Have You Ever Gotten a Virus?

[chessnerd]

"Windows is full of security holes and gets viruses!" - Common anti-Windows statement

I hear this all the time and yet, here I am, using Windows on a regular basis (in fact, I'm using the dreaded Vista!) and my computer has never crashed or failed (with the exception of a power outage during use on an older XP system, but System Restore fixed the problem), never been hacked, and I've never gotten a virus.

This is my question: have you (not a friend, you personally) ever gotten a virus using Windows? Have you ever been hacked or has your computer ever crashed in a way that made you lose data while using Windows?

If so, what happened? If not, why do you think this is?

Why do I think this is?
I've come to suspect that it isn't so much about Windows' lack of security as it is about the user of the computer being smart about what they do. It's possible for Linux users to get their system infected with a virus by being careless about downloads/e-mail attachments (something goes on every day) while using a root account for everyday tasks (something that is not unheard of with newbie Linux users).

[CJ Master]

No I haven't, because I know how to use the computer. The majority of Windows users are dumb enough to randomly click links and open attatchments, which is why so many get hacked/infected/zombiefied/etc...

Steps to keeping a secure Windows computer:
1) Get rid of that annoying UAC. Replace it with an alternative. (There are plenty out there, or you can code your own.)
2) Get firefox, install Adblock+ and NoScript. You should do this even on a Linux box.
3) Don't bother with Anti-Virus, it's just a huge pain in the butt. Get a program like threatfire instead.
4) Don't bother with Firewalls, they're just a huge pain in the butt. Close your ports and you're pretty much done.

And make it a habbit to run a virus scan every two weeks with an online virus scanner.

[monsterstack]

I used to get the occasional virus. I remember the first virus scan I ever did, actually, under Windows 95 (maybe win98). It found... lots. Most of the viruses I got came from torrents and sites depicting women in a state of undress. I also got a few viruses from friends' USB-sticks and stuff. If I remember properly, Adware and Spyware were more of an issue when I ran XP. I used Vista for all of two weeks before I switched to Linux, so I don't have any virus experience there.

[aysiu]

Yes, I got a Windows virus back in 2004 when I ran as administrator and used Internet Explorer.

I shortly switched to Firefox... and then Ubuntu. No viruses since. At my Windows computer at work, I use a limited user account and Firefox with NoScript.

[diablo75]

I fix PCs freelance and have seen my lions share of virus infected PCs (Windows XP PCs). Phishing often is the leading method of penetration into their system. I've also had a couple viruses of my own way back in the day before I switched to Linux for good.

About half the time the damage is irreparable when I get to look at it, or less costly to do a destructive recovery instead of arm wrestle with morphing/stealthy viruses for hours and hours to no avail.

In contrast, I've never got a virus using Linux for the last three years nor have I seen a single thread in this forum from someone who claimed to have caught one. And even if that were to happen, I would have lean towards blaming the user for their own negligence because in all likelihood the only way a virus could infect a linux system is if the administrator (user) gave it permission to install itself or modify system files.

[lisati]

I once had a 5.25" disk from a magazine with a boot-sector virus, fortunately spotted before it had time to do its mischief. I receive the occasional virus and malicious link by email, but have only had problems attributable to one: done on purpose to check out an AV product which didn't detect it, but a scan with AVG while trying to do repairs did pick it. At this point, the damage was already done & a fresh install of XP was called for. Silly me, I had an exteneal HDD plugged in at the time, and the malware even found its way there!

[LookTJ]

I gotten only two, a trojan in 2004 and the koobface virus two months ago

[jms1989]

I did back in the day when I ran IE on AOL over dial up and I imagine even after we got dsl but used ie until I discovered firefox. Once FF became default on windows and linux, viruses are pretty much a thing of the past for me.

I do most of my browsing on ubuntu for extra protection. I did however had stumbled across a website that tried to install some malware but utterly failed when ff prompt a unintended download and I just hit cancel. I think it was a .msi file. That happed while I was running ubuntu. :)

[Giant Speck]

None that I know of.

[hyperdude111]

When I started being interested in computers I got LOADS of viruses, I was installing every piece of software google could find me without thinking twice. The last virus I got on my windows machine was last july, and that was because my brother went on it.

[lovinglinux]

I don't remember when it was the last time I got a virus on Windows, but it was a long time ago.

Nevertheless, I was hacked once when updating Windows. I installed the SP1 CD and went to Microsoft Update as usual, to download the patches. Unfortunately, during that process I noticed that there was a couple of odd files on my personal folder. They were text files, so I opened them and was surprised with what I have found. The content of the text file was a warning from a hacker saying that he was able to breach into my computer, that he didn't do anything to harm my system, but that I should better protect my computer ;)

About loss of data...yes I had.

I switched to Linux because I had enough BSODs.

Now, even after several power failures while using ext4, I never lost anything while using Ubuntu and my system is way more stable.

[Kevbert]

Yes, in Windows, a few times. Malware was more common (hence I used to run Spybot regularly).
In Linux, yes when running DosBox (emulator) but only old Windows/DOS viruses.

[Ole Juul]

I used to get viruses from floppies that the kids had brought from school. I think a common one was "michaelangelo" or some such. Eventually, the viruses just went away and my DOS machines haven't had any problems in years despite constantly being on the net. I never moved to MS-Windows so I can't say about that.

[stwschool]

Personally I'm smart enough to avoid them usually but one snuck in just before my eventual switch to Linux. That said, I'm forever cleaning malware off people's windows PCs so the threat is real, though I would say it's largely down to users as they tend to download any old crap and install a million toolbars on their browsers and wonder why it's slow. Fun times.

[lovinglinux]

That said, I'm forever cleaning malware off people's windows PCs so the threat is real...

Me too.


...though I would say it's largely down to users as they tend to download any old crap and install a million toolbars on their browsers and wonder why it's slow. Fun times.

I agree.

[gjoellee]

I have never gotten a virus, but I have touched some Spyware. I got a lot of adds just showing up on my desktop (about every 5 min).

[Viva]

Yes, most users don't even know they have malware on their system. Millions of computers are part of some kind of a botnet without the user's knowledge.

[evermooingcow]

After I learned my way around using Windows I don't think I've ever gotten any malware installed. I got plent through p2p and kept them dormant on my HDDs but to my knowledge I've never had any install and actually do damage.

