Reality check: Shall we keep this software?

I don't mean to be nosy, Bob, and I will mind my business if you don't want to talk about it, but did the bank make you whole for your loss?

You are not being nosy at all John, I am happy to report this to you and the forum because it might make someone take notice that one needs to be as careful as possible. At least that is my thinking.

Yes the bank did make good on the $19,000 removed from my account, and the only other problems encountered was the trouble of closing my account, and opening a new one. I lost the ability to check on my account online for a week or more. Since this was a checking account I had to order new checks, and new debit cards. Of course the bank screwed up the first order of new checks for the new account so they had to be reordered. All of this is only aggravation as it turns out. I do not know how the bank does internal business, you may be assured that when this is all done I will know more about how it does it's business.

It is just my belief that in this time of internet scamming that we need to be as responsible as possible to avoid or negate or minimize the possibliity of this happening. Therefore I have been running 2 free versions of spyware, plus a professional registered version of spyware (Counterspy) which runs silently in the background as long as the computer is on, plus scanning on a schedule. In addition to that, I have ZoneAlarm Pro security suite which includes a firewall, email protection, and another spyware program which runs scans (not sure if it also runs in the background.) Since this has happened, I have purchased a liscensed version of an anti-keylogger specific software. I also run Pc-Cillin antivirus which scans on a schedule as well as running in the background. This may well be overkill in the minds of many, but not in mine.

An aside to Paul Winalski, I am not running any ad blocking specific software other than the built in program in FireFox. If one or more of the other security programs has an ad blocking portion, I am not aware of it. Of course I am aware that the settings of any of these programs can cause problems in other programs or in browsers. Thanks for your input.

[quote="ForumAdmin"]To no one in particular, FYI. Thank to Bob H. for furnishing more info.

Identy theft though the use of keyloggers.

(For more, google for 'identy theft keylogger' for example)

[...] The keylogger is known to be present in adware downloads offered at certain porn and hacking sites. He says that users of unpatched Windows systems prior to Windows XP SP2 can have their PCs infected simply by visiting one of these sites. In other instances, a confirmation dialogue box may be the only warning that a dangerous download is about to take place.



Randy can you give me the URL for this blog? or did I miss it in your post? I am running winxp home and have SP3 installed. I wonder if this thing may be planted through web sites other than porn sites too. Does the blog indicate that if you have SP2 and above installed then you are safe from this keylogger? I have a new program now runing 24/7 when my computer is turned on and booted up. This is an "anti-keylogger specific" program for which I have paid good money. Anyone wishing to try it out can download a free 4 day trial of it from here http://www.anti-keyloggers.com/index.html Thanks again Randy.

am running winxp home and have SP3 installed. I wonder if this thing may be planted through web sites other than porn sites too. Does the blog indicate that if you have SP2 and above installed then you are safe from this keylogger? I have a new program now runing 24/7 when my computer is turned on and booted up. This is an "anti-keylogger specific" program for which I have paid good money. Anyone wishing to try it out can download a free 4 day trial of it from here http://www.anti-keyloggers.com/index.html Thanks again Randy.

SP3? Is this a typo, or did you mean Windows XP SP2? I just checked the Microsoft website and can find no mention of a SP3 for Windows XP. Or are you running Windows 2000?

A few suggestions to help prevent nasties such as keyloggers from getting on your system:

1) Always say "no" to downloading and execution of ActiveX controls and other executable programs. Set up your browser so that it always asks for your confirmation before downloading such things.

2) Turn off Java. If possible, also turn off JavaScript. Unfortunately, a lot of sites depend on JavaScript for useful stuff. I run an ad filtering program that also lets me selectively enable JavaScript on a site-by-site basis.

3) Use a browser other than Microsoft Windows Explorer. IE is more vulnerable to malware than others because of (a) its tighter integration into the operating system and (b) being the most popular browser, it's also the most popular target for malware writers.

-Paul W.

To clarify, Norton and other Suites are to be avoided IMO, bloat and not as good as other free or shareware products.

Any recommendations for good free/shareware antivirus or software firewall products?

One of the most important and least understood function of personal firewall software is NOT to prevent people from the outside from accessing you computer but to prevent your computer from calling them back with info.

That's a very important and crucial point!

