# Was My Computer "Hacked"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 21, 2004, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-my-computer-hacked/281039 "2004-12-21T20:29:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Gassy\_Man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Gassy\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gassy_Man)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2004, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-my-computer-hacked/281039/1 "2004-12-21T20:29:37Z")
So, I went to a Web site purporting to be posted by alumni of my high school. When I clicked on a link there, I got a message that read: “You have been hacked!” I don’t know what this means exactly. Has someone broken into my computer electronically or is this just some juvenile joke? I have AdAware and Spybot installed and run and update them frequently. The anti-virus program I used expired about a month after I got the message, but I ran it several times before then and found no viruses. I use my computer for banking, so I’d be concerned if someone could read my keystrokes or get account or personal information off the sites I visit. ---
**Author:** ![Berkut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a88e57/32.png) [@Berkut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Berkut)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2004, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-my-computer-hacked/281039/2 "2004-12-21T20:30:58Z")
Probably not. What was the link? ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2004, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-my-computer-hacked/281039/3 "2004-12-21T21:06:11Z")
There are some pop-up ads that give warning messages like that in order to scare you into buying their software. While it is possible to get spyware by visiting certain websites, they never announce the fact. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2004, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-my-computer-hacked/281039/4 "2004-12-21T21:08:03Z")
There are some pop-up ads that give warning messages like that in order to scare you into buying their software. While it is possible to get spyware by visiting certain websites, they never announce the fact. They don’t want you to know that they’ve installed the software, since if you knew, you’d try to remove it. ---
**Author:** ![Crown\_Prince\_of\_Irony](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ed655f/32.png) [@Crown\_Prince\_of\_Irony](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crown_Prince_of_Irony)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2004, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-my-computer-hacked/281039/5 "2004-12-21T21:31:30Z")
I work for a network security company; although I work in sales, and am not an “Expert”, I’m pretty sure I know what happened. I had typed a lengthy explanation of website hacks, but on preview, I see that **RealityChuck** presents a more likely scenario; I was thinking the webpage itself had the hacked message, but I realize that you didn’t say whether it was on a page or in a popup. Regardless of the cause of this particular incident, I would highly recommend to keep your AV software up to date, however. There are viruses/worms that can infect over a network/internet connection (a la Blaster or Sasser), rather than email, and usually there is no outward indication of infection until your system bluescreens or hangs. Also, I’d recommend a client firewall, especially if you’re on a broadband connection. A good solid client firewall can also mitigate your concern about your banking info being compromised; it blocks connections to and from unknown applications, so if there’s a keystroke logger or something, it can’t “phone home” with the info it’s gathered. It can quite often prevent the bad stuff from getting on the system to begin with. I have a preference on an AV/firewall product, but since I work for the company that makes it, I won’t shill it here. Whatever you get, as long as it’s a reputable brand, is better than nothing. Some products are available free, but for me personally, having an intimate knowledge of the logistics that go into supporting these types of products, I’d go with a fee-based product - you get what you pay for, and all. ---
**Author:** ![Gassy\_Man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Gassy\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gassy_Man)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2004, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-my-computer-hacked/281039/6 "2004-12-21T22:44:25Z")
Thanks for the replies, folks. It wasn’t a popup or, so far as I can tell, a professional site. In answer to Berkut’s question, I believe this was the link: [http://www.angelfire.com/clone/dumbjackass](http://www.angelfire.com/clone/dumbjackass) I’m not advocating anyone go to it! My guess is that it was just some juvenile prank. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2004, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-my-computer-hacked/281039/7 "2004-12-21T23:20:25Z")
“Dumb jackass” is right on the money. It’s just a web page that says “YOU’VE BEEN HACKED” on it. ---
**Author:** ![dotchan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9d8465/32.png) [@dotchan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dotchan)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2004, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-my-computer-hacked/281039/8 "2004-12-21T23:29:46Z")
What about this link? [Supposed to be a Webcomic](http://www.desperateangels.com/) All I can see from my home computer is “This site has been defaced!” The link is fine from work. (Argh, and I have Adaware, Norton Antivirus, AND Norton Internet Security! :mad: ) ---
**Author:** ![Mithril](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mithril/32/3517_2.png) [@Mithril](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mithril)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2004, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-my-computer-hacked/281039/9 "2004-12-21T23:51:26Z")
Some links from [awfulplasticsurgery.com](http://awfulplasticsurgery.com) gave that same message earlier today. ---
**Author:** ![Berkut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a88e57/32.png) [@Berkut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Berkut)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2004, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-my-computer-hacked/281039/10 "2004-12-22T02:16:45Z")
There is a worm going around (Santy) that leaves that message. ---
**Author:** ![Kythereia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e8c25b/32.png) [@Kythereia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kythereia)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2004, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-my-computer-hacked/281039/11 "2004-12-22T04:08:53Z")
> [@Berkut](#): > > There is a worm going around (Santy) that leaves that message. [Symantec security warning: Perl.Santy](http://securityresponse.symantec.com/avcenter/venc/data/perl.santy.html) ---
**Author:** ![JSexton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@JSexton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JSexton)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2004, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-my-computer-hacked/281039/12 "2004-12-22T18:37:27Z")
> [@friedo](#): > > “Dumb jackass” is right on the money. It’s just a web page that says “YOU’VE BEEN HACKED” on it. No kidding. In case anyone is actually worried about this, here: ```auto YOU'VE BEEN HACKED!

Email:
``` Aside from the stuff that Angelfire makes you put up to run their ads, that is the only code added on the page. It displays text, nothing else. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2004, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-my-computer-hacked/281039/13 "2004-12-22T19:38:54Z")
> [@Gassy Man](#): > > So, I went to a Web site purporting to be posted by alumni of my high school. When I clicked on a link there, I got a message that read: “You have been hacked!” > > I don’t know what this means exactly. Has someone broken into my computer electronically or is this just some juvenile joke? Neither. Someone broke into the website that you’re trying to access. [Snooty Sims](http://compsimgames.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ&sdn=compsimgames&zu=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.snootysims.com%2Fpatch.php) is another recent victim and displayed the same message. ---
**Author:** ![Gassy\_Man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Gassy\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gassy_Man)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2004, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-my-computer-hacked/281039/14 "2004-12-23T03:14:26Z")
> [@Lute Skywatcher](#): > > Neither. Someone broke into the website that you’re trying to access. [Snooty Sims](http://compsimgames.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ&sdn=compsimgames&zu=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.snootysims.com%2Fpatch.php) is another recent victim and displayed the same message. Ah, thanks!