[SG-64] The virus/malware/spyware problem.

voIs there a virus peeking through your encrypted files?
A malware program, causing malfunctions and kernel dumps?
Spyware and adware pestering your with ridiculous ads?
Who you gonna call?

Well, no one, really.
The problem with Malicious Software these days, is the game has changed.

Back in the day, you had the virus. A small file, programmed for ill-intent. Identity theft, credit card fraud, deleting your files or rebooting your computer for kicks and other such things like setup botnets for DDoS attacks and so much more.

Then it evolved into Spyware and Adware, malicious programs designed to forcibly put ads for not-so-kosher products in your face. Then came the derivation of malware, a similar program designed to destroy your operating system from the inside out if it so chooses, Just for the hell of it.

These programs originally were not all that complex and some of them could be removed manually or rather easily by an updated Anti-Spyware or Anti-Virus program. Then spyware programs started building in redundancy. So it had backups and a couple copies of itself. It took annihilate them all at once to truly be rid of it. It was difficult, but it could be done.

But things have changed, the malware and viruses have evolved. They now have become hydras. Cut one head off, two more replace it. Containment, is all but impossible.  How do Anti-Malicious Software programs work? They scan for files that contain "signatures" or "traces" of code known to be spyware or a virus, etc.
However viruses have evolved to the point where they can constantly re-arrange their own code, thus becoming extremely difficult for Anti-Virus programs to track down. And then there's the Hyrda thing... deleting one copy of the virus, with it's last breath, tricks the OS into letting it spawn itself again or it might just randomly spawn extra copies of itself with no outsider intervention. Self-replicating... mm, like the bug form replicators in SG-1. Nasty buggers. Anyway, this massive self replication takes up processing power and resources, which is why your computer may seem to get slower and slower when infected, until it grinds to a halt and implodes on itself. lol, just kidding on the last part. Viruses also tend to like to invite some friends over. 1 virus gets in, and it opens the door for more to be downloaded onto your computer.

One time, 2-3 years ago, I accidentally clicked 'no action' on my virus scanner, letting the virus in, and I saw command prompts pop up, and programs install themselves within minutes. It was quite the sight.

At the beginning of this year, I had an infection break past my shields. I fought it for 3 days. Until finally giving in. I reformatted XP for the first time in 8 months, or rather, since owning my most recent laptop.

Then, even so, in the backups of my data, the plague invested my installation exe for Ventrilo. When I went to reinstall my programs, the hell started again. Instead of just sweeping the hard drive that contained XP, after that I also had to spend many hours scanning my massive amounts of data on my external hard drive.

That was one nasty bastard of a virus.

I've come to the conclusion, that it is not worth wasting countless hours fighting an unstoppable beast.
 When a Windows computer becomes infected, I don't screw around. I backup all important personal data, wipe the hard drive clean and start from scratch. Complete annihilation and re-installation of the OS seems to be the most prudent course of action.

But of course right now you're probably thinking, what if the personal data backups are infected? Well, since this has only happened to me twice, in 10 years one recently and once, many years ago, as of now, I don't scan the backups because it takes varying amounts of time, I'd just rather not put into it. And also, I'd rather not think a personal data file is infected, because then that means, whatever precious data was in said file, is now as good as lost because the file may never be repaired.

Some of your may not like this idea, some may think it's extreme. To those of you, from personal experience, it may not be fun, but I've personally been through a lot worse. This is the lesser of evils, the way things have changed in the Digital World.

Viruses and malware of the present, have become the HIV and AIDS of computers. Eradication, only in death. Fortunately for computers, there's a reset button, so to speak.

However the best way to avoid this mayhem, is to never become infected in the first place.
Staying away from cliche porn sites or porn sites in general is a good way to avoid viruses....... this is how the average idiot gets infected. Don't lie to me. I've seen temporary Internet files you didn't even know existed buried deep in your OS. *Especially* if you use Internet explorer. The things I've seen. Cannot be unseen.
Hackers take advantage of you sexually driven idiots and lure you in, and then exchange (or tag along) what you want with god knows what untold horrors of malicious software.

Second most popular way to get infected, is to be the victum of massive IP range port scanning. You can get infected from this type of attack without even browsing the net in any combination the following ways: Be directly connected to the internet, aka connected to the net without a Wired or Wireless router, (Which acts as a NAT or Hardware "Firewall", which helps to keep out most random attacks) But everyone these days has a wireless router, so that's becoming more and more extinct. Also, with no Anti-Virus, Anti-Spyware, Software Firewall, Windows Security Patches, or just sucky ones if you even have them.

