Had Trojan virus warning from here.

[Venturous Randy]

While at work earlier this morning I went on the "Pics from Asheville" site and opened the photobucket URL. I immediately got a Trojan virus warning and a box about some spyware that I could not turn off. I rebooted and it did not help. I then did the free scan thing and was told I would have to purchase the anti-spyware program. When I finally got that box off and rebooted, I could not get on the internet or our company intranet. I had to call the IT department and have them go thru it. I did try our Malware program and it did not help. but with their updated program, IT was able to fix it.

I have no idea what happened as it is obvious others were able to open the site.

RandyA

Edited October 12, 2010 by Venturous Randy

[ediddy]

What you got is a vicious malware. It got in my computer and I would get it out but it would eventually come back. It is a bad malware. I finally had to wipe my computer clean and start over. It will pop up and say your computer is possibly infected and that it is going to do a free scan. Once it starts you can't stop it. It will then show that your computer is infected with all kinds of trojans and malware and if you will buy their program it will clean it for you. It is a scam. One time it locked my computer up and disarmed my antivirus and firewall. I'm sure your IT department has heard of it or dealt with it before. The only way to stop it when it starts is to hit control alt delete and sometimes this will stop it. Sometimes it won't.

[Riderduke]

Yup i had problems opening that link also. My Anti virus software stopped it (i hope).

[Venturous Randy]

I would love to see the pictures, but can not chance opening it, especially at home.

RandyA

[aharbi]

I did not have any problems viewing the pictures on the photobucket site. But then again I'm running Norton AV 360 and never had any problems with any spyware, malware, virus, worms, crickets, bots, bugs, spiders, alligators, Trojans, romans nor illegal aliens.

[Flyinfool]

Yup

ANYTHING that pops up telling you that you have a problem, and you did not install IS a piece of maleware. When you click on the button for the free scan you have just given it permission to take full control of your computer and the first thing it always does is to turn off all of your protection. It then askes for your credit card info with a very convincing scare screen about all of the bad things it found.

 

If you have something like this pop-up the only chance you have is to pull the power plug out of the wall, do not touch any buttons, they may have been reprogrammed to allow the maleware access.

 

These can be very hard to get rid of for anyone but a pro.

Most anti maleware will not detect these type bugs.

[GAWildKat]

Not sure if this is true or not, but a friend who is pretty reliable posted this warning on facebook.... wanted feedback if this was what Randy got earlier...

 

VIRUS ON FB using YOUR pictures. It says you've been tagged in a picture, wants you to click on a link to see it. Then hacks into YOUR computer & ALL YOUR ACCOUNTS including BANKING & other secure accounts. It DESTROYS YOUR COMPUTER. Once hacked into your comp; it sends e-mails to your friends telling them they have been TAGGED in pics& starts the process again. PLEASE RE-POST URGENT!!

[Monty]

Next time, shut it off immediately, then start up in safe mode, and run your scans from there. Usually takes care of it.

 

I use Microsoft Security Essentials for my antivirus (free)

 

Also use these...all free

 

malwarebytes

superantispyware

spybot: search & destroy

ad-aware

 

Never have any problems....and I visit alot of "questionable" sites.

[Guest tx2sturgis]

None of this kind of thing happens on a Mac....(GAWildKat!)...

 

But I have seen that 'warning' screen before...of course, its just a scam.

 

I am running a Mac and the Mac Operating System does NOT look like a Microsoft Windows screen, at all. But one day I see this screen pop up, in a browser, with fancy moving graphics, looking like it was happily scanning away on my Windows files, finding all KINDS of bad stuff. Of course, none of this stuff looks or works the same on a Mac, its just an animation page in the browser. Nothing is actually being scanned on the computer at all, at least not on this computer. It may LOOK like Windows is scanning your hardware, but it's not.

 

But I did a 'screen capture' and saved it for future reference.

 

If you ever see something like this on your computer, just close the browser. The damage is probably already been done...unless your on a Mac or Linux computer.

Edited October 12, 2010 by tx2sturgis

[GAWildKat]

None of this kind of thing happens on a Mac....(GAWildKat!)...

 

now how do you know if I'm running linux or not? (mind you I am very good at using linux/unix based OS) Might surprise you to know that I can use about 15 different operating systems and used to program in 10 different languages.

 

But back to the stuff about viruses, the ones that came out earlier this year and convinced the user that they were an antivirus program were very nasty and difficult to remove from the computer. You could get them from any site on the web, especially those that use banners. For a while the avg time it took to get rid of those viruses was 3 days.

