[PCWorld]

Post your comments for Users' Bad Habits Invite Malware, Forum Says here

[Lsavagejt]

Since Lavasoft continues to offer AdAware 2007 which insists on leaving aawservice.exe in boot execute after uninstall, I find it hard to take seriously anything 'Calamity' has to say.
Point a finger at someone, and you point three back at yourself.

[Yert]

The end user is again the weakest point. Computer security can be almost unbreakable given the right configuration. On that note, I've never gotten a malware infection, and have only had to remove then for others. I know what these things are and how they come, and its daft downloading and information giving, clicking too many things because you think you can't understand the computer, setting weak passwords, and choosing to be stupid because you think you can't understand.

[rkinne01]

I couldn't agree more with Yert!

Some stupid things people do:

1. Opening email attachments from unknown sources.

2. Installing software without paying attention to what they're installing.

3. Not running security software, this goes for any OS.

4. Downloading from P2P sites and not scanning the files for viruses when finished.

5. Not updating Virus programs on a regular basis.

[AuroraDizon]

It drives me insane people many people still using IE, no fire wall, maybe like 1 spyware scanner and either no antivirus or one of those commercial trials providing it hasn't expired yet in which most case people do nothing! I try tell a lot of people..usually goes something like this.....

me: Don't use IE , especially with no spyware blockers, scanners firewall or antivirus.

X: I fine with it.

me: .........(overdramatic) Your computer is going to blow up if you don't activate a firewall and switch to another browser!!

X" shrugs Whatever it will be fine

me: sigh

[Adama]

LOL I agree with Aurora. I think you were talking about one of my friends, Aurora. !http://forums.pcworld.com/legacyimages/
1!

I think the days when people's PCs didn't get malware are definitely OVER. Those were the days when people were more innocent and trusting, and the Internet hadn't become such a humoungous part of people's everyday life.

Nowadays it's foolish to have a computer and not protect it with at least 1 Anti-spyware and 1 Anti-virus program and a firewall of course. Even if you just have the Windows Defender firewall, it's still better than no firewall at all.

[Lsavagejt]

OK,

I can see my comment on "User Habits" has found its mark, and while I agree with the emails I have received so far, you're only seeing half of the picture. Of course the end user is ultimately resposible for the stuff living on their computers, however, a security sofware is only as good as its ability to uninstall itself from the user's computer.

If a security software can clean 20% of infestations in a given test bed, but fails to clean itself from the computer, leaving crap behind in critical places on the hard drive, such that in some cases the only recourse is to reformat, then that security software is hardly worth the effort of installing it in the first place.

Better off just using a VM or sandbox and forget the hassel.

[AuroraDizon]

'your computers going to blow up part 2'


x: I'm going to buy something off ebay.

me: um......seriously? blah blah blah credit card blah blah This computer?!!!! Are you insane!!

x: oh.. (like it never even dawned on them that this is a possibility.) I already entered my credit card in last week... do you think it will be ok?

me: sigh.

me: fine whatever, when your computer blows up I'm not going to fix it.
.....
.....
.... 2 weeks later .....

Aurora spends her day rooting out malware and installing programs and configurations that would of prevented all this in the first place.

me: make sure to update . ok , make sure to run the scans at last once a week please..

...............and the cycle continues.

[Lsavagejt]

....this discussion is definitely beginning to wind down. Yawn.

[edjay]

I do not agree with the general trend of the "latest and greatest Anti-this and Anti-that" but I do agree that a few simple tips would help most people.
Most Windows IE users ( I will make a sweeping generalization of 99% ) do not even know how to adjust the privacy settings in their browser. This has nothing to do with Anti-virus software, but it stops the continual flow of rubbish into your PC. The default settings for the browser are set to "let everyone in, particularly advertisers" to make a mess and nudge the "punter" into spending money to; so say, "protect" themselves.
I think the people that make the most noise about Anti-virus issues are software vendors and producers. In particular, an exhibition of propaganda about computer meltdowns and explosions is nothing more than a display in the hope of financial gain.
When was the last time it was in the news about a computer virus making the machine explode? This is just fear-mongering for profit: Deception basically.
Anyone?

[Lsavagejt]

Yeah, well hitting end users over the head with their "bad habits" does not exactly engender a sense of gratitude or trust toward IT. This kind of user bashing is just another example of the ultra liberal techno elite trying to rob end users of their personal liberties. If end users screw up their own rigs, then that's their problem-- a trip to Redmond and a couple of hard drives later and most users will learn. Some won't. Most will.

[Lsavagejt]

read maternalistic where "ultra liberal" is written-- Get off me!