You are under virus attack! What do you think of it?

[CurtSibling]

This is a cautionary tale for you all!

I have been under assault from the vile computer virus, worm-opas for the last few weeks.
I have learned the evil ways of this annoying intrusion on your PC.

It seems to do nothing, except lock up your system sometimes.
Though it is mind-bogglingly hard to get rid of!
It comes from Brazil and Sao Paulo, funnily enough.

In my attempt to fight back, I installing Zone Alarm, a free firewall system, for I have a network to protect.

Since 4pm (UK time) yesterday, I have had 270+ attempts by enemy IP addresses to access my system!

Staggering!

But nice to know I am spoiling the orc-mischief of these hackers!
(Take heed of computer security...get this program if you don’t have it already! And AVG virus scanner too!)

But here is the Ace's question:
Do you have any opinions on viruses, piracy and hacking?

Do you think it is cool to be a PC 'rebel' and use Kazaa and all those hacker sites?
Or do you get a kick from seeing someone else's system go down?
What are your views on the ethics of these illegal computer activities?

Personally I get furious at hackers and viruses, and piracy is electronic communism in my book.

What do you think, folks?

 

[Simon Darkshade]

Hackers and virus makers should hang as far as I'm concerned, but lumping filesharers in with them is drawing a very long bow.
What of non-copywrited pictures in the public domain - of battleships or aircraft carriers, for example. What is so heinous about sharing what is already in the public domain?

 

[CurtSibling]

Non-copyrighted items are fair game.
I have no quarrel with that, lest I would be hypocritical!

I was thinking more of free-downloads and pirate copies of software.
And those who revel in piracy, and scoff at people who buy legitimately.

For peace of mind, I prefer to legally buy software.

Not all file-sharers are bad...but you cannot justify warez, unless a guilty conscience is involved!

 

[Pongui]

My feeling is that computing is becoming organic, and that this is healthy and natural. Eventually, viruses will be commonplace and mostly benign. They will help to transfer information between cells, just as viruses in the human body modify and transfer genetic information to their own ends, and ours.

 

[CurtSibling]

Hmmm...interesting viewpoint.

But most invasions of your PC are sent by people who have malice or monetary gain in mind.

Which is not similar to the common cold.

Viruses are going to become far more dangerous though, as technology and cable internet incresases.

All the more reason to preotect yourself.

Your PC is not like a human body, it should be akin to fortress!

 

[Pongui]

Oh sure. I keep an immaculately clean and tidy computer (I actually know all of its running processes and what they do) now, but the way computers are evolving, this won't be possible forever. In 20 years, a typical connected computer will have millions of little processes going on inside it, and these will be constantly self-updating and evolving regardless of the user.

Note that some viruses today
disable others.

 

[Pillager]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/2681675.stm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/2682243.stm

 

[CurtSibling]

Originally posted by Pillager
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/2681675.stm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/2682243.stm

I am not clicking on these hyperlinks till you tell me what they are, Pillager!

 

[Zwelgje]

People making viruses and hacking other peoples computers are such a pain in the ass. Look at the damage they are causing!
It's good that they are being treated as real criminals.

 

[Zwelgje]

Originally posted by CurtSibling

I am not clicking on these hyperlinks till you tell me what they are, Pillager!

A bit paranoid aren't we, Curt???

 

[Pillager]

Originally posted by CurtSibling

I am not clicking on these hyperlinks till you tell me what they are, Pillager!

You can trust me old boy - I can write the odd web site, but hacking into the BBC is a bit beyond me

 

[Perfection]

Well at the website I work at we are constantly being bombarded by worms, it's a good thing that so far all of them have been harmless (for us). But we've had some rather nasty viruses in our e-mail system, one actually managed to destroy one of our windows machines, what I really hate about people who write these is they cause pain to others simply for their own ammusement, How sick is that!

 

[CurtSibling]

Hey, now!

When you have had this many intrusions on your computer since 4pm yesterday...I think you can be forgiven for slight paranoia!

 

[CurtSibling]

PS:
Pillager, good links!

It is time piracy came to a bitter end,
File sharers like Morpheus are a hacker's dream!

 

[Zwelgje]

I've got TINY firewall but I don't think I've got such a fancy screen telling me how often it has blocked intruders, I'll check when I get home.

 

[Immortal]

Thank you ever so much for informing me of Zone Attack Enemy Ace! After I reformatted my HD I couldnt find a replacement for lockdown 2000, now i have one!

 

[gael]

http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=39594

This is a link (hopefully) of a thread on this topic that was posted in the computer talk forum a while back.
I state my own experience and opions on this here.

I still get hit nearly every time i go on-line. I had used a free anti-virus that i got with a magizine for a while, before getting the Nortan anti-virus. When i installed it, it picked up all these attacks that the other one couldn't detect. I'm sort of new to computers, so i learned the hard way.
If you are using the internet you need to have a good anti-virus, otherwise you are going to leave yourself open to attacks.
The shops and companys should advise people more about it when they are thinking about going on-line. Being on-line without an anti-virus is like being in the middle of a war without a gun.

You seem to have a serious problem. Are the trojans outbound or inbound. If they are outbound it is probably the same trojan that is installed already in your computer trying to connect to an outside source. A good Trojan remover should get rid of it.
Thats about the sum of my knowledge.

Here is a link to a free trojan remover trail. When you install it, update it online and let it rip. It may or may not help, but it can't hurt to try.
http://www.simplysup.com/tremover/download.html

I have to add, that most of may virus's have come from software that i got from kazzaalite. I still use it. Just because i can't afford to buy legally.

 

[Remorseless]

In short, I agree with Curt and Simon. Hackers are electronic anarchists who destroy simple for the sake of destruction.

Hanging them, though, not sure about that. How about taking away their fancy machines and forcing them to use an old TRS-80 for two years?

 

[CurtSibling]

I would issue them with old ZX28 spectrums...
How do yo like those apples, Mr Hacker?

 

[CurtSibling]

Originally posted by Immortal
Thank you ever so much for informing me of Zone Attack Enemy Ace! After I reformatted my HD I couldnt find a replacement for lockdown 2000, now i have one!

It is my pleasure to be of help.
No-one should have their PC invaded!