Malware is highly overrated

Curiosity speaking, how do you make sure your computer is 100% clean?

You know it is 100% clean because you are very careful or strict at using that computer, or what?

 

It seems to me that if I feel well, tests show that I am "clean", and I have no symptoms then I am not sick. That is a logical conclusion as far as I am concerned.

If my car runs well, then I do not need a reparir.

Best,
Jerry

 

How about if there's a trojan hidden in your computer for many years?
What if the hacker uses your computer as a zombie computer to do all sorts of bad or illegal activities (eg spamming, DDoS attacks, cracking passwords)?

Will you be concerned?

 

It is probably okay for some malware like virus, but not for trojans/keyloggers/rootkits and so on.

They are designed to be as hidden and unnoticeable as possible. They try to hide everything, including running processes/programs, files, registry keys and so on, so you cannot simply assume your computer should be clean since there are no weird symptoms on your computer.

Your computer runs well but behind the hands of the hackers.

 

Not really. If I do not know it I won't be worried. However, I really believe that such thinking is paranoid, and is one in the millions as to probability considering that I do have some top notch anti-malware applications. If I had to go to the trouble some suggest, then I would get rid of my computers.

I am not afraid to fly, and that is probably more likely to cause me problems than the hackers.

Best,
Jerry

 

Knows who to blame?
Bill Gates... who wishes to monopolise the internet browser market.
The most stupid design in the world.

However there is a safer way to run IE7 - run it within sandbox or virtual machine - so any infection is not going to affect your host computer.

Is IE7 for Vista still integrated into the core of Windows?

 

your restoration approach sounds like a very strong protection.
However a few questions:
- where do you store your special clean backup files?
- you need to save many changes on your system every day. This may include your personal data/files, settings of your programs, your OS, settings/saves of your games, your work, and so on. If you exclude them from restoration, what if the malware infect these partitions or locations?
- what if the malware can cause you non-recoverable harms during the session? For example, a trojan/keylogger can still steal your files and passwords before you restore; a destructive virus can kill your computer up before you have any chance to restore your computer. You even can't boot your computer at all. The computer is dead.
- what if the malware kicks in and compromise/infect your restoration program, making it malfunction?

Thank you.

That's called false sense of security.

 

There's some irony in running a whole virtual OS because the browser in that OS is so integrated with the system that you need a whole new system to separate it from your 'real' system...

 

Yes, you are right. Let's blame Bill Gates.

PS: But don't forget Firefox/Opera.
Bill Gates can't make us all use his holey product.

 

At the end of the day, I boot in my off-line snapshot, turn ON my external harddisk and do my backups and archives and turn it OFF when I'm done. My special clean backups/archived snapshots are also stored on the same harddisk.
My off-line snapshot is malware-free, because it doesn't have an internet connection.
I use that off-line snapshot for several other things that need a quiet environment. It's the only snapshot where I can work in peace and without losing my concentration, because there are no annoying disturbing security messages, popups, etc.

Personal files are NOT stored on my system partition [C:], I have a second internal harddisk [D:] for that.
My system partition has still the folder "C:\Documents and Settings", but it's EMPTY regarding personal files.

I installed my off-line 6 months ago and it doesn't receive any updatings because there is no internet connection.
Neither Windows is updated, nor any other software. I recently uninstalled PerfectDisk 7 and installed PerfectDisk 8 without being on-line.
Why do I need all these security patches of Windows ? There is no internet connection. As long everything is working fine in this off-line snapshot, I don't need any updating or upgrading.

My on-line snapshot is something else, that is the dangerous one and needs more protection. That's why I frooze it and it has only LnS and Prevx1 as protection for now, because I'm still working on it.

How can a malware infect my external harddisk, when it's turned OFF ?
My data partition [D:] is still vulnerable, but I'm not finished yet.
That is the main reason why I'm looking for security softwares to stop the installation and execution of malwares in order to protect my system and data partition.

As long my hardware isn't damaged, I can recover from any disaster, using FDISR or Acronis.
BTW Are you a FDISR-user or not, because you don't seem to be familiar with FDISR and its possibilities ?

Acronis True Image Home is installed only in my off-line snapshot. Even when my on-line snapshot is compromised, I can still boot in my off-line snapshot and recover my system from there.

I also have Acronis True Image Home on a Rescue CD, which can be used to restore my system via my external harddisk, even when both harddisks are wiped out by the KillDisk Virus or any other destructive malware.
I've tested this months ago and zero-ed both harddisks (= EMPTY) myself to see how I could recover this extreme situation. This is peanuts for Acronis.

 

Good!
But it seems like a lot of repetitive work.
Will you get too bored, or forget to turn your external harddisk off?

I think quite many apps can do.

ProcessGuard can do it. It can stop any new/changed installatoins/programs hard and cold. But it appears this app has compatiiblity issues with your restoration program, isn't it?