As for crashes if you count IE and explorer I get that all the time. Blue screens (that happen seemingly naturally) are rare but I still get one every once in a while.

[MikeTheC]

I remember getting a few viruses on Mac OS way back in the day, like back when I was in high school. However, they all became extinct and now that we have Mac OS X, I haven't seen one since.

I also have gotten a few on a WinXP box I used to own, and that was even with virus protection. But that's been years.

So no, nothing these days.

[gn2]

I had a few viruses in Windows when I used it, despite using anti-virus software.

Since switching to Linux, I have no idea whether I have had any viruses or not, because I have never felt the urge to scan my system for them.

[stwschool]

One interesting thing that happened not long after my virus problem (bear in mind I'd gone years without one at that point). A friend on MSN send me a link. Now I knew straight off it was a virus, but for curiosity's sake I VM'd into it with firefox in VirtualBox, and sure enough the link took me to download a suspiciously named file. I scanned the file on 3 different virus killers and nothing. It took 3 days for NOD32 to catch up and recognise it. If I was your average user, that would have been an infestation.

[KegHead]

Hi!

I got a nasty virus with M$ windows in 12-08.

That's when I went 100% Ubuntu.

KegHead

[RiceMonster]

Once, but I was 13 and it was my own stupid fault, just like 99% of the viruses people get are.


In Linux, yes when running DosBox (emulator) but only old Windows/DOS viruses.

lol are you kidding me?

[baizon]

Linux - No.
Windows - Yes, but it was my fault :sad:

[Blacklightbulb]

What if your dual booting Linux and M$ and you get a virus that flashes you BIOS (like CIH) and it kills your computer Linux included? That would suk.








BTW You can still buy another BIOS chip.

[K.Y.A]

Yes. On our familie's Windows Xp system. I have to scan it every week, and usually 2-30 viruses are on there. It's used for AOL, web browsing, and my mom's blue fish games. I have AVG antivirus installed, spybot, and I forget the name of the other piece of software.

It's hard to secure Windows for my family without getting in the way. I also have Ubuntu on that system and have no problems.

[LinuxFox]

On my computer, yes, but my anti-virus caught it right away and removed it. Plus I've been running XP since 2004. It starts up slow and crashes occasionally, but still works for what I use it for. I rarely get viruses anyway, I take extreme care when using the web.

I use Ubuntu for most things now, I still use Windows for Windows games and managing my digital music players.

[HavocXphere]

Once or twice I think. Mostly at LANs w/ ppl knowing their system is infected and not telling anyone.:(

Lots on other peoples systems. I'm usually called in to fix it and its getting a bit old.


What if your dual booting Linux and M$ and you get a virus that flashes you BIOS (like CIH) and it kills your computer Linux included?
Thankfully those aren't very common.


BTW You can still buy another BIOS chip.
At 2x the price of a new motherboard.


It took 3 days for NOD32 to catch up and recognise it. If I was your average user, that would have been an infestation.
The viruses mutate so the "current" AV signature doesn't catch it. The technique used is called polymorphic code (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polymorphic_code) and its one of the reasons why AV companies are profitable.:rolleyes:

[imbjr]

Yes. On our familie's Windows Xp system. I have to scan it every week, and usually 2-30 viruses are on there. It's used for AOL, web browsing, and my mom's blue fish games. I have AVG antivirus installed, spybot, and I forget the name of the other piece of software.

It's hard to secure Windows for my family without getting in the way. I also have Ubuntu on that system and have no problems.

If possible you might try putting XP under a virtual machine, so that next time they compromise it you just replace the virtual hard drive with the backed-up version.

I hear VirtualBox 3 now has better graphics h/w support, so the games you speak of might be runnable under VM too.

[elliotn]

I get viruses on my xp partition through flash drives from friends but Avast always takes gud care of them.

[cycling-rod]

Mainly spam and adware on windows machines when first moving up from an Amstrad PCW10 (many years ago!). A couple of trojans on my wife's XP desktop, but nothing than AVG couldn't handle. Since going over completely to Ubuntu (three years next August), no viruses, nothing! I've even stopped using Firestarter (firewall) and Clam (antivirus) as all the linux forums state such security stuff isn't needed (as yet!). But I still surf the web cautiously!
Rod

[betrunkenaffe]

Yes, I opened the DMZ to my fiancee's computer and it got a virus simply because of Windows default settings.

Other than that, never because I'm not ignorant of how the computer works.

[Swagman]

I was always very careful with my Win2Kpro machine using firefox and AVG.

Not going to naughty sites etc. This was actually VERY important as my machine was my wage pack. I videoed events and as such my machine was usued for NLE ( Ulead Media Studio Pro).

One day it just kept rebooting.

I had succumbed to the dreaded... forget what it was called (Sasser ?)

[tjwoosta]

We get viruses all the time on my families PC, and on computers at work.

My personal computer never gets viruses, probaly because im at least halfway computer literate.

It all comes down to the end user, a pc can only be as secure as the person operating it.

I hate to say it but I have seen people do some stupid *** ****. From clicking yes to whatever pops up without even reading it, to following random links that come up in popus, to neglecting virus scanner and windows updates for months on end because "it takes too long".

[solitaire]

I got a really bad virus one when using Ubuntu...

But a week in bed with medicated hot lemon drinks and chicken soup I was fine... ^__^

But
Had a couple of Windows viruses in my time (been using since Win3.1) I ended up just wiping my windows once a year and reinstalling...

[chessnerd]

I hate to say it but I have seen people do some stupid *** ****. From clicking yes to whatever pops up without even reading it, to following random links that come up in popus, to neglecting virus scanner and windows updates for months on end because "it takes too long".

Exactly the experience I get with my family. My aunt refuses to run McAfee because it slows down her computer and when I tell her to run it at night she argues that that wastes electricity. As a result, when I ran Malwarebytes for the first time on her desktop it found 230 pieces of malware including 4 trojans. Since I've been preaching to my family the importance of updating software and running virus scans they have been doing better. My mother actually ran Malwarebytes, AVG, and Windows Update all on her own a week ago, I was so proud =D>. However, I feel like an IT guy when Update Tuesday rolls around and I go from computer to computer running Windows Update because my sister tries to run it in Chrome ](*,).

