Worms and Virusses

[Chowser]

And sort of also on topic: does anyone know why Sidesearch keeps coming up as a hazzardous item when my spyware program does it's sweeps? I know it is hotmail that keeps putting it there no matter how much I try to block it... is Sidesearch really a harmful thing?

? i remember having a super hard time removing sidesearch from my sister's computer, i could never figure out where she kept picking it up, but here's a few sites that says what a pita lycos is.

i think it's a harmful thing because everytime i would uninstall it and delete it, it would automatically install itself the next time i connected her computer to the internet, that's imo a bad thing. i want something gone and it keeps installing itself.

How To Remove Lycos Sidesearch

another site

that sidesearch and cool web search are the most pita's i've seen, i think they got it from a screensaver. not 100% sure though.

[Max Jenius]

Here's a funny story. Even the mighty computer nerds such as myself make mistakes. Once I was looking at some internet porn(ah...we all love it) and I accidentally clicked "Yes" on one of those pop up boxes (I was typing to a friend, so when I hit space it went through) for about a week I tried to clear out whatever it was that was installed.... but more kept piling up. I got it to the point where it was functional... but every once in a while I'd get a popup(seemingly random porn related) even while browsing MW. Anyway... lesson learned - If you're lookin at porn... be careful about talkin to your buddies list.

[Valkyrie23]

If you're still using windows and IE, here's a good guide all about spyware, malware, trojans, etc.

Forum discussion w/ links to guides

or direct link to guides:

spyware guides (prevention and removal)

I use most of the steps in this guide, I rarely, if ever, get anything anymore

[Agent ONE]

oh yeah, Mozilla won't protect you from the likes of gaobot... only a firewall will.

Mozilla is slower because IE is already built into windows, and it loads whenever you boot up.

Mozilla Firefox seems to work faster for me than IE on both work and home PC.

YOU TURNCOAT!!!

This guy called me a 'unix dork' for using Firefox a few months ago! I have forced girlie men to drink my unine for less than that.

HUH??? I'm using Firefox cuz you told me to...

It was you who called someone else a Unix dork... I just sent you an LOL...

And what's unine?

Oh... Well, nevermind then.

Oh yeah and I meant to type "uRine"

[Hurin]

Man oh man do I love timely news:

Apple Patches 15 Security Flaws in OS X

[Kin]

The Internet world is definetly turning into poo... There are many people who simply don't have the knowledge to install an Anti virus program or some spam/spyware filter...

I regulary see people posting a list of their registry scan and put it on a forum... which line can I delete?

It's awfull for those people and it's Microsoft's fault leaving such a big security gap.

How on earth are you going to tell those people to install an update and patch or any techie stuff...

[Hurin]

The Internet world is definetly turning into poo... There are many people who simply don't have the knowledge to install an Anti virus program or some spam/spyware filter...

I regulary see people posting a list of their registry scan and put it on a forum... which line can I delete?

It's awfull for those people and it's Microsoft's fault leaving such a big security gap.

How on earth are you going to tell those people to install an update and patch or any techie stuff...

Huh!?!

[Hurin]

Two Security Holes Patched in Linux

But wait! How can this be!?! Only Microsoft is supposed to suck so much that it has security issues!

H

[Zentrandude]

Hurin don't try to start a fight with the maclings and linxs

[Hurin]

Hurin don't try to start a fight with the maclings and linxs

Not trying to start a fight. Just pointing out the irony and wonferful timing of the latest round of security patches from all sides.

Plus, they're informative!

These things just come to me in various IT newsletters. . . and since this thread got started, they're jumping out at me a bit more.

H

[valkyrietestpilot]

15 security fixes for OS X? at least mac is actually fixing there's instead of letting glaring security breaches just go on unattended.and,yes the dual processor mac G5 running final cut pro is the absolute king of video editing.just check & you'll see how the movie "van helsing" was rendered on on of these "off the shelf machines" running "off the shelf" software.macs are so badass,the movie guys don't need anything special to do what they do,they just buy the same stuff we can get down at the local store

[Hurin]

15 security fixes for OS X? at least mac is actually fixing there's instead of letting glaring security breaches just go on unattended.

Dude. . . my sides are starting to hurt!