 

and tx2sturgis I personally don't like apple, which is ok. I prefer to build my own computers from scratch. if I had the means I'd build the circuit boards myself too

[BuckShot]

This thing hit me about a month ago and before I could get it stopped everything was acting up. Had to take the laptop to the computer store to get it fixed. They had to wipe everything out and put the good stuff back in.

[Monty]

Mac and Linux are not really safe....it's just that no one has wanted to bother with viruses for them yet. Give them time. They go after Windows because there are more machines running it.

[Guest tx2sturgis]

Mac and Linux are not really safe....it's just that no one has wanted to bother with viruses for them yet. Give them time. They go after Windows because there are more machines running it.

 

Thats like saying that your house is not really safe, sooner or later, it will be robbed.

 

Ok. Maybe.

 

But the reality is, for me, in five YEARS...no viruses, not a penny spent on security software. For me, its all about what IS...not what MIGHT be. I got tired of running winders boxes that got infected all the time, OR having to constantly update virus databases, and constantly being bombarded with offers of protection at 19.95 or 49.95 a year, or whatever.

 

Sure anything COULD happen to my Mac....but it hasn't yet.

 

 

 

[hunter 1500]

I got the same virus last fall and ran malwarebytes twice and got rid of it but it was not easy.

[Guest tx2sturgis]

 

I love it when Macs get chosen as the Editors Choice by the winders guys...and this is not the only time its happened:

 

PC magazine is NOT a Mac-based magazine.

 

 

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2367102,00.asp

 

 

http://www.pcmag.com/print_article2/0,1217,a=253557,00.asp?hidPrint=true

 

 

Turns out, there is only one reason to not make the switch to Mac: Cost.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Freebird]

Well no, it's really not the only reason. There are a LOT of people in this country that money is not really the object. The fact is, a lot of of people just can't stand them. I can't say that money is not an object for me, it always is, but if I wanted a Mac I could have one. Several years ago, after hearing from Mac users how fantastic they are, I finally bought one. I truly hated pretty much everything about that computer. It was NOT all that they are cracked up to be. It wasn't perfect and did lock up from time to time and required a hard boot to get it going again. I would have figured that out eventually but I didn't care enough about it to spend any time doing so. I also found that much of the software that people use is VERY expensive for the Mac. With many Windows software, you have cheaper options that will get the job done but I found that with much of the Mac software you had to pay huge prices for some of it and there were few to NO alternatives.

 

Mine ended up being a big paper weight and I finally sold it.

 

I know a few people who really like them but if they were so great, they would have a much bigger market share than they now do.

 

For me, thanks but no thanks.

[Guest tx2sturgis]

Several years ago, after hearing from Mac users how fantastic they are, I finally bought one. I truly hated pretty much everything about that computer. It was NOT all that they are cracked up to be.

 

I'm talking about today.

 

Comparing a Mac from years ago to the current crop is like comparing windows 3.1 to windows 7. Or comparing a 1987 Yamaha Moped to a 2010 Yamaha FJR1300. 'Several years' in the computer world is like a LIFETIME.

 

The new intel-powered Macs are wonderful machines, and I waited till they came out to buy one. I've had 2 and they really are good computers. And I used to be a Windows guy.

 

But no matter. I'm only hinting to those on the fence about buying a Mac, not those users firmly entrenched in the Windows Universe.

 

 

[Freebird]

I understand. I'm doing the same thing....just letting them know that not EVERYBODY thinks so much of the Mac...even some of us who have tried them.

[BuddyRich]

for me, in five YEARS...no viruses, not a penny spent on security software. For me, its all about what IS...not what MIGHT be.

 

The Thing is, You won't even know, it if it gets infected ,since you have no detection system in place. I have been in computers for the last 30 years. Worked with everything including Macs, about anything IBM makes except mainframes, PC's and of all I use a PC with Windows. Its not if your going to get infected its WHEN . Same saying for hard drive failures.

NO SYSTEM IS TOTALLY SAFE if its connected to a network even with safeguards in place

[friesman]

I'm talking about today.

 

Comparing a Mac from years ago to the current crop is like comparing windows 3.1 to windows 7. Or comparing a 1987 Yamaha Moped to a 2010 Yamaha FJR1300. 'Several years' in the computer world is like a LIFETIME.

 

The new intel-powered Macs are wonderful machines, and I waited till they came out to buy one. I've had 2 and they really are good computers. And I used to be a Windows guy.

 

But no matter. I'm only hinting to those on the fence about buying a Mac, not those users firmly entrenched in the Windows Universe.

