[Leica] Leica] OT: A pox on all virus and malware writers

[mark at whitedogs.co.uk (Mark Pope)]

Matthew,

thanks for your good wishes.  It looks OK - the final scan showed no 
malware. All that's left to do is tidy up the registry and I'm done. 
Until the next time...

It's another nail on the coffin as far as Windows is concerned.  Far too 
many vulnerabilities.  As soon as funds permit, this machine is going to 
be replaced with a Macintosh - hopefully a Mac Pro.  Any windows apps 
will have to run under parallels or some other VM solution.  I'm not 
suggesting the Mac is a panacea - but they seem to be inherently more 
secure to me.

Best wishes


Mark



Mark Pope,
Swindon, Wilts
UK

Homepage               http://www.monomagic.co.uk
Blog                   http://www.monomagic.co.uk/blog
Picture a week (2009)  http://www.monomagic.co.uk/index.php?gallery=paw/2009
                (2008) 
http://www.monomagic.co.uk/index.php?gallery=paw/2008


Matthew Hunt wrote:
> Hope it goes OK Mark.  We've been happy with BT Broadband Option 3 
> including
> Total Security since we switched to them in the summer.  We saved money as
> it protects several computers and we had been buying separate McA and 
> Norton
> for Esther's and my machines.
> ======================================
> Matthew Hunt
> Cottenham, Cambridge, UK
> http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/mnsh/
> 
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: lug-bounces+matthew=hunt.tc at leica-users.org
> [mailto:lug-bounces+matthew=hunt.tc at leica-users.org] On Behalf Of Mark 
> Pope
> Sent: 12 October 2009 20:04
> To: Leica Users Group
> Subject: Re: [Leica] Leica] OT: A pox on all virus and malware writers
> 
> Hi Peter,
> 
> thanks for the tip with the restore point.  I'll keep that in mind if I 
> have any more problems.
> 
> I'm optimistic that I've cleaned the system out using a combination of 
> Malwarebytes and a trial version of Kaspersky anti-virus 2010.
> 
> I'm just running a final full scan using Malwarebytes to make sure - so 
> fingers crossed...
> 
> Best wishes
> 
> Mark
> 
> 
> Mark Pope,
> Swindon, Wilts
> UK
> 
> Homepage               http://www.monomagic.co.uk
> Blog                   http://www.monomagic.co.uk/blog
> Picture a week (2009)  
> http://www.monomagic.co.uk/index.php?gallery=paw/2009
>                 (2008) 
> http://www.monomagic.co.uk/index.php?gallery=paw/2008
> 
> 
> Peter Klein wrote:
>> Mark:  One thing you can try is to do a "System Restore."  Windows
>> periodically keeps copies of its operating system and program files state.
>>  You can roll back your system to the state that it was in on
>> such-and-such a date.  Try rolling it back to a point a day or two before
>> the problems started, then use your virus scan program to clean up any
>> recent restore points from after the infection.
>>
>> I do not know for sure if this will clear up any rootkit issues, but it
>> should unless the malware infects multiple system restore points.  This
>> malware is fairly new, so that is unknown right now.
>>
>> The menu sequence to get to System Restore is:
>> Start Menu, Programs (or All Programs), Accessories, System Tools, System
>> Restore...
>> and follow the prompts.
>>
>> I had a user with the same malware last week. I haven't heard from him yet
>> about whether the system restore worked. So I feel your pain.  I heartily
>> agree with your assessment of malware authors.  My fantasy punishment for
>> them involves a combination of Texas law and certain Middle Eastern
>> practices.
>>
>> --Peter
>>
>> ----- original message-----
>> Date: Mon, 12 Oct 2009 16:10:58 +0100
>> From: Mark Pope <mark at whitedogs.co.uk>
>> Subject: [Leica] OT: A pox on all virus and malware writers
>> To: Leica Users Group <lug at leica-users.org>
>> Message-ID: <4AD34702.7030809 at whitedogs.co.uk>
>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
>>
>> Today started fairly well.  A spot of gentle exercise and then, as I
>> stepped out of the shower, a voice said "Avast has come up with a
>> message saying there's a problem"....
>>
>> There were also warning balloons appearing from an icon in the system
>> tray on our XP system as well as a also a very convincing dialogue box
>> which said that Anti Virus Pro 2010 had detected.  The dialogue box
>> invited me to download some software to remove the virii and trojans.
>>
>> I smelt a rat, not having loaded anything called Anti Virus Pro 2010
>> onto the system.  At first I thought it was a Microsoft Utility, but on
>> further investigation, it turned out to be 'scareware'.
>>
>> So I have now spent the last five hours trying to clean my system and
>> I'm not there yet...Avast has now detected some sort of root kit virus
>> and is running yet another scan.  I estimate it will take at least
>> another three or four hours to complete the system scan and even then I
>> don't know whether I will have a clean computer.  So I am already
>> resigning myself to a disk reformat, OS and software reinstall - so
>> that's tomorrow taken care of if I have to do that!
>>
>> I have always been very careful with respect to the security of my
>> systems - apparently, I wasn't careful enough as it appears we have been
>> the victim of a "drive by" attack.  Lord knows how!
>>
>> So, I can't post my PAWs or process any pictures until I have finished
>> this activity.  To say I am unhappy, would be an understatement.  You
>> have no idea what I would like to do to these low-life if I could get my
>> hands on them...
>>
>> Good job I have Linux and Mac computers as well.
>>
>> Like I said - a pox (and a very nasty, painful one at that) on all virus
>> and malware writers.  I hate them with a passion.
>>
>> Mark
> 
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