[boomerdogis]

Yes in fact in the last month or two i've had like 7 viruses and 5 of them were trojans. The other ones were like fake antivirus programs that automaticly installed into my computer. The first time we had Norton Antivirus (the paid version) and it didnt catch it! We were pissed off at Norton. We then switched to the free version of McAfee. It caught the same one the paid version of Norton didnt catch. The first time we had to do a system restore but the second time we just ran the McAfee and it caught it. Life Lesson for today: Never and I mean NEVER buy Norton AntiVirus!

[monsterstack]

Exactly the experience I get with my family. My aunt refuses to run McAfee because it slows down her computer and when I tell her to run it at night she argues that that wastes electricity. As a result, when I ran Malwarebytes for the first time on her desktop it found 230 pieces of malware including 4 trojans. Since I've been preaching to my family the importance of updating software and running virus scans they have been doing better. My mother actually ran Malwarebytes, AVG, and Windows Update all on her own a week ago, I was so proud =D>. However, I feel like an IT guy when Update Tuesday rolls around and I go from computer to computer running Windows Update because my sister tries to run it in Chrome ](*,).

Windows is too difficult for Joe Sixpack. Try getting your grandma to do all that stuff. Windows is just not ready for prime time. Way too difficult for the average desktop user. Until Microsoft get their act together and fix their broken OS, I'm going back to Linux. Enjoy your viruses, paytards!

Edit: oops, wrong forum.

[Gizenshya]

yes, many. (shared computers growing up :( ). and unsecured networks at school.

The most notable one was "Windows." That virus has caused more problems than I thought were possible. Even the latest iteration :(

[moster]

No I haven't, because I know how to use the computer. The majority of Windows users are dumb enough to randomly click links and open attatchments, which is why so many get hacked/infected/zombiefied/etc...

You just called majority of elderly people dumb. That is really "smart" of you.

Ok, let me say something about this viruses.

In year middle 2004. when wasblaster virus very common I saw my own eyes how he ripped apart one computer with windowsXP. I could not believe it. Computer without firewall, updates and service pack could not even get to the windows update to update computer. It was not connected with router but USB modem. Blaster took him down in cca 30 sec.

I had chernobyl (CIH) in 1999 I think. My computer behave strangely, I pick it up with some game crack. Antivirus was not common in that time. If I waited little longer it would erase all my data and possibly erase BIOS and make my computer unusable. (At least that was description of CIH)

Last of the plague was with internet explorer 6. Some web pages could simply take him down and install whatever they want. Possible with his flawed activeX components.

You will get it sooner or later if you install ton of games and programs over torrent or other P2P. Emule and torrents are full of viruses when you searching for some progs.

[I-75]

The notorious Spy Sheriff in 2005, I used another (non infected) computer and found out how to get rid off it. I read the horror stories about Spy Sheriff and how it can make a computer unusable with the only hope is to do a complete reinstall.

I was one of the "lucky" ones since it didn't get to the point of deleting my system restore points which Spy Sheriff apparently did to some Windows users.

Since that time I haven't used Internet Explorer, I stuck with Firefox and use AVG for all my Windows computers.

[ivanvajar]

I used Windows for 10+ years. I have a lot experience with every version and YES, I had viruses, I knew how to deal with them, but reinstallation was always around the corner. I lost my data several times while using Win. Win2k was the best thing I knew about, even when XP came out. I even made one installation of Win ME worth playing with and it was stable. Still, Windows was always a traitor at the end. Then, Linux came into my life and my problems went away with Windows. Windows is badly designed when it comes to networking. You can expect to be hacked at any time while using system with faced-out network services. As for it's crashes, I've been lucky, but not lucky enough not to give Linux a chance. And here I am - a Windows free person.

[HappyFeet]

I had many viruses back in the day. I would click anything and everything. But thank goodness those days are gone. My XP gaming machine NEVER goes online, and will stay virus free.

[moster]

Actually there is another plague that is more present in windows. That is fact that windows is slower and slower with every day of usage. I have dual boot with XP because nature of my work. and fact is that XP boots faster then loaded ubuntu. Yes 30 sec XP Ubuntu 40. But when I install network card, antivirus, firewall, daemon tools and virtualbox... It go to 1,3 min. And over few month to 1,6 min or higher with some corruption on way...

It is virus that you cannot clean. Maybe they change that in vista/win7, I do not really know...

[SonicSteve]

Yes I believe I've had 2 viruses over the years when using windows. I also ended up with some malware that wouldn't remove. I've been fairly free of viruses because I can smell traditional attacks from miles off. The newer attacks that compromise flash, java, etc while surfing normal sites are the ones that are most difficult to deal with. Many people end up with viruses because they don't update, or can't update because they use shared versions of windows and haven't figured out how to turn of the anoying WGA.

The greatest source of Windows viruses in my experience is from Teens or adults who act like teens. I've fixed countless computers infected with viruses over the years and I'd say that at least 80% are teen computers. Why? they don't seem to get it that the internet and downloading is dangerous. Limewire, etc. etc. they all use it and almost without doubt they have a few viruses that they don't know about. Then they wonder why I won't let them connect their laptops to my school network.

I've been using Ubuntu now since late 06 and I've been quite happy with it. No viruses and yes I have scanned my PC from time to time.

[t0p]

I've never had a machine of mine infected with virus or other malware. This is because I used Windows on a computer of my own for a very short time and rarely took it on the internet. I think it goes without saying that my Linux machines have never caught anything either.


It's possible for Linux users to get their system infected with a virus by being careless about downloads/e-mail attachments (something goes on every day) while using a root account for everyday tasks (something that is not unheard of with newbie Linux users).

Really? I've never seen/heard first-hand account of viral infection of a Linux machine. I've seen posts in these forums where users thought they'd caught something, but it always turned out to be something else.

[daweefolk]

Yes, I got one. The antivirus/antispyware i was using at the time didn't catch it until my computer started working like it was molasses in winter and i downloaded avast antivirus. Strangest part of it was the virus was found in my c++ compiler. I never even downloaded the compiler. After having to clean it out of my computer 2 or 3 times I decided i'd try linux.

the computer at my work is running xp and has 3 different antivirus/antispyware programs installed, along with two different firewalls.