It's also a bit hard to configure a firewall to do exactly what's needed. Norton Personal Firewall, for example, makes it easy to allow or deny network access on a per-application basis, but that isn't enough. For IE, for example, I want to allow it to connect outbound to IP port 80 for HTTP and HTTPS access, but I want to deny access to j-random ports on j-random machines to prevent any spyware that's subverted IE from "phoning home". Similarly, I want my email software (Eudora, in my case) to be allowed outbound SMTP access but denied anything else.

Any thoughts on hardware-based firewalls?

-Paul W.

{Paul, I have a program on my computer called Belarc which keeps track of all my programs etc. this includes such things as hotfixes and sp's. it even can tell me the software licenses for all the software including Windows. I am running WinXP Home and below is a list of the hotfixes etc, it tells me is me that I have them all.. if you know of something that I need and don't have please tell me, and I almost never use EI as Firefox is IMO the better browser even with security issues aside. here they are:


Installed Microsoft Hotfixes [Back to Top]
.NETFramework
1.1
no verification data S867460 on 8/10/2004 (details...)
no verification data M886903 on 2/14/2005 (details...)
Internet Explorer
no verification data SP2 (SP2)
Step By Step Interactive Training
SP2
passed verification KB898458 on 6/18/2005 (details...)
Windows Media Player 10
no verification data KB911565 (details...)
SP0
passed verification KB911565 on 2/15/2006 (details...)
Windows Media Player
SP0
passed verification KB911564 on 2/15/2006 (details...)
Windows XP
SP3
passed verification KB834707 on 1/26/2005 (details...)
passed verification KB867282 on 2/14/2005 (details...)
passed verification KB873333 on 2/14/2005 (details...)
passed verification KB873339 on 1/29/2005 (details...)
passed verification KB883939 on 6/18/2005 (details...)
passed verification KB885250 on 2/14/2005 (details...)
passed verification KB885835 on 1/29/2005 (details...)
passed verification KB885836 on 1/29/2005 (details...)
no verification data KB885884 on 1/29/2005 (details...)
passed verification KB886185 on 1/29/2005 (details...)
passed verification KB887472 on 2/14/2005 (details...)
passed verification KB887742 on 2/23/2005 (details...)
passed verification KB888113 on 2/14/2005 (details...)
passed verification KB888302 on 2/14/2005 (details...)
passed verification KB888310 on 1/26/2005 (details...)
passed verification KB890046 on 6/18/2005 (details...)
passed verification KB890047 on 2/14/2005 (details...)
passed verification KB890175 on 1/29/2005 (details...)
passed verification KB890859 on 4/16/2005 (details...)
passed verification KB890923 on 4/16/2005 (details...)
passed verification KB891781 on 2/14/2005 (details...)

Windows XP
SP3 (continued)
passed verification KB893066 on 4/16/2005 (details...)
passed verification KB893086 on 4/16/2005 (details...)
passed verification KB893756 on 8/10/2005 (details...)
passed verification KB893803 on 4/16/2005 (details...)
passed verification KB893803V2 on 5/19/2005 (details...)
passed verification KB894391 on 8/4/2005 (details...)
passed verification KB896358 on 6/18/2005 (details...)
passed verification KB896422 on 6/18/2005 (details...)
passed verification KB896423 on 8/10/2005 (details...)
passed verification KB896424 on 11/9/2005 (details...)
passed verification KB896428 on 6/18/2005 (details...)
passed verification KB896688 on 10/16/2005 (details...)
passed verification KB896727 on 8/10/2005 (details...)
passed verification KB898461 on 6/29/2005 (details...)
passed verification KB899587 on 8/10/2005 (details...)
passed verification KB899588 on 8/10/2005 (details...)
passed verification KB899591 on 8/10/2005 (details...)
passed verification KB900725 on 10/16/2005 (details...)
passed verification KB901017 on 10/16/2005 (details...)
passed verification KB901214 on 7/13/2005 (details...)
passed verification KB902400 on 10/16/2005 (details...)
no verification data KB903235 on 7/13/2005 (details...)
passed verification KB904706 on 10/16/2005 (details...)
passed verification KB905414 on 10/16/2005 (details...)
passed verification KB905749 on 10/16/2005 (details...)
passed verification KB905915 on 12/16/2005 (details...)
passed verification KB908519 on 1/11/2006 (details...)
passed verification KB908531 on 4/15/2006 (details...)
passed verification KB910437 on 12/16/2005 (details...)
passed verification KB911562 on 4/15/2006 (details...)
passed verification KB911567 on 4/15/2006 (details...)
passed verification KB911927 on 2/15/2006 (details...)
passed verification KB912812 on 4/15/2006 (details...)
passed verification KB912919 on 1/6/2006 (details...)
passed verification KB913446 on 2/15/2006 (details...)

