do you get spyware and viruses?

[mcovey]

I only use AVG to protect myself since my latest reinstall (about 3-4 months ago), and a NAT router.

I got spybot today just to check and not one program except the windows standard ones (alexa I think, its just a link bundled with XP). Never get a virus either, never even had one get caught before executing.

I guess I just tread lightly, mind files with executable extensions (exe bat com scr and the like), and let AVG update itself. Plus I use Opera which has next to zero exploits circulating right now.

So do you use a big security suite to keep yourself safe? Or just common sense and a knowledge of what's good and what's not?

I know some people who have spybot, adaware, spysweeper, norton AV, a firewall when they already have a router.... ive even seen 2 firewalls! It seems like such ram-eating bothersome overkill.

[Auggie2k]

I always seem to end up with Search Bar on my computer, I never get warnings but it doesn't actually come up anywhere, its just there.

I got a bastard a while back that made itself a system application (thank programmers for Hijack This)

[Pirate_RRRRRR_IIIIII]

I use avast antivirus along with sygate pro firewall and im behind a wireless router. I have Counterspy, adaware, and spybot installed. I rarely use the anti spyware programs because like you I use common sense and watch where I'm surfing and downloading from. I have yet to get a virus on this install of xp which is about 9 months strong. The seediest sites I go to are probably crackspider and cracksearchengine and this is rare as usually any program/game/ect I download from bt comes with whatever I need to enable it. Basically its very hard to get a virus when you use your head!

[pimpinaman]

I use ad-ware, spybot, clamav, winpooch, tiny firewall and some junk will still get though. not a whole lot gets through, but some tracking cookies and what have you will show up. I am REAL thankful for Hijack this!, I have some friends that just have to go to porn sites and it has helped alot over time. Spysweeper is a good commercial pack, good experience with it too. I've heard that Counterspy by sunbelt is good stuff too, but I've never tried it.

If have to go to questionable sites for some info about something, I use knoppix or DSL.

[-0-BACKLASH-0-]

I don't get anything anymore. When I first started using computers I managed to get the bonzai buddy and something else, but I didn't know too much then. live and learn.

[shawners]

No!!! I keep my norton 2004 on and it hasnt been updated, but my mozilla firefox and sbcyahoo dsl remove virus through email.. and my norton scans incoming files.. but i never gotten a virus. I stoped using IE. So the spyware really stoped, especially without gnutella clients and crap.

[RACKnRAIL]

I use a firewall & nat router. I have spy sweeper, spybot, spyware blaster. I use Symantec CE anti-virus, which has worked very well for me. On my garage computer, I still use nod32, which seems to be just fine. I use both IE and Mozilla to browse. I have had very little problems over the years. I do make ghost images regularly just in case. I also back up my media on an external drive.

[Mels_Smileys45]

I keep my fiewall up and my AV running and thank goodness, lately Ive been getting nailed from one IP and even had someone try to email a virus three times. Not sure why I'm a target. Most people do not even know their PC is infected and if you don't keep check of these things, more than likely you are carrying.

Shawners, if you havent updated your AV in that time there is a strong chance youre infected and do not know it.

[RACKnRAIL]

I keep my fiewall up and my AV running and thank goodness, lately Ive been getting nailed from one IP and even had someone try to email a virus three times. Not sure why I'm a target. Most people do not even know their PC is infected and if you don't keep check of these things, more than likely you are carrying.

Shawners, if you havent updated your AV in that time there is a strong chance youre infected and do not know it.

It never hurts to run Housecall for a second opinion. I have found and cleaned lots of viruses from friends computers with it.

http://housecall.trendmicro.com/

[Mels_Smileys45]

It never hurts to run Housecall for a second opinion. I have found and cleaned lots of viruses from friends computers with it.

http://housecall.trendmicro.com/

Thanks. I think whoever sent me the trojan in the mail must have been trying to sneak in the backdoor last night. Thats sorta scary and makes me wonder how I got to be a target.

[usualsuspect]

For six years I have not once had antivirus, antispamware or even a firewall (just relying on the NAT I'm behind). How is this possible? I run Linux.

Linux. Demand a safer everyday.®

[Mels_Smileys45]

For six years I have not once had antivirus, antispamware or even a firewall (just relying on the NAT I'm behind). How is this possible? I run Linux.

Linux. Demand a safer everyday.®


Linux is not an option for me. I like playing Call of Duty and such

[Malakai1911]

This is what I use in regards to security and it works well.

Linksys WRT54G (Firmware: v4.30.1, HyperWRT 2.1b1 +tofu11)
Windows XP Professional (SP2, RyanVM update pack, nLite (IE Removed), various tweaks)
Outpost Firewall Pro
Nod32 AntiVirus
Ad-Aware
Firefox (Adblock w/filterset.g, BugMeNot, FasterFox, SafeCache, SafeHistory, UserAgentSwitcher)
Thunderbird (Enigmime w/ gnupg)
Little security apps I use occasionally: xpy, ccleaner, eraser, hijackthis, rootkitrevealer and icesword.

I feel pretty safe. I'm toying with the idea of trying out encryption though.

[Krell]

I dont tread lightly, I still download and TRY a lot of software. If I get it from P2P I expect it to have a virus. It usually does.

I scan everything that comes in, AND I use the Online Malware scanner

http://virusscan.jotti.org/

.

[Digital Bliss]

You all know if everyone stopped going to porn sites the spyware problem would be cut in half people that get spyware usually deserve it because they are sloppy but hell i cant say anything i use to have problems with it all the time

[mcovey]

For six years I have not once had antivirus, antispamware or even a firewall (just relying on the NAT I'm behind). How is this possible? I run Linux.

Linux. Demand a safer everyday.®
I keep linux on my server, because I always like to run scripts i find, and check out new linux stuff. I know my way around the command line in debian linux about75%. I've started writing shell scripts and whatnot a while back, mostly in bash. I have fluxbox installed but you know... i still use windows on my desktop after all these years. Mostly because the explorer shell for windows beats hands down imo, the linux desktop managers available. Explorer is pretty repsonsive, and not less stable than KDE. KDE takes a while to load menus and stuff on my machines... its a shame but the desktop feel just isnt right yet.

The command line feels great though :)

[cpugeniusmv]

I keep linux on my server, because I always like to run scripts i find, and check out new linux stuff. I know my way around the command line in debian linux about75%. I've started writing shell scripts and whatnot a while back, mostly in bash. I have fluxbox installed but you know... i still use windows on my desktop after all these years. Mostly because the explorer shell for windows beats hands down imo, the linux desktop managers available. Explorer is pretty repsonsive, and not less stable than KDE. KDE takes a while to load menus and stuff on my machines... its a shame but the desktop feel just isnt right yet.

The command line feels great though :)
I have used various distributions Linux and BSD for a number of years on other machines, but not as my primary workstation. I've been using Ubuntu exclusively for a month or two on my main machine, and I think most people could do most of what they want in it.

I, however, am not most people.

Both Gnome and KDE are much too slow for me even on an Athlon XP 3000+. I'm used to the instant response of Windows Explorer, and I expect nothing less from whatever I'm using to get my work done. I'm still shopping around for a nice window manager(/desktop environment). I'm tring Xfce today.

What's my motivation? Windows bores me, and there are too many things fundamentally wrong with it and the majority of programs available for it (registry! administrator priveleges taken too lightly!). Windows gets the "desktop" right (for the most part), but not the "operating system". GNU/Linux gets the "operating system" right, but not the desktop.

Linux is improving, I think. And Windows is...um...changing.

Oh, and I've never gotten any viruses/malware on my machine accidentally.