How long have you gone without infection?

Discussion in 'polls' started by Wildest, Jul 9, 2009.

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How long have you gone without infection?

Poll closed Aug 8, 2009.
  1. One week.

    5.8%
  2. One month.

    0 vote(s)
    0.0%
  3. 3 months.

    5.8%
  4. 6 months.

    3.8%
  5. One year.

    9.6%
  6. 3 years.

    15.4%
  7. 5 years.

    25.0%
  8. 10 years.

    3.8%
  9. 10+ years.

    30.8%
  1. Wildest

    Wildest Registered Member

    Joined:
    Apr 28, 2009
    Posts:
    304
    I do not use many security applications: an AV, a firewall, and in the last 2 years, a HIPS, has been enough to my knowledge to keep me infection-free for the last 10+ years, even though I feel like I have gone everywhere and done everything on the web.

    Of course, uncommon knowledge has been my chief defender.

    How long have you gone without infection?
     
  2. elapsed

    elapsed Registered Member

    Joined:
    Apr 5, 2004
    Posts:
    7,076
    Never.
     
  3. kriebly

    kriebly Registered Member

    Joined:
    Dec 22, 2008
    Posts:
    41
    Location:
    Northern California
    Is spyware to be included?
     
  4. pegr

    pegr Registered Member

    Joined:
    Apr 8, 2008
    Posts:
    2,280
    Location:
    UK
    Just to clarify my vote, I have never actually been infected but the last time my signature-based antimalware detected and prevented an attempt in real-time was around 5 years ago. I voted for 5 years as it would have resulted in infection had the detection failed.

    Since switching from Internet Explorer to Firefox, running the browser sandboxed with reduced rights, plus a few other security measures including the application of common sense, I have not encountered any problems but then again, maybe I've just been lucky.
     
  5. noone_particular

    noone_particular Registered Member

    Joined:
    Aug 8, 2008
    Posts:
    3,798
    The last and only time my regular (non-test) system was infected was early 2003, thanks to NIS crashing during the attack.
     
  6. Osaban

    Osaban Registered Member

    Joined:
    Apr 11, 2005
    Posts:
    5,614
    Location:
    Milan and Seoul
    5 years, that was the reason I found Wilders. I still remember browsing through a MS website about spyware and viruses, and they were advising cautiously to scan Windows with Spybot Search & Destroy and Ad-Aware at users' own risks. There was also a list of recommended AVs companies, I ended up choosing, believe it or not, NIS 2004! Even though it gave me a lot problems, I never got infected since.
     
  7. tsec

    tsec Registered Member

    Joined:
    Nov 18, 2008
    Posts:
    181
    Around three years for me - last one was a browser homepage hijack that was resolved using HJT.

    Have had nothing since - touch wood ;)
     
  8. Antarctica

    Antarctica Registered Member

    Joined:
    Feb 25, 2003
    Posts:
    2,177
    Location:
    Canada
    For me it was 10 years ago. My daughter brought back a Floppy Disk from her
    University. My AV (won't name it!) did not detect it. Had to reformat.
     
  9. Wildest

    Wildest Registered Member

    Joined:
    Apr 28, 2009
    Posts:
    304
    Most interesting; these results show without doubt that the average Wilders user is atypical.
    Only one individual who was infected within 1 year or less! :eek:

    Of course, I wonder if these results are skewed due to possible embarassment of those infected within last month/week etc? :doubt: :D
     
  10. elapsed

    elapsed Registered Member

    Joined:
    Apr 5, 2004
    Posts:
    7,076
    I don't see why anyone would care or be embarrassed by being infected. You're treating becoming infected as if it was dancing naked in public.
     
  11. Wildest

    Wildest Registered Member

    Joined:
    Apr 28, 2009
    Posts:
    304
    Relax buddy, just trying to make a little joke.
     
  12. elapsed

    elapsed Registered Member

    Joined:
    Apr 5, 2004
    Posts:
    7,076
    Okay, never mind then. :)
     
  13. blacknight

    blacknight Registered Member

    Joined:
    Sep 25, 2007
    Posts:
    3,344
    Location:
    Europe, UE citizen
    Five years.
     
  14. dadkins

    dadkins Registered Member

    Joined:
    Nov 8, 2004
    Posts:
    58
    6 years, but had to vote 5...
     
  15. virtumonde

    virtumonde Registered Member

    Joined:
    Jan 18, 2008
    Posts:
    504
    3 years ,it was awful as i wasn't very aware about how to clean it back then,had many wasted days.
     
  16. LoneWolf

    LoneWolf Registered Member

    Joined:
    Jan 2, 2006
    Posts:
    3,782
    None since joining Wilder's.
    I've learned quite a bit from many here.
    The most important lesson: Prevention.
     
  17. Windchild

    Windchild Registered Member

    Joined:
    Jun 16, 2009
    Posts:
    571
    10+ years, because there wasn't an option for "forever."

    Common sense is prevention. :)

    As for the poll results... well, people running as much security software as many in this forum are running, in my humble opinion are more likely to suffer damage caused by security software conflict and false positives than malware. :D
     
  18. trjam

    trjam Registered Member

    Joined:
    Aug 18, 2006
    Posts:
    9,102
    Location:
    North Carolina USA
    As long as I sit at the keyboard, I am infected.:rolleyes:
     
  19. Wildest

    Wildest Registered Member

    Joined:
    Apr 28, 2009
    Posts:
    304
    Sadly my friend, you are a victim of yet another myth:

    It is not common sense that ensures protection when using a Microsoft OS; it is uncommon sense.

    ;)
     
  20. Wildest

    Wildest Registered Member

    Joined:
    Apr 28, 2009
    Posts:
    304
    Ok, which OS, or anything else specific for that matter, where you referring to in your post?

    Or, were you speaking from that vast realm of the hypothetical?
     
  21. TonyW

    TonyW Registered Member

    Joined:
    Oct 12, 2005
    Posts:
    2,741
    Location:
    UK
    This poll implies actually getting infected I assume. I've been alerted to possible infections by my AV a few times in the past so the files were never executed because of that - in that case, I escaped infection on those occasions.

    I've never had to start over because of an infection because, to the best of my knowledge, there hasn't been one thus far. And I hope it stays that way. :)
     
  22. stackz

    stackz Registered Member

    Joined:
    Dec 27, 2007
    Posts:
    646
    Location:
    Sydney Australia
    Never, but I'm working on it o_O
     
  23. the Tester

    the Tester Registered Member

    Joined:
    Jul 28, 2002
    Posts:
    2,854
    Location:
    The Gateway to the Blue Hills,WI.
    7 years.
    This goes back to my p2p days and ignorance of security programs.
     
  24. PJC

    PJC Very Frequent Poster

    Joined:
    Feb 17, 2010
    Posts:
    2,959
    Location:
    Internet
    Since Fall of 2007.
    Almost three (3) years.
     
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