Click here to see all available Microsoft security hotfixes for this computer.

[installed security hotfix] Marks a security hotfix (using the 03/14/2006 Microsoft Security Bulletin Summary)
verifies OK Marks a hotfix that verifies correctly
fails verification Marks a hotfix that fails verification (note that failing hotfixes need to be reinstalled)
Unmarked hotfixes lack the data to allow verification

[Robin Garr]

Any recommendations for good free/shareware antivirus or software firewall products?

My experience, based on previous advice from RR, is that the combination of AVG free edition for anti-virus and Kerio software firewall, is very effective indeed. With both of them, plus Spysweeper and the built-in hardware firewall in our router, I feel very comfortable. Extra credit for using Firefox and T'bird or Eudora in preference to the Microsoft programs. Of course, it's also prudent not to click on any unknown mail attachments and to stay away from some of the more "interesting" Websites.

Bob,

That's odd. I found this website at Microsoft:

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/lifecycle/servicepacks.mspx

last updated on 7 March 2006. This has a table showing the current service packs available for each version of Windows, the next planned service pack, and its estimated release date. For both the Home and Professional editions of Windows XP, it says that the current service pack is SP2, released on 6 August 2004, with SP3 due to be released in the second half of 2007.

-Paul W.

Hi Robin,

My how things have changed over the years!
I probably could find this stuff out if I poked around more, but here goes:

1) Should I reply to your initial topic starter (as I am doing now) or go down to the last reply and reply to it? Where will my post end up in either scenario? I guess I'll find out in a minute
2) Can you get rid of those silly labels that rank you based upon how many times you've posted? We both know I'm a "wine geek" even though this is my first post of the year.
3) Will there be any access to old posts and threads? I'd love to read some of those limerick threads from the good old days again some time.
4) the software is not unlike what I've seen on a lot of other sites, so new users should be able to adapt quickly to it. I guess that's a vote to keep it.

Hi Guido! Imagine seeing you here again, although that is a good thing! Welcome back Buddy.

[Robin Garr]

Hey, Dave, good to see you!

1) Should I reply to your initial topic starter (as I am doing now) or go down to the last reply and reply to it? Where will my post end up in either scenario? I guess I'll find out in a minute

We're just in the process of installing the 'threading' option, which could change things depending on how you choose to view the forum. But in the standard view, it doesn't really matter: Your post ends up at the end regardless. The best way to keep discussions tidy is to "backquote" so it's easy to tell what you're responding to. Use the "Quote" button on the specific post you're responding to, instead of the "Reply" button, and backquoting is automatic.

2) Can you get rid of those silly labels that rank you based upon how many times you've posted? We both know I'm a "wine geek" even though this is my first post of the year.

A lot of people really like them, Dave, but don't worry ... I've set the silly "ranks" so you turn into a wine geek almost immediately. I think it takes only 5 posts.

3) Will there be any access to old posts and threads? I'd love to read some of those limerick threads from the good old days again some time.

The old WLDG remains online (and will remain online as long as there's a WineLoversPage.com) in read-only status, with all the threads that were there at the time of our move to Netscape. Some of the old limerick threads were already long gone, alas, but you can always go back and see what's still fossilized at the old place at http://www.myspeakerscorner.com/forum/index.phtml?fn=1 - for FLDG, just substitute a '2' for the '1' at the end.

4) the software is not unlike what I've seen on a lot of other sites, so new users should be able to adapt quickly to it. I guess that's a vote to keep it.

That seems to be the consensus, and the optional threading mod, I hope, will resolve most of the remaining doubts.

But its the denizens of this lil' enclave that keeps me coming back. Old WLDG, Netscape..this one...whatever...it ain't the wrapping...its prize inside.

Richard

Got to agree with that, Richard. And now that I have a computer-based job again, I'll probably be peeking in a lot more frequently than I have the past couple of years.