Strange Email

[Brett G]

Only way to be sure you are free of that crap is to reinstall the operating system.  I realize most can't do that.  You all should check into a Chromebook for typical web surfing.  No worries about viruses, they are inexpensive and if you ever want to take it back to brand new, you can do that in 5 min.  Log back in with your gmail account and all of your stuff is back.

[Geom]

Microsoft Windoze is a virus inof itself   
No amount of antivirus will prevent it from getting infected. And most AV products end up being utterly silent at best or complicit at worst at spreading a virus. But having it installed sure feels good, lol.

Seriously though, a decent AV product will usually "catch" the virus after it's already all over the machine.

The best course of action is prevention.

1) DO NOT use Internet Exploder for any web browsing (except for the idiotic sites that require it). IE is a virus waiting to happen. It has so many hooks into the core OS, and with MicroShaft's track record on security, it's chock full of holes. I recommend using Google Chrome (or even better a Chrome derivative called Comodo). While Chrome is not imprevious to attack, compromising it does not necessarily mean the whole OS is smoked (in most cases). Chrome may be fried, but the OS is generally spared. Comodo takes that one step further and actively interrogates the URL against a safe list, in addition to not allowing unsigned code to just run willy nilly.

2) DO NOT click on any link in any email, period. Ok, maybe not any any link, but 99% of them; and you better be certain who it's from and why you're clicking. That's the easiest way for a virus to spread is to convince you to click that link. Trust me, your boss doesn't suddenly love you, your long lost enemy hasn't suddenly decided to kiss and make up with a funny joke, and your... (ahem) IQ won't suddenly be enlarged by any quick-fix means.

3) Be careful of random Google search clicks. Some of the most harmless searches, can return some pretty... Interesting stuff. This is where Comodo shines. It checks the URL with each click and warns you of suspicious websites. As previously mentioned, try to stay with .com domains (you can see the url at the very bottom of each search result). Look for search results that look like they weren't written by a 12 year old with English as a 3rd language. So read each of the preview synopsis of each result before just clickin.

But an alternate Operating System is perhaps the best defense.

While a Mac is far from imprevious to attack, virus writers don't seem as obsessed with it. And frankly they (Apple) have a MUCH higher standard of code devleopment with security being fairly central.

If you just want a web browsing screen consider a tablet. Either an iPad or an android will suffice there. While limited in heavy lifting type work, they're great for just poking around the Internet and checking email.
A chrome book is also a good option here, with the same caveats.

Linux is a non-starter unless you want to take up a career of hacking operating systems together. Don't get me wrong, I love Linux, but in over a decade of "refining", Linux remains a hacker's OS and I think they generally like it that way. Builds are getting better and more refined all the time, but IMO it's far from click and pray.

Good luck,
George

 

[digesterman]

We have both Apple and Windows and really don't have problems with either, now my brother in law that visits porn sites has constant problems with viruses.
Actually you can hack into a Apple os faster than you can a windows system according to an article in Forbes , just saying

[Nick Badame Refrig/ACC]

Hi Guy's,

So very sorry about the emails... As I returned from vacation last week, I turned my office computer on and

I noticed that things were acting weird. By late in the day, I was receiving phone calls and txt msg's from

everybody.. My email was hit by an intruder!!  Mike Sullivan was a big help in resolving the mess.. I spent

quite a few days changing passwords and running spyware on all my devices.. I think I'm good now!

Again, I'm sorry if anyone was affected by this!

Regards
Nick-