before purchase.
security1.norton.com/us/home.asp?j=1&venid=sym&langid=us&plfid=20&pkj=MOMIKPPZHDHFQSGBXII
Click the 'Run Virus Check' or 'Run Security Check' button.
Or norton
A small Download Required
pandasecurity
Highly regarded:
bitdefender and
pcpitstop ]
Technical Support Is Fee-Based
Free Firewall(s) Tim O'Leary Anti Virus Download Page
store them safely for retrival if something nasty were to happen to your computer. See: On Data Management
Useful Links:
Trendmicro Virus Encyclopedia Check out named virus.
National Infrastructure Protection Center (the Feds!)
"The National Infrastructure Protection Center (NIPC) serves as a national critical infrastructure threat assessment, warning, vulnerability, and law enforcement investigation and response entity. The NIPC provides timely warnings of ... unlawful acts involving computer and information technologies and unlawful acts, both physical and cyber, that threaten or target our [the US] critical infrastructures ..."
How to eliminate the Happy99 virus
The Happy99 Cleaner
About the ExploreZip Trojan Horse
About the:
CIH/Chernobyl virus
Security Bulletin Search
W32.nimda.a@mm
AntiVirus - AntiCode - Exploits Sorted By OS - Computer Security - Hacking & Hackers 3/8/00
for the way to clean these spyware bugs from your computer.
http://securityresponse.symantec.com/avcenter/tools.list.html
There are two software developers that still make 16-bit anti-virus software for Windows 3.1. They are:
F-Secure (http://www.f-secure.com/)
Panda Software (http://www.pandasoftware.com/)
Both of them have trial versions.
Individual virus software vendors issue their own information about occurrences and provide their solutions to detect and remove virus programs from software files. See those links on the CERT advisories page.
http://www.tss.northwestern.edu/virus/default.html Alert!
SUBJECT: NATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE PROTECTION CENTER
INFORMATION SYSTEM ADVISORY
www.staysafeonline.info
Everything you ever wanted to know about WORM_KLEZ http://www.antivirus.com/vinfo/security/klez_descrip.htm
dikansas on 10/08/99 at 10:09
IMPORTANT>>>I e-mailed a seller to ask about shipping the reply
contained this virus in an attachment...LINKS.VBS (Aliases: Freelink,
VBS.Freelink) The subject of the email message generated by this worm
is:
"Check this"
and the body of the message is:
"Have fun with these links. Bye".
My anti-virus program took care of it... It's time to do your online
update your virus protection...This is NOT a Hoax read more about it
here on this Anti-virus
site....www.symantec.com/region/uk/avcenter/venc/vbs
Pretty Park
parpat on Feb-16-00 at 00:38
Pretty Park arrives as an e-mail attachment. Double clicking the PrettyPark.exe or Files32.exe program infects your computer. You may see the Microsoft Pipes screen saver after running the executable. Don't run the program and you won't get infected.
KAKWORM
3/8/00
Is there anyone here that knows how to get rid of the 'kak' virus?
by bay on Jun-19-01 at 07:04
Here are three different auto cleaners below. I've used the one at the first link:
http://www.pchell.com/in ternet/kakworm.shtml
http://www.webattack.com/freeware/security/fwvirus.shtml
Kak virus info & cleaner:
http://www.getvirushelp.com/kak/
http://antivirus.about.com/library/blkak.htm
June 2001 - This is now dated info -
VBS_KAKWORM.A
Removal Help Links
It must be removed by hand.
Disclaimer: PLEASE Do not try these steps if you are not comfortable deleting files. We claim no
responsibility if you not understand these steps or follow them correctly. Before cleaning,
its a good idea to delete the actual emails in your Outlook Express program that have the virus.
Otherwise when you preview the message again, the system will reinfect itself. Once infected, do
not reboot or restart your computer before cleaning, otherwise the infection will return.
To find the autoexec.bat files...go to start/ run/ type in msconfig.. click okay.
a screen will open up and you then click on the autoexec.bat tab...look for the following file:
Delete the following:
1) Delete the added lines in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file @echo off >
C:\Windows\STARTM~1\Programs\StartUp\kak.hta
del C:\Windows\STARTM~1\Programs\StartUp\kak.hta
(or delete the autoexec.bat file and rename the AE.KAK file to AUTOEXEC.BAT)
2) For the next one...go to My computer/ click on the C: drive/ Windows folder/ show files/ look for
the 'start menu' folder, click on it...then the 'Programs' folder...then on 'Start up'....look for
'kak.hta'...right click and delete.
Delete the KAK.HTA file from the Windows Startup group as well as the c:\windows directory.
C:\Windows\START MENU\Programs\StartUp\kak.hta C:\WINDOWS\KAK.HTA
Also delete the temporary .hta file which was placed in the c:\windows\system directory.
This file generally has a name something like 74F03760.hta. Although the temporary filename will never be the same, just delete the .hta files in the c:\windows\system directory.