Yes, you are probably right.

You may wish to update if the OS has issued fixes regarding some features, or your program can't be installed or run properly due to the bug in the OS (a fix would help), or you wish to get some new features.

Just make sure you don't get infected from external sources (eg infected floppies/CDs). I might imagine you may get infected if you bring your data on your [D:] drive. It's possible a malware is hidden there.

Depending on your needs, it may be adequate or not.
Let's say I will try to download new stuff from the net, so I would like to make usre it's clean before I use it. Some AV/AS are good since they can act as the first guard to filter infected files.

Prevx1 is weak at on-demand scans. I think it is very weak at scanning packed/encrypted/zipped files.

I might replace LnS with some other firewalls. I realise it is far too easy to nullify/terminate this application. I would like to have a firewall with good self-portection (against any attacks).

Not possible, unless you forget to turn it off by mistake.
But I do think it might happen unless you can automate your routine.

You may think of encrypting the whole data partition.

Don't use the default path to save personal data. It's true even if you change the default paths of my documents, images etc. to drive [D:]. There's record on your system about your path, so the malware writer knows where to locate your personal files.

I simply leave the default paths as it is (stuffing with some stupid things). I manually save my personal data in secret places. Even if the trojan intruded into my system, they might trap into stealing/cracking the stupid things.

My computer is a maze.

To add just a bit extra security, I don't install my OS on Drive C.
(Note: Actually there are non-security purposes too)

Since you keep your snapshots and have the additional imaging program (as a backup of your main restoration app) in your external drive, so yes! Unless it can damage your BIOS, you can always restore your system. If the virus manage to make your drive unbootable, you just need to take more time to restore your system. Just extra trouble.

No, I don't use FDISR.

By the way, are you going to implement an *really* uncrackable security system?

 

No of course not, everybody at Wilders says that 100% security doesn't exist and this is common for all securities in life.
My intention is to get as close as possible to 100% without too many security softwares and without losing much time on security.
In the past I had more security softwares on my computer than I used for work/hobbies. That is absurd. I didn't buy my computer to protect it.

 

Every security software is crackable. So yes, it is true 100% security doesn't exist. But it is true as far as each security software stands on its own.

What if you combine different security software together to form a super-security system? Not all security system is uncrackable, but not all security system is crackable either.

I do think a 99.99%, if not 100%, uncrackable system exists if you do know how to combine all sorts of protection together. It is not easy to form a well-matched well-chosen security system, and I do think many security system are crackable, but a few of them are just nearly impossible to beat.

PS: Oh, but you still haven't answered some of my previous questions. Probably you are still figuring out the answers. Best wishes.

 

How can I give all the answers ? I just started my new security setup and I didn't fix all problems yet. You are going way too fast for me. I'm not in a hurry, because malwares won't disappear tomorrow. I work in step mode, systematically and I get rid of my problems one by one.
But don't you worry about that, I learn ALOT from your posts too. Don't forget that. So keep on writing.

 

Why do I need to worry when someone can learn a lot from my posts?
This is a good sign indeed.
It is nice to hear someone find my posts helpful.
So keep reading my posts.

 

Wai Tai,

Why are you using three AV's, two fire wall's and three Anti Spyware programs? More of the same does not close the gap, see AV Comparatives, Firewalleaktest, spywarewarrior.

Better is to:
a) setup up good backup/recovery mechanisme
b) think of a layered approach, see picture`

The whole point of this discussion is that:
- 100% security is illusion
- throwing in a lot of the same does not close these holes in your security

 

Who is Wai Tai?

I think you are misled by my signature.
Please blame Wilders Security since I can't write just a little more (recommendations on security products).
There are simply my security recommendations to others.
I'm not using 4 anti-virus (real-time), 2 firewalls, 3 anti-spyware (real-time). That would be crazy otherwise since this would only cause more trouble (conflicts, slowdown, resources used-up) than security.

Thanks for your mentioning, after all.

 

Wai Wai,

Apologies for spelling your forum name incorrectly.

Kees

 

It doesn't matter.

After all, thanks for your goodness about the tips of security.

 

No it isn't and btw this was already news 1 or 2 years ago...

 

When I believe my Pc is clean, it is sure clean. I don,t bother myself with hypotheses and theories.
If u are healthy u believe that u are sure healthy. U don,t think of an occult cancer or undiagnosed AIDS!
PC life is like practical life for me.

 

Malware isnt over rated, but it doesnt take a army to combat it.

 

some here are prepared for computer armaggedon

 

Sometimes. the little stick, carries the biggest wallop.

 

Malware overrated ? i personally dont know of anyone who rated malware at all letalone highly . . under rated perhaps, under apreciated definatly, un nerving yup and under estimated . . . . . but never over rated