One more interesting thing is when i used mac os 9.1 I got a "suspicious" email and when i opened it, i was "infected" with a windows virus. knowing full well that it was a virus and it wouldn't affect me, I just laughed.

[Old_Grey_Wolf]

On my computers, I have only gotten 2 in the 30 years I have had home computers.

The first one was in 1997 if I remember correctly. I had a network with 3 computers (a Windows laptop, Windows desktop, and a MAC PPC) and a Laser Printer connected via Ethernet. I was ordering parts online for the Laser Printer from the manufacturer's website. It appears the manufacturer's site had a worm. Ironically, the first clue that I had an infection was when the Laser Printer was complaining that a file being sent to it was not in the proper postscript format :) I wasn't trying to print anything. I tracked it down; however, I don't remember which worm it was. It had made a copy of itself in every folder on the Windows machines and the MAC; therefore, thousands of copies. The MAC didn't execute them of course :) That was a real PITA to clean up!

The second one was in 2008. I found one on a Windows computer I set up for my grandchildren to use. The malware was a new variant not detected by virus scanners. Full story, as it transpired is at DSLReports Security site: http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,19884237?hilite=oldgraywolf. The story involved the use of Linux to send the malware to the anti-virus software vendors. I must have been using 7.10 at the time. The malware files were not visible in Windows (rootkit anyone). The anti-virus vendors had updates the next day or at least within two days. If I hadn't given the files to the anti-virus vendors on a "silver platter", I wonder just how long it would have taken them to find it :)

That is when I truly came to appreciate Linux!
:lolflag:

[arcdrag]

"Windows is full of security holes and gets viruses!" - Common anti-Windows statement

I hear this all the time and yet, here I am, using Windows on a regular basis (in fact, I'm using the dreaded Vista!) and my computer has never crashed or failed (with the exception of a power outage during use on an older XP system, but System Restore fixed the problem), never been hacked, and I've never gotten a virus.

This is my question: have you (not a friend, you personally) ever gotten a virus using Windows? Have you ever been hacked or has your computer ever crashed in a way that made you lose data while using Windows?

If so, what happened? If not, why do you think this is?

Why do I think this is?
I've come to suspect that it isn't so much about Windows' lack of security as it is about the user of the computer being smart about what they do. It's possible for Linux users to get their system infected with a virus by being careless about downloads/e-mail attachments (something goes on every day) while using a root account for everyday tasks (something that is not unheard of with newbie Linux users).

I've had plenty. While I generally stick to about 10 different sites that I check daily, my wife clicks on pretty much every "click here for free stuff" ad she can find. I have no doubt that the majority of virii could be prevented simply by watching your surfing practices...but in the event that this is an impossibility (like reasoning with my wife), Linux provides a very good alternative.

[RandomJoe]

Sure. Years ago, when I still ran Windows at home, I'd have the occasional issue but rarely - as with most, primarily when I was installing whatever random software without paying attention.

Most of the time it was at work. Having to use client PCs, and something gets on removable media. Or at the office, the company had a very good shell for the network, but a soft underbelly - so naturally, someone would take their laptop home, get infected on the home connection, then when they get back to the office it would spread like wildfire.

And I have even been hit in Linux! (By a worm, but speaking generically...) I was on dialup at the time, so caught it immediately - the audio stream I was listening to died - and saw the modem lights going nuts. Killed everything, and found I had been hit with the 'l1on' worm thanks to my improperly configured DNS server.

[K.Y.A]

Yes, actually. I kept getting the win32magister virus on my Windows machines. . .

I had it on my Win2000 machine that now runs Debian, I had it on the family pc before it's hard drive failed, and it was on my winxp install and both my sisters xp install. It was very hard to remove from the network...... All I know is I'm not the one that brought it in, :lolflag:

[Short__Error]

yesterday i was talking to a friend and he had a vrus that he wanted to test on my ubuntu and i let him and he failed and he tried again....nothing rofl i laughed in his face.

[tom66]

I got one when I downloaded a trojan, but mostly, I've been virus-free on both Windows and Linux with some common sense.

[blur xc]

I've had my fair share of viruses- my fist was probably in dos 5- the Jerusalem virus from sharing cracked games. Wiped the HD and had to reinstall everything. McAffee couldn't fix it...

but just recently I got hit w/ a dropper (my own fault, I admit it), clicked a click here w/o reading what it said or giving it enough thought to comprehend it was a fake flash update (I'm horribly impatient). So, that killed my pc bad, had to get our IT guy to wipe the hd and reinstall everything. Then, just last week (like 1 weed after the fresh install) I went to mininova and got slammed w/o downloading or installing anything. Again, our IT guy to the rescue- after about 10hrs of work, 6 different rootkit/virus/malware scanners later, I *think* I'm clean. I just ran malwarebytes today, and it came up clean. We just got Symantec AV for all our work pcs and it came up clean also (fingers crossed)...

This last mini-nova one was a scary one. He (our IT guy) basically said the Russians (just a guess) create add banners that load onto a web page, and then click jack your next click to install their dropper on you pc transparently.

The way these new viruses work is amazing. The first one I got, that required my pc to be wiped, had some pretty strong self preservation tools in place. It prevented me from downloading, installing, or running any anti-virus software.

There has to be some kind of bootable scanner software, and if there isn't there should be. I imagine a bootable usb stick that has some rudimentary os (linux baed?) that's loaded down with all kinds of anti-virus/anti-malware tools that you'd stick in, boot up, and would do a complete and thorough hard drive cleaning...

So yeah, I'm now browsing w/ Adblock plus and noscripts...

BM

[kevdog]

I got a virus when downloading something from Kaaza (yea I know I was asking for it!). After turning off the computer, I couldn't boot it!! PITA. Had to start over from scratch.

[Ian dewhurst]

I ended up with the sasser worm when I didn't know better using IE and what not.
Also a host of trojans (backdoor/rootkit etc) that were run from an attachment in an e-mail, in my defense it looked exactly like an e-mail sent from a customer. Running the command netstat -a showed I was being used as a zombie pc of course I ended up with the good old BSOD
:lolflag:

[steveneddy]

While using Win2K Pro as a Standard user (no install privileges) I had to reinstall Windows three times in just a few months due to virus and other malicious software issues.

This is about the time that I "discovered" Ubuntu.

Or did it find me?

