Re: Spyware?

From: NoNoBadDog! (mysocks_bjsledge_AT_pixi.com)
Date: 06/30/04 

Date: Tue, 29 Jun 2004 20:39:03 -1000

My God...that is indeed a frightening thought...and AOL firewall.

Isn't that an oxymoron?

Bobby

"Susan" <dsnsacree@msn.com> wrote in message
news:O5VOv5kXEHA.2664@TK2MSFTNGP09.phx.gbl...
> Thank you Bruce. Yes, I found out that the Windows XP firewall will not
> work
> with AOL. I am still in the stone-age with dial-up, but the free AOL
> firewall for broadband will work for a AOL dial-up user.
> "Bruce Chambers" <bchambers@nospamcableone.net> wrote in message
> news:OJPYO64VEHA.3900@TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...
>> Greetings --
>>
>> There are at least three varieties of pop-ups, and the solutions
>> vary accordingly. Which specific type(s) is troubling you?
>>
>> 1) Does the title bar of these pop-ups read "Messenger Service?"
>>
>> This type of spam has become quite common over the past year or
>> so, and unintentionally serves as a valid security "alert." It
>> demonstrates that you haven't been taking sufficient precautions while
>> connected to the Internet. Your data probably hasn't been compromised
>> by these specific advertisements, but if you're open to this exploit,
>> you most definitely open to other threats, such as the Blaster,
>> Welchia, and Sasser Worms that still haunt the Internet. Install and
>> use a decent, properly configured firewall. (Merely disabling the
>> messenger service, as some people recommend, only hides the symptom,
>> and does little or nothing to truly secure your machine.) And
>> ignoring or just "putting up with" the security gap represented by
>> these messages is particularly foolish.
>>
>> Messenger Service of Windows
>> http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=KB;en-us;168893
>>
>> Messenger Service Window That Contains an Internet Advertisement
>> Appears
>> http://support.microsoft.com/?id=330904
>>
>> Stopping Advertisements with Messenger Service Titles
>>
> http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/using/howto/communicate/stopspam.asp
>>
>> Blocking Ads, Parasites, and Hijackers with a Hosts File
>> http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.htm
>>
>> If you're using AOL, you'll either need to find a 3rd party
>> firewall that is compatible with AOL, or switch to a real ISP that is
>> compatible with the real Internet. This is because AOL is an on-line
>> content provider that ignores international Internetworking standards
>> in favor of its own proprietary products, and has deliberately made
>> its connection software incompatible with both WinXP's built-in
>> firewall and WinXP's Internet Connection Sharing feature. AOL's
>> proprietary connection applet is deliberately designed to preclude
>> your setting/adjusting any of its properties, to include
>> enabling/disabling WinXP's ICF and ICS.
>>
>> Whichever firewall you decide upon, be sure to ensure UDP ports
>> 135, 137, and 138 and TCP ports 135, 139, and 445 are _all_ blocked.
>> You may also disable Inbound NetBIOS (NetBIOS over TCP/IP). You'll
>> have to follow the instructions from firewall's manufacturer for the
>> specific steps.
>>
>> You can test your firewall at:
>>
>> Symantec Security Check
>>
> http://security.symantec.com/ssc/vr_main.asp?langid=ie&venid=sym&plfid=23&pkj=GPVHGBYNCJEIMXQKCDT
>>
>> Security Scan - Sygate Online Services
>> http://www.sygatetech.com/
>>
>> Oh, and be especially wary of people who advise you to do nothing
>> more than disable the messenger service. Disabling the messenger
>> service, by itself, is a "head in the sand" approach to computer
>> security. The real problem is _not_ the messenger service pop-ups;
>> they're actually providing a useful, if annoying, service by acting as
>> a security alert. The true problem is the unsecured computer, and
>> you've been advised to merely turn off the warnings. How is this
>> helpful?
>>
>> 2) For regular Internet pop-ups, you might try the free 12Ghosts
>> Popup-killer from http://12ghosts.com/ghosts/popup.htm, Pop-Up Stopper
>> from http://www.panicware.com/, or the free Google Toolbar from
>> http://toolbar.google.com/, which is what I use.
>>
>> 3) To deal with pop-ups caused by any sort of "adware" and/or
>> "spyware,"such as Gator, Comet Cursors, Xupiter, Bonzai Buddy, or
>> KaZaA, and their remnants, that you've deliberately (but without
>> understanding the consequences) installed, two products that are
>> quite effective (at finding and removing this type of scumware) are
>> Ad-Aware from www.lavasoft.de and SpyBot Search & Destroy from
>> www.safer-networking.org/. Both have free versions. It's even
>> possible to use SpyBot Search & Destroy to "immunize" your system
>> against most future intrusions. I use both and generally perform
>> manual scans every week or so to clean out cookies, etc.
>>
>>
>> Bruce Chambers
>> --
>> Help us help you:
>> http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm
>> http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html
>>
>> You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on
>> having both at once. - RAH
>>
>>
>> "zeretul1" <anonymous@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>> news:1ed6f01c4575c$c7907f40$a301280a@phx.gbl...
>> > I keep getting advertisement pop-ups, and I have the
>> > google toolbar, but the pop-ups are always the same. i
>> > think it might be spyware, but i have used about 20
>> > different programs, and none of them cant stop these pop-
>> > ups. the ads pop-up in full IE windows, and are usually
>> > for anti-spyware programs?! Any thought?
>> >
>> > Much love!
>>
>>
>
>

Relevant Pages