Next most common way to get infected with a virus, using Limewire if you're not careful.
Limewire (P2P networks in general anymore) have slowly devolved into a cess pool of 95% viruses. It used to be only like 15% a few short years ago. Now it sucks.

For all inexperienced users downloading warez, pirated versions of expensive software. Sometimes, hacker's will throw out there, completely legitimate programs, but it'll come with something extra you don't want. It's like finding a $100 bill on the street contaminated with something horrifying or fatal. You got something awesome, but yall gonna die. When using torrents, this is relatively uncommon and easy to spot. Reading comments helps, but not all the time. Some torrents will have just as many comments praising it as they will saying VIRUS VIRUS DON'T DOWNLOAD! So being 50-50, it's hard to tell. Also, Anti-virus programs flag keygens as viruses because Software companies pay Anti-virus people to make that so, to deter piracy.

So ultimately, with torrents, you can never truly be 100% certain. It's an art, really. You've just gotta make a judgment call sometimes and some people just don't have the gift or intuition to make the right choices at the right time.
Although, downloading from a guy who has uploaded many torrents and has a good track record, usually helps. Unless it's something rare, stay away from an account that's only ever uploaded 1 torrent. As we geek folk like to say...


. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . _________
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ./ It’s a trap! \
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . _,,,--~~~~~~~~--,_ . . . .\ ._________/
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . ,-‘ : : : :::: :::: :: : : : : :º ‘-, . . \/. . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . .,-‘ :: : : :::: :::: :::: :::: : : :o : ‘-, . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . ,-‘ :: ::: :: : : :: :::: :::: :: : : : : :O ‘-, . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . .,-‘ : :: :: :: :: :: : : : : : , : : :º :::: :::: ::’; . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . .,-‘ / / : :: :: :: :: : : :::: :::-, ;; ;; ;; ;; ;; ;; ;\ . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . /,-‘,’ :: : : : : : : : : :: :: :: : ‘-, ;; ;; ;; ;; ;; ;;| . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . /,’,-‘ :: :: :: :: :: :: :: : ::_,-~~,_’-, ;; ;; ;; ;; | . . . . . . .
. . . . . _/ :,’ :/ :: :: :: : : :: :: _,-‘/ : ,-‘;’-‘’’’’~-, ;; ;; ;;,’ . . . . . . . .
. . . ,-‘ / : : : : : : ,-‘’’ : : :,--‘’ :|| /,-‘-‘--‘’’__,’’’ \ ;; ;,-‘ . . . . . . . .
. . . \ :/,, : : : _,-‘ --,,_ : : \ :\ ||/ /,-‘-‘x### ::\ \ ;;/ . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . \/ /---‘’’’ : \ #\ : :\ : : \ :\ \| | : (O##º : :/ /-‘’ . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . /,’____ : :\ ‘-#\ : \, : :\ :\ \ \ : ‘-,___,-‘,-`-,, . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . ‘ ) : : : :’’’’--,,--,,,,,,¯ \ \ :: ::--,,_’’-,,’’’¯ :’- :’-, . . . . . . . . .
. . . . .) : : : : : : ,, : ‘’’’~~~~’ \ :: :: :: :’’’’’¯ :: ,-‘ :,/\ . . . . . . . . .
. . . . .\,/ /|\\| | :/ / : : : : : : : ,’-, :: :: :: :: ::,--‘’ :,-‘ \ \ . . . . . . . .
. . . . .\\’|\\ \|/ ‘/ / :: :_--,, : , | )’; :: :: :: :,-‘’ : ,-‘ : : :\ \, . . . . . . .
. . . ./¯ :| \ |\ : |/\ :: ::----, :\/ :|/ :: :: ,-‘’ : :,-‘ : : : : : : ‘’-,,_ . . . .
. . ..| : : :/ ‘’-(, :: :: :: ‘’’’’~,,,,,’’ :: ,-‘’ : :,-‘ : : : : : : : : :,-‘’’\\ . . . .
. ,-‘ : : : | : : ‘’) : : :¯’’’’~-,: : ,--‘’’ : :,-‘’ : : : : : : : : : ,-‘ :¯’’’’’-,_ .
./ : : : : :’-, :: | :: :: :: _,,-‘’’’¯ : ,--‘’ : : : : : : : : : : : / : : : : : : :’’-,
/ : : : : : -, :¯’’’’’’’’’’’¯ : : _,,-~’’ : : : : : : : : : : : : : :| : : : : : : : : :
: : : : : : :¯’’~~~~~~’’’ : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : | : : : : : : : : :

So I hope this was an informative, if not brief and to the point, history of viruses and related malicious software.