[bear24rw]

I used to have a virus called Windows but i treated it with ubuntu..

[Dragonbite]

No, but I've been tech support for both of my parents who have gotten computer virus' (virii?).

[CJ Master]

You just called majority of elderly people dumb. That is really "smart" of you.



Actually, I didn't. I was talking about all ages. I think your the one assuming that it's elderly people that click on random links.

[doas777]

I clean boxes for co-workers all the time. rootkits are becoming popular lately. I find it really amusing however, when i find a box with 2 peices of loud "Scareware" (fake antivirus) and 4 rootkits. obviously since scareware tries to be as in-your-face as possible, and rootkits try to become completely undetectable, the source of infection was not the same. gives me a chuckle.

[amitabhishek]

Oh...Yes there was this pesky worm - Sasser (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sasser_%28computer_worm%29); which refused to go away even after numerous re-installations. I got rid of it only when I bought a license of NAV - a hogware!

[yaaarrrgg]

I used to work for an all-Microsoft shop. A virus came around (back around 2000 or so) that infected every server and computer, and wiped out a lot of data. It infected the whole shop through the web servers.

I was shocked to look at Secunia.com. On any given day it's not unusual for Windows to contain several unpatched moderately-critical or highly-critical security holes. I've never seen a time when they are all patched.

Oh, look. Today it there's an extremely critical security hole for Win XP (what's issued on my laptop at work):
http://secunia.com/advisories/product/22/

Compared to Ubuntu (nothing unpatched):
http://secunia.com/advisories/product/21851/

:)

[sXeChris]

I've never gotten a virus on my Windows partition. The reason I think so many people say that is because the majority of people that use Windows don't know much about computers and don't do anything but check e-mail and surf the web. They don't know how to set up proper security and when it crashes, they get mad and blame Windows.

Personally, I don't have a problem with Windows, it's O.K. But, I like Ubuntu better. ;-P.

[doas777]

I've never gotten a virus on my Windows partition. The reason I think so many people say that is because the majority of people that use Windows don't know much about computers and don't do anything but check e-mail and surf the web. They don't know how to set up proper security and when it crashes, they get mad and blame Windows.

Personally, I don't have a problem with Windows, it's O.K. But, I like Ubuntu better. ;-P.

that's not really true. there are plenty of ways to pick up nasties that can effect advanced users as well as novices. If you have ever installed a crack or unlicensed piece of software, then there is prolly something evil embedded therein. ever download themes or screensavers? they likely are infected as well.

it's not windows or stupidity that enables malware; it's that no one can afford all the software they would need legitimately.

[dragos240]

Yes, on windows, I got viruses. I have not gotten one here.

[azangru]

This is my question: have you (not a friend, you personally) ever gotten a virus using Windows? Have you ever been hacked or has your computer ever crashed in a way that made you lose data while using Windows?

If so, what happened? If not, why do you think this is?

I have, on Windows XP (SP2, I believe), several times.

First when I was careless and stupid, and didn't use any antivirus software at all, thinkning that since I don't open unknown files from strange people, everything will be just fine. Second time, when I was using Avast antivirus, also not opening files from strange people, but just browsing the web. And the third time... Well, that did it; I switched to Linux.

[K.Y.A]

Speaking of Viruses, I just booted into my XPee partition to print something. To my surprise, AVG disappeared.... It was the free edition, no expiration date. No icon on the taskbar, no process in task manager. I have that Windows-why-me feeling again...

[gn2]

(virii?)

Nope, definitely viruses.

[Old_Grey_Wolf]

It was very hard to remove from the network...... All I know is I'm not the one that brought it in, :lolflag:

I hate it when they infest an network with Windows XP computers. The default XP settings make it to easy for them to spread. I've learned how to configure XP so they don't spread so easily.

[lisati]

Speaking of Viruses, I just booted into my XPee partition to print something. To my surprise, AVG disappeared.... It was the free edition, no expiration date. No icon on the taskbar, no process in task manager. I have that Windows-why-me feeling again...

Speaking of AVG (also the free edition), sometimes Vista on my laptop complains that no antivirus software is active, even though AVG is up and running. Running the AVG installer and selecting "repair' seems to cure it. The down side is that the definitions need updating afterwards, but that doesn't have to be a big deal.

Ah sigh, back to figuring out why my desktop is getting stuck on boot, not even making it to grub (possible hardware problem)

[emshains]

Yes, I have gotten a virus. Of course, it was when I was using an administrator account, IE and a crappy a/v. And it got hacked bad, really bad. But, if you want to really use your computer, you have to use the administrators account. As far as I know, there is no other option, which is not as smart as it should be, if you are paying more for an o/s than for the hardware it is meant to operate.

And why do regular people get viruses ?
Well, everybody who buys an oem system usually gets no advice on how to actually use it. And there is usually just one account, which has to be an administrator account. People just don't bother.
Even experienced people will get viruses on windows, IMHO. At least if they use linux for the philosophy of it, because I wouldn't limit myself on purpose. Even if I had, it would bother me every moment I had to use it.

[ricardisimo]

On Windows yes, several, including a weird, slow-motion breakdown that led to my finding out that I had a pirated copy of XP-Pro on my home comp which I believe was eventually shut down remotely by Mr. Gates (or did I just imagine that?) This also led to my trying out Ubuntu (Dapper).

None on Ubuntu, although I do, in fact, run fresh installs every six months, which almost seems like cheating in some way. Still, I've browsed more than my fair share of porn and fantasy football sites, so you'd think ClamTK would have spotted something amiss over the years.

[ricardisimo]

P.S. - There are viruses in Linux, right?

[szymon_g]

yes, i've got chlamydia
penicilin had killed it

;)

[szymon_g]

P.S. - There are viruses in Linux, right?

well... there are some viruses for unices, but they are proofs-of-concepts than really working one.

[ricardisimo]

In other words, it's conceivable to have a virus in Linux (even if not terribly likely)?

[CJ Master]

In other words, it's conceivable to have a virus in Linux (even if not terribly likely)?

Security exploits can happen. But since the code is open-source there's thousands of people that look at it to patch it up, so almost no wide-spread infections can happen, unless you count trojans (which require a user's stupidity.)

Not to be rude, but a simple google search would turn up thousands of results on this.