 

 

 

I work as a network admin for a school system with over 6000 machines that used to be about 4000 macs and 2000 pcs. About 3 years ago a couple of things happened that has changed our mix of machines to about 2000 macs and about 4000 pcs. the first was the cost of the pcs dropped and macs still held on to their high dollar sticker price. The second was that the quality of the macs (especially the ibooks for teachers) dropped like a rock, according to our service software tracking system we were twice as likely to fix a mac as our newest pcs. Also in the last few years more and more of our teachers coming up were used to pcs so we have almost no demand for macs and are going to phase them out within a year or 2. I have seen several macs infected with viruses so the idea that you cant get a virus is way wrong, granted the infections arent nearly as often, the ease of interlinking just one platform in a large network with storage makes the pc very attractive in spite of virus issues.

The macs just create extra work when trying to make them work and keep things secure in a multiplatform environment, IMHO

Brian

[warriorhoneybee]

i am so sorry randy if i caused any problem for you but others said they had know problem so who knows,call me or im me and i will put them on a disk and mail it to you.p.s you might want to open them somewhere other than work or at home,like maybe at yammer house, just kidding first gen. the blue ghost is dead he he

[Guest tx2sturgis]

I work as a network admin for a school system with over 6000 machines that used to be about 4000 macs and 2000 pcs. About 3 years ago a couple of things happened that has changed our mix of machines to about 2000 macs and about 4000 pcs. the first was the cost of the pcs dropped and macs still held on to their high dollar sticker price. The second was that the quality of the macs (especially the ibooks for teachers) dropped like a rock, according to our service software tracking system we were twice as likely to fix a mac as our newest pcs. Also in the last few years more and more of our teachers coming up were used to pcs so we have almost no demand for macs and are going to phase them out within a year or 2. I have seen several macs infected with viruses so the idea that you cant get a virus is way wrong, granted the infections arent nearly as often, the ease of interlinking just one platform in a large network with storage makes the pc very attractive in spite of virus issues.

The macs just create extra work when trying to make them work and keep things secure in a multiplatform environment, IMHO

Brian

 

Dude....I never claimed that Macs were the best computers for multi-networked, multi-user, cookie cutter, enterprise solutions. I think Windows boxes are and will probably be the best systems for the money for large and even small, non-creative, corporate duty.

 

Soldiers.

 

Office and corporate users will not ever need the creative capability of Macs.

 

Windows machines are particularly well-suited to the business user...(and heavy-duty gamer). Macs are more about the home user. And I never said Macs CANT get a virus. I said mine has never in 5 YEARS gotten a virus, and I dont run ANY security software on it. The UNIX OS they are based on is pretty secure, for the home user. If I was running Mac servers as a credit card database, well yeah, I'd run some security software on them.

 

But, I'm talking about home users: Web surfers. Students. Musicians. Web designers. Video editors. Etc.

 

With that said, here are some links. 95% good stuff, and about 5% negative stuff about the Mac. There you go.

 

 

http://www.myfirstmac.com/index.php/mac/articles/why_buy_a_mac/

 

http://chris.pirillo.com/50-reasons-to-switch-from-microsoft-windows-to-apples-mac-os-x/

 

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/03/05/tech/real_technology/main4845688.shtml

 

http://www.utilware.com/switching.html

 

 

 

[etcswjoe]

I have found a decent program called Trojan remover that does a decent job getting rid of this one as long as you do the registry hack before hand.

[Guest tx2sturgis]

The Thing is, You won't even know, it if it gets infected ,since you have no detection system in place. I have been in computers for the last 30 years. Worked with everything including Macs, about anything IBM makes except mainframes, PC's and of all I use a PC with Windows. Its not if your going to get infected its WHEN . Same saying for hard drive failures.

NO SYSTEM IS TOTALLY SAFE if its connected to a network even with safeguards in place

 

 

Yep. And I never said MACS ARE TOTALLY SAFE. I said, in 5 years, mine has NEVER been compromised. Apple security updates are automatically installed every week. I run full backups, on Time Machine, (automatic backups and a separate hard drive) that will let me regress to any point in time in the last year, and restore from THAT point, if something bad happens. I have been contemplating a membership on Carbonite...just cant get past the cost and the extreme slow-ness of it.

 

But...I'm spinning my wheels and these points dont seem to register with you guys, so lets just say your right.

 

 

Its a doomed computer. See you in PC hell someday!

 

 

 

 

[Monty]

:rotfl: It's all good.