Funny, I thought this whole "Service Pack 2" thing I've been installing on all my networks was some sort of collection of previously released security patches as well as security-oriented user interface changes. But I guess that can't be the case since, apparently, MS just sits on his hands and doesn't do anything to patch their software.

Look, I'm going to say this again. . . Macintoshes have security flaws too. As does unix/linux. But nobody exploits the Macintosh flaws because there aren't that many of them out there to be exploited. If you're a punk kid looking to write a virus or worm, you're probably not going to take the time to write one that can only infect 5% of the computer population. Indeed, the types of worms we've recently seen in the last two years depend on the huge number of Windows computers out there in order to propogate itself. Those types of worms just would not work on a Mac. Not because the Mac is more secure, but because there aren't enough Macs out there, connected to the web to effectively spam the internet with the packets that the worm used to spread itself. Yes, a Mac might get infected. But the chances of it finding another Mac on its network segment that is also vulnerable are not very high. The worm would never reach "critical mass" and start to reproduce exponentially because there just aren't enough viable hosts (Macs) out there.

Do you know what the average turn-around time is between a Windows flaw being discovered and the time a worm appears to exploit it? Anywhere between one week and a month. So, Microsoft is in a race against time to come up with a patch before something like MS.Blaster comes tearing through 95% of the PC population again.

Do you know what the average turn-around time is between a Macintosh flaw being discovered and the time a worm appears to exploit it? Between never. . . and never. Nobody writes 'em! Which, I would wager, is why Apple can take the time to patch fifteen flaws at a time.

But pointing out that Macintosh patches its operating system while MS does not (and that somehow waiting and patching fifteen flaws at once is somehow evidence of this). . . well. . . that's just sorta silly.

As for video editing. . . congratulations.

H

Edited September 10, 2004 by Hurin

[Max Jenius]

15 security fixes for OS X? at least mac is actually fixing there's instead of letting glaring security breaches just go on unattended.and,yes the dual processor mac G5 running final cut pro is the absolute king of video editing.just check & you'll see how the movie "van helsing" was rendered on on of these "off the shelf machines" running "off the shelf" software.macs are so badass,the movie guys don't need anything special to do what they do,they just buy the same stuff we can get down at the local store

I'd have to see more than just "off the shelf" to buy that story... Helsing didn't look that great either.

Anyway... yeah... specs? How many? Were they farmed?

If I had a couple million, I could probably do that "off the shelf" with either or.

So more info needed if you're gonna use that as a plus. I mean... how many people REALLY need to do advanced CG/video editing on their home PC? Judging by sales of Macs, not many.

Plus, the only reason Apple is still in business is because Bill Gates was charitable.

But as for people having problems with their PCs... I have an old saying that applies to this issue- "Garbage in. Garbage out." - Some computer guy. Its not Microsoft or Apple's fault if you don't take care of your computer. You don't blame Ford or Chevy when you forget to change your oil and your engine starts to suck, do you?

[Hurin]

Well, I wasn't going to actually address the video editing stuff because it's really so. . . trivial. . . but here goes. . .

My guess is that most video editing and imaging professionals still use Macs simply because they always have.

Over the last decade or so, everyone just knew that if you wanted to do professional video and imaging, you needed a Mac.

So what do we have now? A lot of video editing professionals who love Macintosh. It's what they've always used. What do we have in the schools teaching video editing and multimedia? A lot of teachers who love Macintosh because it's all they ever used.

So, now that PC software has (arguably) caught up to Macs where video and image editing is concerned, we've still just got this entrenched user base still spouting the old conventional wisdom: "If you want to do video editing, you need a Mac."

Yet there is very little (if anything) that a Mac can do nowadays that a PC can't do just as well.

H

[Greyryder]

Well, I wasn't going to actually address the video editing stuff because it's really so. . . trivial. . . but here goes. . .

My guess is that most video editing and imaging professionals still use Macs simply because they always have.

Over the last decade or so, everyone just knew that if you wanted to do professional video and imaging, you needed a Mac.

So what do we have now? A lot of video editing professionals who love Macintosh. It's what they've always used. What do we have in the schools teaching video editing and multimedia? A lot of teachers who love Macintosh because it's all they ever used.

So, now that PC software has (arguably) caught up to Macs where video and image editing is concerned, we've still just got this entrenched user base still spouting the old conventional wisdom: "If you want to do video editing, you need a Mac."