3) In your Registry...you need to go to 'Start'/ run/ type in regedit...click okay and a window with
the system registry will open.....what you need to do is follow the Path of the following tree to
get to the files you need to delete
Delete the 2 added registry entries:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows \Currentversion\Run\cAg0u
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Identities\Software\Microsoft\Outlook Express\5.0\signatures\Default Signature
(Be sure the default signature entry points to the KAK file) You will have to right-click on them and then scroll down to delete...... then close up the tree again and then save changes and reboot.
Although there are no guarantees that the worm will not reappear when previewing another message.
Make sure that you delete the e-mail that you got this worm in and when you are finished you will
have to re-boot and then go to the windows update site and get all the security downloads for
your computer.
I had gotten the download patch for it at Microsofts Windows update site and it kept my
computer from getting it. That is what saved my computer from getting this worm. The above
steps should disable the worm. Download and Install the Microsoft patch for the security
vulnerability that allows this worm to invade your system. You should also update or purchase a
new anti-virus program to ensure the system will not be infected again. The worm appeared on
Dec 27, 1999 in the wild , so any antivirus signature earlier than this will not detect the worm.
Windows Update Site
Melting.Worm
"A combination virus/worm, Melting.Worm (a.k.a. Win32.Melting and I-Worm.Melting)".
"It's one part mean and one part nasty."
"In the Windows directory, all programs with a .exe file extension are changed to a .bin file and the virus assumes the identity of the original .exe files." ............. "For example, NOTEPAD.EXE would be changed to NOTEPAD.BIN and Melting.Worm would become NOTEPAD.EXE."
.............
"The worm constituent functions very much like the Melissa virus......... When executed, Melting.Worm... attempts to send a copy of itself to every address listed. .......
......... extremely dangerous."
Protecting your computer in General
How can I scan these files, Fwds and attachments?
My daughter sends me files, Fwds and attachments from the large company she works at. My question is: is there a way I can scan these before I open them? I am afraid I will get a virus or something. How do I be more careful besides getting an anti-virus.
spider-boy on Mar-02-00 at 09:13
deb-dew...if you have an Anti-Virus program installed on your PC, simply "right-click" on the attachment and choose "scan with anti-virus". But...I highly recommend not opening ANY attachment nowadays. Be careful out there is my motto...spider
sdmike1 on Mar-02-00 at 09:29
deb-dew - Opening the email itself shouldn't be a problem. Opening graphics files such as .jpg and .gif files also are not a problem. Avoid opening any attachment that ends with the extension .exe, .bat, or .com...and even .zip unless you've scanned them for viruses.
Just to clarify, jpg and gif files are typically just pictures that have very little ability to infect your system with any kind of virus. Where you can get in trouble is running those "cute little programs" that do an automated greeting card or funny game that end in .exe or any of the other extensions I listed. With graphics files your viewer program (whatever you use to look at pictures) is simply reading data to display the picture. On the other hand, .exe, .bat and other files are actually telling the computer to execute a program that may contain things you don't want along with the fun stuff you see.
spider-boy on Mar-02-00 at 09:30
deb-dew...the problem lies with all the malicious worms, virus and trojans out there. Your daughter is using a PC that is not her own and therefore can't verify the integrity of the system. I open attachments from my Dad's PC only because I service that machine myself (even if it is 30 miles away!). So I know those are safe(I scan 'em anyway). If you have Virus Protection software, that is a good start. Other than that, practice safe computing. I have Win98 help page on my web-site that may help...www.spider-boy.com. Look in the Win98 archives for virus protection tips...spider
baydelb on Mar-02-00 at 09:32
deb-dew, make sure your anti-virus is up to date too. My anti-virus issues a new update usually every week and sometimes every three days....If your anti-virus isn't updated, it's not going to detect the latest of viruses that these jerks are writing....
deb-dew on Mar-02-00 at 09:42
Oh thank you all for helping me. I am learning. Baydelb which antivirus do you have I don't think I have one.
spider-boy on Mar-02-00 at 09:47
deb-dew...I recommend Norton's McAffee or(my personal favorite) FixIt2000 by Mijenix. There are links on my site or they can be found at sites such as CNET or Tucows.com...spider
baydelb on Mar-02-00 at 09:47
deb-dew, I use Trend's PC-Cillin 6. and I would recommend you getting some brand of anti-virus like YESTERDAY!!....It will save you a lot of headaches and probably cash too!.
ekath on Mar-02-00 at 10:25
I have had mcaffee and now Norton, and I love Norton. Just had to update the subscription for another year of updating files, and it was only 3.95 for the year! Not bad!
I just installed Norton and did some checks but everything seems OK. I already had McAfee installed, is it bad to have them both, should I delete McAfee? Norton seems to have many more possibilities.
sdmike1 on Apr-01-00 at 10:05
If you have Norton Antivirus you can kill McAfee. I've found Norton to be much more stable and cause less problems. Make sure to keep your dat files updated.
by cjonrun on Jun-17-01 at 13:58
Several people on Gibson's Discussion group like Antivirus AVG from Grisoft. Here is the download page. AVG from Grisoft Some said the page was real slow and suggested www.grisoft.cz instead. When I hit the US site, I got right in, but I didn't try a download. Did I mention it is free?
Editorial Note: I personally use AVG from Grisoft and I'm very pleased! Easy install, no conflicts, competent!