[lisati]

P.S. - There are viruses in Linux, right?

I've heard of them but haven't run across one yet, unless you count the time the brakes failed.

[Jackelope]

Yes, in the days of Limewire and installing every 'freeware' app I could find, I got plenty. I killed more than one Windows install that way. But even playing it safe, I still got one through no fault of my own, while running anti-virus. 2 years with linux, however, and not one virus.

[K.Y.A]

If possible you might try putting XP under a virtual machine, so that next time they compromise it you just replace the virtual hard drive with the backed-up version.

I hear VirtualBox 3 now has better graphics h/w support, so the games you speak of might be runnable under VM too.

Nice. I might give it a go.


EDIT: Would AOL work with modem from virtualbox?

[K.Y.A]

Speaking of AVG (also the free edition), sometimes Vista on my laptop complains that no antivirus software is active, even though AVG is up and running. Running the AVG installer and selecting "repair' seems to cure it. The down side is that the definitions need updating afterwards, but that doesn't have to be a big deal.

Ah sigh, back to figuring out why my desktop is getting stuck on boot, not even making it to grub (possible hardware problem)

NO, SOMETHING UNINSTALLED MY AVG ANTIVIRUS! It is no longer located in my Program FIles folder, and no longer in the start menu, and icon is gone. I had to redownload it..... I am scanning for the virus now....


God, why did you create thy Windows?

[munky99999]

I have 6 computers. 2 of them have windows xp on them.

1 is 100% pure meant for gaming and few assorted other things. I dont even patch the OS. I dont get viruses just because there's no interaction.

My other box on the otherhand is the sort of multiuse... everyone uses it. Considering limewire-tweeter-facebook-whothehellknowswhatelse on the system. I have formatted the drive and go back the next day and find it infected worse.

Add in the fact that even the BEST OF BEST antiviruses can see at most half of viruses. You can right now go download sub7, netdevil or whatever ancient trojan of your choice. Rebuild the server using techniques which make them immune to antivirus. You cant secure systems; when using windows.

I have been in class where my teacher was literally saying... "when is the last time you have ever seen Windows Xp BSOD" and my box literally BSOD right then and there.

Now has ubuntu ever gotten a virus? Hell I'm pretty sure the last worm/virus that could infect linux boxes was eradicated when ubuntu was started; 5+ years ago.

So I find it odd and agree with the idea of...

Do the computer users know nothing and just want big buttons to click on that say Internet or Games. Then ubuntu is perfect for them.

Do the computer users know ALOT and want to be able to tweak everything? Then ubuntu is perfect for them; well maybe other distros also but meh.

Do the computer users know sort of enough and can protect themselves but dont need much. Then perhaps windows is for them.

Do the computer users need pretty shiny things that keep them happy because whatever? Then perhaps mac is for them.

[K.Y.A]

Well, I just finished running AVG virus scan in Windows XP, and the only Virus it found was on my Ubuntu partition! In fact it was in my wine folder. It was a trogan.AnXf or something like that. Heh.... Windows found the Ubuntu virus:lolflag:



Wow.....Just wow....

[Tews]

I was always very careful with my Win2Kpro machine using firefox and AVG.

Not going to naughty sites etc. This was actually VERY important as my machine was my wage pack. I videoed events and as such my machine was usued for NLE ( Ulead Media Studio Pro).

One day it just kept rebooting.

I had succumbed to the dreaded... forget what it was called (Sasser ?)

Ahhh ... the dreaded MSBlaster virus .... it got my mom too .. took about 10 minutes to fix ... :lolflag:

[szymon_g]

In fact it was in my wine folder. It was a trogan.AnXf or something like that. Heh.... Windows found the Ubuntu virus:lolflag

no, it wasn't ubuntu's virus. it was virus written to work on ms-windows operating system, not on linux.

[Manny99]

My pc did not want to save my x configuration so i uninsulated the drivers and now I can't get it to work again. I even tried envyng-qt. it doesn't even start up.

I am working on jaunty

[szymon_g]

My pc did not want to save my x configuration so i uninsulated the drivers and now I can't get it to work again. I even tried envyng-qt. it doesn't even start up.

I am working on jaunty

well... i think you should search faq or create new topic in differenty part of ubuntuforums...

[sdowney717]

I have a friend whose windows crashed and burned due to a virus. So I set him up with Ubuntu. He got so nervous because he did not have to scan for viruses on ubuntu, he downloaded avast for linux and eventually went back to windows when Verizon Fios installer came out and said they cant work with linux. Sp he picked up a very old crappy XP box with tiny monitor and set that up in his house. And still has notbothered to hook up his almost new ubuntu system. I told him it will work fine with Ubuntu but he is too busy at work. And this guy is a programmer.

[racerraul]

IDK about everyone else,,, but even after switching to linux.
Stomach Viruses are a PITA

[Lateforgym]

Actual infection of computers by viruses dropped significantly in 2006 when M$ got off their worthless lazy butts and made IE so that Hyjacker viruses no longer effect it. The ONLY reason they did this is because Linux and Fire Fox were destroying MS dominance. If Fire Fox didnt exist, you would still be having virus issues by IE users getting Hyjacked when some angry Porn Site owner is pissed you didnt sign up after viewing free photos.

Now that Hyjacker viruses are no longer a threat, Active X and hyjack-click viruses, and Phishing site are severely limited by pop-ups that tell the user whats up, Viruses are a dead topic.

A further reason for reduction in viruses is stupid porn site owners woke up, like street gangs did: "Gee, if I rough up everyone who comes through, they wont spend their money here anymore".

I would also question IBMs so called anti virus research team. A while back they screwed up hard core by using loose wording which Journalists ran with suggesting that Linux didnt catch 56 viruses or something. This was all a lie since none of the viruses were Linux viruses. They were Windows-only-affecting viruses, so it was mislead to call these things viruses since they had no effect on Linux users.

[winjeel]

It's interesting to see that other people experienced what I did: Windows + IE = viruses (eventually). Though, I'm not sure what new stuff I can add.

I've been online proper, since 2000 when I first moved to Korea (now in Japan), and there were LOADS of viruses. It was only when I changed to Firefox did the infections drop off. Now I get LOADS of spam instead. I guess the virus makers have found something a little more lucrative.

