All IE Users Must Read!!!!!!!!!!!

[vad1er]

btw there is a free version of vmware called vmware server for windows users you just have to register it.. vmware fusion is about a hundred dollars for mac users..

[Gerk]

I'm a VMWare fusion user .. I run all my Windows stuff within vm's -- I need to run several versions of windows for testing stuff (primarily for IE testing, 5, 6, 7, . VirtualBox is pretty cool as well, and it's free. Depending on your needs (and budget) it's good to check out. Sun recently took over the project and since then it's really taken off. Works very well if you don't need some of the advanced stuff of vmware.

No offense taken vad1er ... just wanted to make sure all the info was out there

[vad1er]

So has virtual box gotten any faster now that Sun tookover? It loaded so slow for me.. Anyway if anyone gets vmware and wants some Operating systems let me know and I will FTP you some as virtual os can be transferred easily..

[Gerk]

Yes virtual box is much much better now that Sun has infused them with some budget and additional coders. Aside from the accell video stuff they are pretty darned close to vmware speed wise, at least on the OSX host side of things ... not sure about windows.

[vad1er]

I'll try it see if it is better thanx..

[Charvelguy]

On my XP mach. All my firewall preferences on Zonealarm were turned off. The auto lock when timed out was also off as was the activate upon startup. I sure as hell didn't set it like this, so I would say it was hacked.

[atalwar]

Password Protect your Zone Alarm Settings. There is the option in there somewhere.

IMO , msoft should come up with a tiny version for MSIE without all the big features it boasted and nuances it acquired and things, dcom,ole and what not stuff over the years.

About 70 percent of the exploits that have been found are in features an avg user does not necessarily need in web browser per se.

Let the browser be left alone for ideally the task it's meant for.

by avg user i mean not many of us tech savvy people etc but an avg person who is ideally the target and potentially the victim of all these security attacks.

The person who knows that clicking on an "e" opens a thing where you type things to shop and check email and stuff and that there is a start button to turn off the things. i.e The person who just knows enough to get their work done. be it an accountant, a doctor, a salesman or a musician.

[vad1er]

YUp charvel looks like something is up there. Try downloading Hi-jack this.. it isn't a tool really meant to diagnose this kind of problem but the report can be used by techs to fix the problem.. Do you like Zone alarm? my wife likes it. I use Symantec 10.*** corporate whatever..Courtesy of dell when I worked for them.

[GuitarSlinger]

I have a hardware firewall, windows firewall, antivirus, resident shield, high security settings, no browser history or form complete data, etc etc etc. And I've been hit with nasty fly by downloads that installed other programs and destroyed my whole system several times. Even with all this stuff, it seems I am never safe.

Safe browsing is the key along with it, but I'm skeptical to have any important data at all on my pc without a backup. I was even hit with an ad generated virus/malware installer by an infected ad network on both ultimate-guitar.com and soundclick also had an epidemic that got me, but I helped them narrow it down. So its not just pron and warez sites that get all the baddies. I'm skeptical of any site with heavy ads and pop ups.

I'm not sure using another browser would have stopped any of this, but antivirus programs seem to be useless except for cleaning up already infected computers.

But I love IE.

[MediaTechGuy]

I have a hardware firewall, windows firewall, antivirus, resident shield, high security settings, no browser history or form complete data, etc etc etc. And I've been hit with nasty fly by downloads that installed other programs and destroyed my whole system several times. Even with all this stuff, it seems I am never safe.

Safe browsing is the key along with it, but I'm skeptical to have any important data at all on my pc without a backup. I was even hit with an ad generated virus/malware installer by an infected ad network on both ultimate-guitar.com and soundclick also had an epidemic that got me, but I helped them narrow it down. So its not just pron and warez sites that get all the baddies. I'm skeptical of any site with heavy ads and pop ups.

I'm not sure using another browser would have stopped any of this, but antivirus programs seem to be useless except for cleaning up already infected computers.

But I love IE.

Jason, I agree with everything you have said. Do you do any online purchasing, banking, credit card use, etc., on your PC or is it just not safe anymore for anyone to do it?

[GuitarSlinger]

I only deal with sites that I trust or use paypal, but I delete all my cookies and temp files right after. Usually, when you get hit with a Vundo virus like I did, you know right away, since it takes over your whole pc and installs rouge programs.

[Charvelguy]

well, I am a firm believer in no script. I think browsing and online purchasing is safe. I typically have everything pretty tight, problem occurs as I run two PCs and I can't always monitor what my g/f is using and when or how- lest I download a spyware which would defeat the point.

I use trend micros Hi-Jack this as well as Spybots S&D and Malwarebytes, Spyware Doctor, Lavasoft Adware etc..unless those programs have alos been altered to give false reads...

[MediaTechGuy]

Thanks for the tips guys. I think I am doing everything right then. I have IE security set to high and delete my cookies and temp files after doing online business/finance. I run Spybots S&D, Spyware Blaster, Super AntiSpyware, LavaSoft AdAware, Hi-Jack This(have not run this for a while though), Windows Defender, AVG Anti-Virus, and Windows Firewall. I do keep my form data in IE though, but no passwords.

[GuitarSlinger]

Here's a great article for you guys.

http://techtalk.pcpitstop.com/2008/12/10/identity-theft-be-scared/