hey folks make sure you keep a firewall runnning!

[twilight]

Geez I was online very briefly on my other laptop in my other room and was downloading updated virus definitions and I got "hit" with a virus while downloading. I immediately did a shut down and a scan and seem to avoid getting hit. It was a backdoor hit and I am on a dial-up connection for god's sake!

So word for the wise, beware as all kinds of crap is still going on. You can download a free firewall from www.zonealarm.com which is what I am running. I don't particularly like firewalls but its better than not having one.

It is getting to be a major pain just trying to even be online!

:dem:

[Systematic Chaos]

1. I have Norton Internet Security and it's worked great

I've stopped at least a dozen trojan horses cold after getting hit with one that put a srvchosts.exe file on my system and then put about 25 viruses into my Shared Files folder for Kazaa. I deleted all the bad files and the corrupt srvchosts.exe file and everything's been fine since.

I think that at this time anyone who would run their computer online without some kind of protection is just plain foolish.

[twilight]

2. wow that good to know

Glad you were saved. Seems I was too as the scan came up clean both times. I just got the back-up system back a few weeks ago after having it reformated (not because of a virus though - just needed it badly).

I can't believe how much garbage is out there. Is this a plot to down us might I suggest?

I run Norton AV and ZoneAlarm right now. Seems to be doing the job.

Maybe I should go back to the old old system with Windows 98 1st Ed. on it. The definitions download real fast because I guess the old computer with Windows 98 on them aren't being targeted as much.

I have XP running on this one I am on now and the one that got hit in the other room as Windows 2000 Professional on it.

:scared: gets mighty expensive in many ways!

[Bossy Monkey]

3. Pings are still coming in at c. 10/minute

supposedly due to Welchia/Nalchi. If I didn't have Zone Alarm up, presumably they'd be sending me the trojan next. Not that it would do anything; I'm so obsolete nobody makes viruses for my platform anymore (Win98 2d ed), but still.

[Deja Q]

4. Idiots at best buy, with their big degrees they boast of, say

firewalls are not necessary for dial-up users.

EFFING

BULL

PLOP

.

I've known the reality for a long time.

I get hit on by backdoor trojans quite often. People have tried spoofing my IP address. Brute force entry. Port scans (inoffensive as those are by comparison). And so on.

As 56k users, our IP addresses change every time we disconnect and reconnect, but that does not give us immunity of ANY sort.

I use Norton Internet Security as well. WORTH the money and the built-in parental control can be very useful too.

[KinkyDem]

5. I saw a thread about this a while ago ...

but what do people recomend for a free Windows 98 based firewall?

Thanks

[LittleApple81]

6. zoneAlarm works for Windows 98 n/t