Unprotected items

[Technical Ben]

AFAIK Spybot HAD been discontinued. 

[Simon]

I thought one of the issues with Spyware Blaster was that it didn't update very frequently.  It may have changed, but when I used it a few years back, it used to go for weeks, sometimes months, without an update.  I believe it only worked with Internet Explorer then, too.  When was the last time your version updated, Niall?

[Steve]

According to the website the database was updated yesterday and it seems to support FF as well.

[Baz]

Spyware Blaster can be configured to auto update if you want


from their site:

All you have to do is remember to update SpywareBlaster once a week, and enable the latest protection. Or, get SpywareBlaster AutoUpdate.


so even they dont say every day

[DorsetBoy]

Spyware Blaster can be configured to auto update if you want


from their site:

All you have to do is remember to update SpywareBlaster once a week, and enable the latest protection. Or, get SpywareBlaster AutoUpdate.


so even they dont say every day

SpywareBlaster has evolved, it used to only update once or twice a year because there were no definitions , it was a blocking tool for known/likely behaviour.

It has had extra tools added but is nothing like a malware scanning application.

Any application that uses definitions MUST be updated at least daily, preferably several times a day otherwise it is useless. The malware writers are releasing new and updated attacks every single hour of the day, if your definitions are not up to scratch your defence won't work.

So you understand, the latest combined attacks turn off Windows update, prevent access to online scanners,prevent you updating your installed applications, turn off system restore and block access to Safe Mode.

You need to have an up to date AV system to block and prevent execution of malware, once on your system much that is out there will mean you need to reformat.

Take a look at the last week at Eset to see how many new threats have been found and this is just one company. :

http://ww.eset.co.uk/ThreatCenter/ThreatSenseUpdates

[Steve]

The proliferation on those lists looks pretty frightening, unfortunately my son got caught out with one of those nasties a couple of months ago . I got rid of it in the end but I think format c: may have been quicker.

[DorsetBoy]

Look at the monitor and history at Avast ( and this does not include this weekend which has seen an unusual amount of updates.)


http://www.avast.com/en-gb/virus-update-history

http://www.avast.com/en-gb/virus-monitor

[pctech]

The SANS Internet Storm Center is also useful to keep an eye on http://isc.sans.org

[Baz]

Im sure that if I dont turn on my system for a day,the next time I do and do a check for updates it will find what it needs.

I dont have the time or urge that I feel I MUST update my definitions  every day.

Thanks any way Dorset. I understand what you mean

[DorsetBoy]

Well, my day has been mainly taken up trying to fix 2 PC's for the guy in the local shop, he has too many to deal with and his asistant is off sick.

I have here a Dell and an Acer which are infested with malware.

The Acer is running Vista HP,has AVG free, Online Armor and SpyBot S+D  this is what we have so far ....... ( apart from the tracking cookies ).

Backdoor.Win32.Bredolab.eua

Worm.Win32.BlackControl.g

Trojan-Downloader.JS.Gumblar.x

Win32/TrojanDownloader.FakeAlert.BCY

The Dell  is XP Pro running Kaspersky9 , Webroot firewall, Webroot malware and again SpyBot is installed but Resident Protection appears to be off.

This one shuts down if you try to restore or use SafeMode, Linux Live CD will be the next tool but I would not trust any file left on either machine with this level of infection.

[zappaDPJ]

This one shuts down if you try to restore or use SafeMode, Linux Live CD will be the next tool but I would not trust any file left on either machine with this level of infection.

I had a couple of those to deal with recently but they were so riddled with Malware, it took something like 30 minutes for them to boot up before they were able to shut down 

I did manage to clear them out eventually, the biggest problem being that something had shut down a lot of Microsoft background services which proved almost impossible to start up again. I've seen this behaviour a lot recently. I got there eventually, it took days. In both cases the data contained on the hard drive was something both customers insisted was worth far more than the cost of buying a new PC so I charged them accordingly  That said, according to the repair shop I was doing this for, both customers were over the moon at get their data back with no loss and didn't hesitate to pay the bill.

The moral of this story is of course, always charge an hourly rate 

[Niall]

Look at the monitor and history at Avast ( and this does not include this weekend which has seen an unusual amount of updates.)


http://www.avast.com/en-gb/virus-update-history

http://www.avast.com/en-gb/virus-monitor

That's odd, I'm sure mine updated yesterday, and it did this morning too. Maybe the updates are done quicker than the recording of the updates
{edit} yep, it updated definitions at 10:15. Strange that list doesn't show anything. Maybe they update that on a working day

[Niall]

Errr does the fact it was last mentioned in 2008 not ring alarm bells at all?

When a product becomes irrelevant it is no longer mentioned, a bit like someone mentioning a dial-up modem that was best in a test back in 1999.

No. It was related to an out of date version of the program with out of date definitions. My point in mentioning that was purely because it was the only thing I found.

[Rik]

Hey, I own that modem!

[pctech]

I've still got a US Robotics 56K V92 serial modem round here somewhere for emergencies.

[Rik]

 

I probably have too. I can't bear to throw stuff away, 'just in case'.

[pctech]

I've had to use it a couple of times to do my banking when BT have been causing havoc and the ADSL has gone down.

[Rik]

Good old backup dial-up.

[pctech]

Yes but isn't it frustrating after using DSL

[Rik]

Better than nothing, but only just.