Yet there is very little (if anything) that a Mac can do nowadays that a PC can't do just as well.

H

That's pretty much dead on. It's more mindset than technology, that keeps most multimedia aork done on the Mac.

I know a guy from another forum who has always done graphic work on PCs. The biggest problem he ever ran into was most places didn't realize that Macs could read PC formated floppy disks, and refused to believe him, when he told them. He wound up using a prgram that let him format disks for Macs to use on his PC.

Video eciting is still a little better on Macs, because the PC software isn't quite on par with what's available for the Mac. This is caused by the entrenched Mac user base. There just aren't enough people doing heavy video editing on the OC, to warrant developing similar software for hte PC, or porting the existing software.

Graphic editring is another story, since Photoshop is the industry standard (hence, why it's so hideously overpriced) and is available for both platforms.

[Kin]

Lol I'm actually wondering if Microsoft pays randsome for hackers who are threatening them... it's only on click and they are down.

[Dangard Ace]

Funny thread. I just finished patching up a PC/Mac network(home office). A couple P4's, G3 iMac and G5. Service pack 2 (SP2) added alot of junk to my client's FTP program, doesn't like McAfee firewall (MS firewall: use me! McAfee firewall: use me! MS:Me! Mc:ME! ....ad nauseum). but overall it seems like a pretty good update and I do like the fact it seemed to have close alot of useless open ports. Too bad they missed a few when I pinged the P4's from the iMac.

...and before any ask the Macs(10.3.5) are running fine.

Hurin: PC's are still quite a way aways from matching the Mac in the software video editing field. Adobe stopped their Mac version of Premiere when Final Cut Pro came out. Price and performace, they were getting trounced in both categories. Hardware video editing: Avid or Media100 systems...well I'll give the PC the edge there simply because they've built more hardware for the PC then the Mac. If we compare the hardware that were built for both then it's about an even draw. Mac ColorSync technology seems better to me though. Graphic design-wise, each of my department's g.d. have a p4 as well as a Dual G4(500mHz) machine loaded with the same software. PC's aren't used(except for email and webpage testing) because the final output, of basically the same file if we made it on a Mac, when we get our sample back from the Printers(outsourced)....usually does not match the proof we sent with the file. This could just be the Printers setup fault but since we change our Printers every few years (contract goes to lowest bidder) .......

Yet there is very little (if anything) that a Mac can do nowadays that a PC can't do just as well.

As for this quote, it's a two way street. There's not much a Mac can't do just as well.

I know a guy from another forum who has always done graphic work on PCs. The biggest problem he ever ran into was most places didn't realize that Macs could read PC formated floppy disks, and refused to believe him, when he told them. He wound up using a prgram that let him format disks for Macs to use on his PC.

Sounds like some really big dolts that don't know Macs running those places. Most reputable places who have Macs know they can read PC disks....unless they were Mac-elitist jerks. I'm betting more that it's a PC-user trying to answer a Mac question. Personal experience.

Me, I'm not 'officially' an IT person but I think I know quite abit about the stuff since my department's IT usually grabs me first, for manpower, when they have to do rollouts(approx. 3000 public access terminals across my city). That and they have to get me back somehow for when I kick their ever-lovin ass in multi-player RTS or FPS games(of their choice). Gov. job, gotta love it.

PC or Mac, I don't care. When a PC-centric person or Mac-centric person can't network a PC/Mac network, it just means more money for me.

Lastly.....where does all this fit into "Other Anime or Sci-Fi"?

[Max Jenius]

Lastly.....where does all this fit into "Other Anime or Sci-Fi"?

Too late DA... you're part of the problem already.

[Dangard Ace]

Lastly.....where does all this fit into "Other Anime or Sci-Fi"?

Too late DA... you're part of the problem already.

Crap. I guess that means:

Nuke the site from orbit.  It's the only way to be sure.

[EXO]

Lastly.....where does all this fit into "Other Anime or Sci-Fi"?

Too late DA... you're part of the problem already.

Crap. I guess that means:

Nuke the site from orbit.  It's the only way to be sure.

A-firm-a-tiv...

[Hurin]

Seriously. . . lock now would be merciful to all involved. Mac vs PC is as bad (and piontless) as politics. But, that's not to say that I can stop myself from getting involved.

H