Can I just say that I hate the programmers who wrote the IBIS Toolbar, EzuLa and other crap software that somehow used a IE exploit to get on my machine. May they burn in HELLLLLL! I swear if I ever meet these scumbags, I’ll rip their spines out through their mouths, wrap it around their throats and choke them with it.
Get Microsoft Windows AntiSpyware to avoid future incidents.
May I suggest that you direct some of your ire at the developers of Internet Explorer, the software that allowed the installation of spyware without your consent?
Firefox is pretty secure, so the experts say.
From what I’ve heard that just replaces one set of exploits with another.
May I suggest you stop downloading free music sharing software, visiting high risk websites (porn & gambling), downloading every freescreensaver, free horoscope, free weather forecaster or free game that happens to occupy a banner ad at the top of any page you visit?
Well, that was a bit snarky, dontcha think?
Too honest? Too true? Not sugarcoated enough?
What?
Sam
Back when I was using IE, I’d get crapware thrown at me from seemingly legitimate sites. It’s why I haven’t been to Ain’t-It-Cool-News in over two years. I sent an email to the webmaster about getting hit with pop-ups (this was before the advent of reliable blockers) EVERY TIME I CLICKED ON A LINK and went back to the main page. The guy replied with a “if you don’t like it, don’t visit the site” remark.
I didn’t and I didn’t and haven’t except for once from a redirect from another site.
It IS possible to get junk from other sites than porn, gambling, etc.
Fear Itself was making an assumption without basis.
After cleaning hundreds of computers, I think I know when to expect an infestation. Somehow it is never the 65-year-old grandma who only uses her computer for email, but it is always the computer used by teenagers and young adults. Yes, drive-by downloads occur at sites other than porn & gambling; song lyric pages are also notorious, as well as warez and cracking pages. You get the drift. It never ‘just happens’ for no reason, and the worst sites target behavior that feeds on irresistable temptations. Without basis? No, just playing the percentages. Until we hear from the OP about his surfing habits, we will never know, will we?
You’re probably right.
BUT, I think you should wait for the OP to say something before making a comment.
Just sayin’…
So even if this were a universal truth, what if you enjoy porn & gambling? I mean, these are major usages of the internet for a number of people and shouldn’t be off limits to anyone (of age). Wouldn’t it be good if you could have some fun, and some one-handed fun, at your computer? Wouldn’t life be beautiful if snarky IT people blamed the malware developers, and not the legitimate users?
mischievous
I doubt it. For one thing, it wasn’t developed my Microsoft; they bought it from someone else. Also, it was highly recommended by the head of a small network admin. company. Something like that would be very damaging to her client base if it caused problems.
Not everyone can make that switch. My computer at work refuses to connect using anything other than IE.
Completely wrong, also. I don’t download screen savers. I have no music sharing programs. I’m talking about my POS work computer so there’s no porn, gambling games and the rest. Bite my hairy white ass.
You expect us to believe that despite the fact that you never download free software or visit high risk websites you still got spyware? Now who’s bullshitting who?
I had to deal with a spyware infestation just by accidently clicking on a “yes” button while at an abaondonware site. No porn nor free software downloads involved.
I really don’t give a flyin’ fuck whether you believe me or not. It’s irrelevant. This is a rant about the assholes that write the shit that took me an hour to track it all down in the registry and other hidden places. If these malicious cumstains weren’t writing the code it wouldn’t matter if I allowed cookies or not anywhere I surf, now would it?
I’ve had foistware try to install from a news aggregate site linked to from these very boards. Closer examination determined that, if I had been using IE, the process would have been automatic and invisible, which is why an intelligent Doper had no clue the buttload of evil that they were bestowing on other members. The site just happened to have stolen content, duly indexed by Google, that was pertinent to a discussion we were having.
Clearly we all deserved to be infected for being interested in current events.
Yeah, and I wish I could fuck whores without having to worry about getting AIDS. Curse the darkness all you want, the only way to escape spyware is to take responsibility for your own actions.
I’ve cleaned hundreds of spyware infections, too, and I can tell you for a fact that you don’t have to be surfing porn, song lyrics, or anything else to get an infection. Drivebys are a hell of a lot more common than some people think.
And Homebrew, get yourself Hijack This! and use it. It’ll cut your track-down-and-destroy time in half.
Whoohoo, I think I made it to the front of the line that’s gonna call Fear Itself a flaming butthole!