well i downloaded some stuff and when it was over i had some stuff on my desktop that i didnt even downloaded.now i got all these security alerts telling me i have a virus and to download more virus protection. but i have norton internet security. are those messages traps what do i do.
2006-10-04 18:00:48 · 4 answers · asked by bluestarbunny 2 in Computers & Internet ➔ Internet
Norton doesn't have a good reputation for virus protection. Yes, they have a big name (probably because it comes pre-installed on many computers), but their virus scanning software is often referred to as ineffective and buggy. Also if you are using Internet Explorer as your web browser, I highly recommend switching to a secure browser such as firefox. Lots of malware over the years have been installed by security holes in IE.
"According to an article by the Washington Post, Norton Antivirus has one of the worst average response times for providing virus definition updates based on the worst virus outbreaks of 2005, lagging behind every major competitor, including Kaspersky, F-Secure, Sophos, Avira, Trend Micro, F-Prot, Panda, AVG, Avast, ClamWin, and McAfee." -Wikipedia
"Much criticism towards Internet Explorer is related to concerns about security: Much of the spyware, adware, and computer viruses across the Internet are made possible by exploitable bugs and flaws in the security architecture of Internet Explorer, sometimes requiring nothing more than viewing of a malicious web page in order to install themselves, this is known as a Drive-By Download, some attempt to trick the user into installing them by mis-representing the software's true purpose in the description section of the ActiveX security alert." -Wikipedia
"In May 2006, PC World rated Internet Explorer 6 the eighth worst tech product of all time." -Wikipedia
For virus protection, I recommend switching to NOD32. It shouldn't noticeably slow down your computer like Norton does, and it has probably the best reputation out of any virus software available. This is not a free solution, as it is $39 a year. or $58.50 for 2 years.
http://www.eset.com/
"NOD32 is certified by ICSA Labs.[1] It has been tested 46 times by Virus Bulletin and has failed only 3 times, the lowest failure rate in their tests.[2] NOD32 is rated 9.5/10 by users on CNET.com [3]." -Wikipedia
If you are looking for a free solution, I highly recommend AVG Free Anti-Virus. It has a good reputation, and is definitely worth the price. In my experience, NOD32 seems a bit better, but it's hard to beat something that is free and works. I pay for NOD, but some would consider that money wasted when you have AVG.
http://free.grisoft.com/doc/2/lng/us/tpl/v5
"AVG Anti-Virus has won numerous awards. Certifications that the software holds include the Virus Bulletin VB100% Award - which is awarded to products which manage to detect 100% of the viruses "In the Wild", without false alarming. It is also 100% Detection Rate certified by independent ICSA Labs, West Coast Labs Checkmark Level 1 certification and TÜV Monitored Virus Protection certification. AVG free received a 4/5 rating on download.com and the PRO version received a 5/5 rating." - Wikipedia
For now, you should at least download AVG Free, and run a scan. Sometimes when you are already infected, the software itself can't clean it. The software should sill detect the name of the virus, and you can then manually remove it via instructions online.
If no virus is found, you probably have something called spyware. To check for spyware, download spybot, and run a scan. Spybot should remove all spyware it finds.
http://www.download.com/3000-2144-10122137.html
Also, don't forget to use a secure browser such as firefox as I mentioned earlier.
http://www.getfirefox.com
2006-10-04 18:30:24 · answer #1 · answered by Kyle D 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The best way to remove spyware is to get expert help. I had a recent job dealing specifically with spyware. Some of it can get really complex and certain bugs require specially designed programs and extensive knowledge. Here's the best way to get rid of all spyware on your comp, some you may not even know about.
All you have to do is download Hijackthis, run it (takes 30 seconds), and post the log that it gives you. Then a group of computer nerds take a look at it and give you easy advice on how to fix everything.
It might take them a day or two to reply, but it's definitely worth it since they can see and fix every problem. The site is www.geekstogo.com visit this thread for directions on posting a topic for help (skip to step 5 and just download hijackthis) http://www.geekstogo.com/forum/You_Must_Read_This_Before_Posting_A_Hijackthis_Log-t2852.html
2006-10-05 01:21:26 · answer #2 · answered by true_skillzz 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
the security alerts are virus/spyware DO NOT CLICK THEM!!!
Get it cleaned profesionally, then get some good AV and AS programs suchas Zone Alarm and Spy Doctor.
2006-10-05 01:03:26 · answer #3 · answered by Firedog 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
If they are being displayed in your browser, they are most likely spam pop-ups. Download some spyware/adware removal tools to get rid of them.
Ad-Aware - http://www.lavasoftusa.com/software/adaware/
Spybot S&D - http://www.safer-networking.org/
Both are free.
2006-10-05 01:02:52 · answer #4 · answered by Goffik 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