As I write, I'm using the Linux side of my pc, and still feel a little apprehension in not having some form of protection. Nothing lasts for ever, all good things will come to an end. There will be a security flaw to be discovered and exploited. But I'm much happier using Linux than Windows just the same (faster, smoother, more reliable, etc...)

[Dragonbite]

P.S. - There are viruses in Linux, right?

I've heard of them. I think they are just an urban legend, like a Jackalope! :lolflag:


NO, SOMETHING UNINSTALLED MY AVG ANTIVIRUS! It is no longer located in my Program FIles folder, and no longer in the start menu, and icon is gone. I had to redownload it..... I am scanning for the virus now....

God, why did you create thy Windows?

My Mom's computer is infected right now, and somebody recommended Avast. Come to find out it is free (for Home edition) and is cross-platform (Windows, Mac and Linux) so that looks promising.


I remember at work, our company was relatively recently bought-out by a much larger company. We ran an almost all Windows environment while the company that bought us ran a mixed.

I'm not sure which viruses it was, but I think it was like MSBlaster and Sasser (they came out not too far from each other).

Anyway, the company that bought us (the mixed environment, bigger IT department, chip on their shoulder) got infected and it took their systems down. We were untouched.

That is, until a $%^&^& person from the sales department plugged in their laptop which they've used at home and on the road. You guessed it, it suddenly started infecting our systems. Never brought it down, but made the person in charge want to pull her hair out!

[travy4911]

I got the sasser worm a while back...20 minute fix. Not too much fun though. Since I've recieved Ubuntu, NONE.

[doas777]

P.S. - There are viruses in Linux, right?
not viruses, but yes, malware of other types.

[richg]

Yes, a few years ago I got one but the doctor prescribed an medication that heled me kick it. Fortunately, I rarely get the flu virus. ;)
I also have been getting flu shots regularly for some years.

Rich

[gn2]

God, why did you create thy Windows?

I thought it was satan?

[lisati]

NO, SOMETHING UNINSTALLED MY AVG ANTIVIRUS! It is no longer located in my Program FIles folder, and no longer in the start menu, and icon is gone. I had to redownload it..... I am scanning for the virus now....


God, why did you create thy Windows?
I've heard of malware disabling av software, but this is the first time I've heard of it actually being uninstalled......

I thought it was satan?
(smiles) working through people perhaps..... (Opportunity for MS bashing? Let's not go there.)

[Giant Speck]

(Opportunity for MS bashing? Let's not go there.)

More like: inappropriate religious analogies. Let's not go there.

[lisati]

More like: inappropriate religious analogies. Let's not go there.

True: regardless of where the malware comes from, it's always good to be careful.....

[Stan_1936]

...
3) Don't bother with Anti-Virus, it's just a huge pain in the butt. Get a program like threatfire instead....

The official threatfire FAQ page indicates that one should use both.

[yanom]

About half the time the damage is irreparable when I get to look at it, or less costly to do a destructive recovery instead of arm wrestle with morphing/stealthy viruses for hours and hours to no avail.

What's a morphing/stealthy virus?

[yanom]

As I write, I'm using the Linux side of my pc, and still feel a little apprehension in not having some form of protection. Nothing lasts for ever, all good things will come to an end. There will be a security flaw to be discovered and exploited. But I'm much happier using Linux than Windows just the same (faster, smoother, more reliable, etc...)
Clamscan (available in .deb repos) is a free antivirus

[tsali]

To my knowledge, none of my Windows machines have ever contracted malware of any sort.

[doas777]

What's a morphing/stealthy virus?


most spreading malware nowadays is "polymorphic" in that it changes its binary representation and hides it's real actions at runtime. thus, the code that does 1 job will look like a million differant exes on a million differant boxes.

another approach that some malwares take, is to directly attack the antivirus system, sometimes with the intent of bogging it down so the user will disable it.

last i heard, somthing like 80% of modern malware is undetectable (http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/security/soa/Eighty-percent-of-new-malware-defeats-antivirus/0,130061744,139263949,00.htm) by any scanning technology; only behavioral profiling will turn them up.

[xpod]

Not personally but i`ve dealt with many many infected Windows machines these last 3.3 years,including the first 2 computers i ever used myself.
The viruses,and other malware they suffered with came with the machines in question so i dont think that counts as "me ever having gotten a virus".:p

It`s quite strange actually as i`ve spent more time fixing other peoples messed up Windows machines than what i ever spent using Windows myself.
I was helping out the friends,family & locals only a few months after sitting down at a PC myself for the very first time,which was also about the time i discovered Ubuntu and stopped using Windows.

I never used to charge as it just didn`t seem right.Besides,it was an education in progress.The last couple of years have been another matter though.I now charge people £50 for a straight up to date re-installation with (free)security and basic (free)software requirements and £75 if it involves backing up & checking personal data beforehand.
The ones that aren`t infections usually involve missing or corrupt files,corrupt software installations & simple network configuration,to name but a few.

9 times out of 10 i`ll just re-install infected Windows machines as it`s far quicker to do that with one of my nlited install disks than what it is to faff about running umpteen scans over & over....which i still wouldn`t trust.
Any hardware issues like blown PSU`s or upgrades to RAM,GFX etc i`ll do for the cost of the hardware plus £30-50 for my time....which is often a mere 15 minutes.
The hardest jobs i`ve had are broken laptop DC Jacks.I`ve only had one out of 9 that i couldn`t replace the jack on so far.The other needed a new board,which just wasn`t cost efficient for the lappy in question.
I seem to get a lot of people who have already been quoted crazy amounts for non-existent problems by so-called reputable establishments.Many of these places obviously prey on peoples ignorance.Either that or they just dont have a clue themselves.

I never ever set out intending to be the local PC repair guy in my spare time....what i have of it.When i sat down at that first PC back in 2006 all i ever wanted was to learn just enough to keep our children safe from the computers/internet and the computers safe from them.I didn`t want to be one of those computer ignorant parents who didn`t know a thing about the computers and more importantly,what the children were doing on them.

The children subsequently turned out to be the least of my worries,as far as the computers are concerned anyway.:p

[cmat]

I've gotten a few on windows back in the 90s. After XP I haven't got a single one and then I moved to linux...

[lykwydchykyn]

I had a couple. First one came from installing cracked software; I decided never to do that again.

