SK said:
Hi,
I am trying to figure out how one PC that I built for somebody and
configued with SP2 as well as Norton Systemworks 2005 Premier (only
week ago) could let a website silently install spyware, add items to
the Favorites menu, and change the homepage to a search website that
it does not even connect to.
Most antivirus applications do not even scan for or protect the
user from adware/spyware, because, after all, he/she has installed
them him/herself, so he/she must want them there, right? Naturally, a
firewall isn't designed to be of any use in preventing the user from
deliberately installing malware.
Regrettably the system was restored to a state previous to the event
with Norton Ghost 9, before any info could be noted!
The only thing the user can say with certainty is that he last
visited a few websites that showed up on a list of "work-at-homes"
plans with a Google search, before this happened (after a regular
morning boot).
How does one configure IE or Windows options so that such "silent
installs" are not possible? We checked everything we could find and
saw that all the appropriate options are already enabled.
Thanks in advance for any illumination.
SK
Neither adware nor spyware, collectively known as scumware,
magically install themselves on anyone's computer. They are almost
always deliberately installed by the computer's user, as part of some
allegedly "free" service or product.
While there are some unscrupulous malware distributors out there,
who do attempt to install and exploit malware without consent, the
majority of them simply rely upon the intellectual laziness and
gullibility of the average consumer, counting on them to quickly click
past the EULA in his/her haste to get the latest in "free" cutesy
cursors, screensavers, "utilities," and/or wallpapers.
If you were to read the EULAs that accompany, and to which the
computer user must agree before the download/installation of the
"screensaver" continues, most adware and spyware, you'll find that
they _do_ have the consumer's permission to do exactly what they're
doing. In the overwhelming majority of cases, computer users have no
one to blame but themselves.
There are several essential components to computer security: a
knowledgeable and pro-active user, a properly configured firewall,
reliable and up-to-date antivirus software, and the prompt repair (via
patches, hotfixes, or service packs) of any known vulnerabilities.
The weakest link in this "equation" is, of course, the computer
user. No software manufacturer can -- nor should they be expected
to -- protect the computer user from him/herself. All too many people
have bought into the various PC/software manufacturers marketing
claims of easy computing. They believe that their computer should be
no harder to use than a toaster oven; they have neither the
inclination or desire to learn how to safely use their computer. All
too few people keep their antivirus software current, install patches
in a timely manner, or stop to really think about that cutesy link
they're about to click.
Firewalls and anti-virus applications, which should always be used
and should always be running, are important components of "safe hex,"
but they cannot, and should not be expected to, protect the computer
user from him/herself. Ultimately, it is incumbent upon each and
every computer user to learn how to secure his/her own computer.
To learn more about practicing "safe hex," start with these links:
Protect Your PC
http://www.microsoft.com/security/protect/default.asp
Home Computer Security
http://www.cert.org/homeusers/HomeComputerSecurity/
List of Antivirus Software Vendors
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;49500
Home PC Firewall Guide
http://www.firewallguide.com/
Scumware.com
http://www.scumware.com/
--
Bruce Chambers
Help us help you:
You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on
having
both at once. - RAH