Second time I didn't do anything to get it. I got sasser worm when it came out just by connecting to the internet. I don't know if a patch was out at the time, but as I was on an unreliable dialup connection I had a difficult time getting patched. Took me most of a week to successfully dl XP service pack 1.

We got spyware once when my wife downloaded a free "breakout" type game. Took me a while to remove that stuff.

I didn't move to Linux over the virus/spyware stuff, but it is certainly nice not to have to fret over that stuff. I know people like to say avoiding this stuff is just a matter of common sense and sticking to "safe sites" or whatever, but I have seen enough to the contrary in my line of work.

[CJ Master]

The official threatfire FAQ page indicates that one should use both.

That's their advice, not mine. Anti-viruses are just a pain in the backside. Just use an online scanner twice a week.

[WatchingThePain]

I had loads of Viruses , Worms and Trojans on windows. The final straw was a rootkit.
My mate at work got SubSeven and had 76 people try to connect to his pc in 5 minutes.
Whether ppl believe me or not I don't care.
That's why I use Linux now.

[arcdrag]

I had a couple. First one came from installing cracked software; I decided never to do that again.

Second time I didn't do anything to get it. I got sasser worm when it came out just by connecting to the internet. I don't know if a patch was out at the time, but as I was on an unreliable dialup connection I had a difficult time getting patched. Took me most of a week to successfully dl XP service pack 1.

We got spyware once when my wife downloaded a free "breakout" type game. Took me a while to remove that stuff.

I didn't move to Linux over the virus/spyware stuff, but it is certainly nice not to have to fret over that stuff. I know people like to say avoiding this stuff is just a matter of common sense and sticking to "safe sites" or whatever, but I have seen enough to the contrary in my line of work.

I had a similar problem once after a fresh install. I think it was probably the late 90's but it might have been with Windows XP. Anyway, I installed to a freshly formatted drive, and by the time I got all of my drivers installed (all installed from manufacturers disk) I was already getting random popups despite the fact that I hadn't even opened a web browser yet.

I doubt this is still a problem, but to this day I keep an update CD handy to install most of my security updates before I plug in my ethernet cable whenever I'm doing a fresh install. One of the things that Microsoft has done that I like is make each of the service packs available in ISO form for this specific reason.

[xuCGC002]

Yes, I got a Windows virus back in 2004 when I ran as administrator and used Internet Explorer.

I shortly switched to Firefox... and then Ubuntu. No viruses since. At my Windows computer at work, I use a limited user account and Firefox with NoScript.

Exact same story for me. Except it was in 2002.

[doas777]

I had loads of Viruses , Worms and Trojans on windows. The final straw was a rootkit.
My mate at work got SubSeven and had 76 people try to connect to his pc in 5 minutes.
Whether ppl believe me or not I don't care.
That's why I use Linux now.

oh I believe you. it's the folks saying that they have never had a malware infestation that i don't believe.

[AndyCooll]

Yes, when I was using Windows I had a few viruses. One I particularly remember because it was a swine to remove and infected my home network. Took me days to sort it out ...but I learnt, and it certainly made me more security aware.

And not long after I switched to Linux anyway. However those lessons learnt have always stuck with me.

:cool:

[HNP45acp]

I’ve gotten a few viruses and plenty of spyware in my Windows days. Even though I was supposedly under the umbrella of my expensive anti-everything software. Horror - I’m stating to have flashbacks about Slow/Crawling internet with anti-everything software draining most of my memory – oh the horror.

I switched to Linux and been virus/spyware FREE ever since. My internet connection is as fast as it was the first day I installed the OS. I am loving my UBUNTU experience and don’t miss Winblows at all, just glad it in the past.

I ran ubuntu without any protection for 1-year without any infections!!! Linux is becoming more popular and it’s only a mater of time before we see some viruses. So I think that Linux users should load their machines with anti-virus software so that when something comes out, it won’t spread to other people.

I’m currently accessing the internet inside a virtual machine that I put together for fast internet surfing only. I don’t have anti-crap software on it yet, since it seems unlikely to get the Linux Host infected.

[lukjad]

Many times.

[Dragonbite]

I'm possibly installing Windows on one of my computers in the near future and I'm not looking forward to having to manage all the scanners/etc.

On the plus side, I was referred to Avast (http://www.avast.com/)when dealing with a virus on my Mother's computer and the Home version is not only Windows, but they have a Linux and Mac version as well. So I might just put it on my Linux system as well when the time comes.

Be especially handy if I can set up the server to automatically download it and then the home systems update from the server instead of the net. Reduce bandwidth and reduce the chance some virus comes and mucks that part up (not allowing it to update its DAT file? that's another story).

[bobwootton]

Yes I have gotten a virus(es) on this widows xp desktop. But there are five user accounts on it. And the kids use limewire, frostwire and other risky sites, I think.
At present I have the init.exe virus/trojan on it. I have downloaded malware bytes anti malware program and run the scan. But I cannot do the scan in safe mode because it seems the keyboard is disabled when starting up. So I keep getting popups with ...exe - Bad Image
I have downloaded ubuntu 9.04 onto a dvd on a laptop but the ckecksum does not match.
I hope the ubuntu operating sustem will overwrite the xp os and clear all the files. Will that solve my problem?

[JDShu]

On Windows, I had to periodically run ad-aware and ccleaner to get rid of all spyware, adware etc. to get rid of it. Everybody I know does the same even now. This is with the freeware AVG installed.

Before I used anti-virus software, I thought viruses were something that happened to other people. I somehow got a virus called CABANAS that infected my whole system and slowed it down. Thats when I found out about AVG, but that program just deleted all the system files that were infected, prompting a reformat. Since then, I made sure to use some sort of antivirus whenever I used Windows. Don't generally have to worry about this stuff now - not that Linux has no viruses, but I'm confident that a virus alert would quickly prompt fixes in the community.

[nmaster]

you could be part of a botnet without even knowing. i also like that with linux, you don't even really have to worry about viruses. with windows, you won't get a virus but it will always be something you have to be vigilant about.

[jomiolto]

Yes, influenza :p

I've had computer viruses once during my computing history -- that was in the mid-nineties when virus scanners were quite rare. It was some variant of Tai-Pan (http://www.f-secure.com/v-descs/tai-pan.shtml), but I can't remember which one.