Bad Avg Update

[shanenin]

http://tech.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08...09&from=rss

[garmanma]

Thanks for the heads-up. I'll be passing that along

[hitest]

Whoa, thanks for the heads-up, shanenin:-) My wife runs windows at work. She's using AVG.

[shanenin]

I have recommended it to 100's of clients. I am waiting to see if I get many call backs.

[hitest]

I have recommended it to 100's of clients. I am waiting to see if I get many call backs.

This isn't your fault, shanenin. The fix looks straight forward enough. AVG has posted an update to fix the broken definition. Maybe if you post a link to the fix on your company website and offer to help customers who call you? Bummer.

[shanenin]

I am not too worried. Heck, since it is not my fault, they will have to pay me to fix it. I have a hunch it will not effect anyone I have suggested it to.

[hitest]

I am not too worried. Heck, since it is not my fault, they will have to pay me to fix it. I have a hunch it will not effect anyone I have suggested it to.

Yeah, you could be having a lot of business tomorrow:-) I think this will work out fine for you:-)

[Pete_C]

This is not the first time that I have heard of this most recent issue with AVG and User32.dll and it is not the first time AVG messed up an an update caused it to delete critical system files rendering systems non bootable.

Given the issues and problems I have not recommended AVG for some time.

[shanenin]

The reason I like avg is mainly convenience. It is quick and easy to install, plus it covers all the basics including email. I like the free AntiVir's detection, but it does not scan email. I am not sure, but I also don't think the free version updates automatically. Avast is kind of a pain, you have to register to get a serial number. With that said, I think I will start to recommend Avast to people. Of the major free ones, I think it is the best choice.

[scissorhands7]

Switch to Avast.

AVG 8.0 is way too bloated.

AVG 7.0 was really good.

Personally I don't use antivirus programs. Just a waste on resources. Plus I don't visit porn sites or download misc. executables.

[shanenin]

Porn sites are no more dangerous then other sites. If a person is just viewing jpegs, wma and flash videos, it is as safe as any other site with media. It is as you said, installing executables without knowing what they may do.

[scissorhands7]

Of course Porn Sites are more dangerous than other sites. What planet are you living on?

Most Media Sites are well known and free of viruses. Lulz.

[jcl]

Porn sites are no more dangerous then other sites. If a person is just viewing jpegs, wma and flash videos, it is as safe as any other site with media. It is as you said, installing executables without knowing what they may do.

Indeed. "Want a free porn vid? Download this 100 KiB file named 'trojan.exe'!"

IME dangerous unseemly sites (porn, warez, etc sites) tend to be so obviously dangerous and so utterly bizarre that I can hardly believe that people are actually at risk. There are still sites pushing dialers. Dialers! I've almost wanted to install one (in a VM, naturally) just to see what it would do.

[scissorhands7]

I completely agree, yet unfortunately 96% of computer users are stupid.

The other 4% are techies.

[shanenin]

Statistically porn sites are probably more prone to malware, but.... If a person is practicing good habits, those sites do not have to be any dangerous then others.

I can safely say the majority of people who catch infections do not get them from porn or warez sites. It is those benign looking sites that offer free coupons if you install this program.

[scissorhands7]

Thats a pretty good point as well.

I started my own business up here at my college (I'm a freshman) and of course I mostly see the porn infections.

Another way I've seen that is common is the popup "You have viruses on your computer click here to run a free scan!"

[shanenin]

I mostly see the porn infections.

"ActiveX Codec" in add/remove programs is a big tip off :-)

[jcl]

I completely agree, yet unfortunately 96% of computer users are stupid.

Ignorant, not stupid. The stupid ones are the people responsible for 80 year-old grandmothers needing to keep a list of potentially dangerous file types in their heads every time they use the interwebs.

(I would point out that my damn cell phone gives me 90% of the Web, including software installation, with only a tiny fraction of the risk simply because it assumes that I do not, in fact, want every program to be able to destroy the phone and asks me for permission when a process wants to peek outside of its sandbox.)

[Matt]

Of course Porn Sites are more dangerous than other sites. What planet are you living on?

Most Media Sites are well known and free of viruses. Lulz.

Lookup XSS and phishing. Maybe then you'll see that safe surfing habbits isn't guaranteed protection.

[scissorhands7]

Of course Porn Sites are more dangerous than other sites. What planet are you living on?

Most Media Sites are well known and free of viruses. Lulz.

Lookup XSS and phishing. Maybe then you'll see that safe surfing habbits isn't guaranteed protection.

IE7 has a default phishing filter.

[Matt]

Of course Porn Sites are more dangerous than other sites. What planet are you living on?

Most Media Sites are well known and free of viruses. Lulz.

Lookup XSS and phishing. Maybe then you'll see that safe surfing habbits isn't guaranteed protection.

IE7 has a default phishing filter.

And you think that it's 100% effective?

Live by the sword, die by the sword. You should follow the basic fundamentals of Windows Security if you want to have any credibility.

[scissorhands7]

No its not 100% effective.

Nothing is 100% effective.

However by checking your URL you can easily thwart any phishing attempt.

Phishing attempts are very easily thwarted by doing the following things

1. Not following links sent in emails/messages

2. Checking your url to make sure it is a legitament one

Phishing is rather unrelated to malware though. So I don't see what point you're trying to make.

They're both related to internet security yes. Malware attempts to produce ads on your comp. Phishing attempts to steal your credentials.

In terms of malware and infected items porn definetly can be extremely more unsafe than legit. sites.

[Besttechie]

No its not 100% effective.

Nothing is 100% effective.

Correct.

However by checking your URL you can easily thwart any phishing attempt.

Phishing attempts are very easily thwarted by doing the following things

1. Not following links sent in emails/messages

2. Checking your url to make sure it is a legitament one

You are comparing yourself to someone who has limited knowledge of computers and Internet security - you cannot do that (well, you could, but it's not fair as most people do not have the same skill set as you, me, or most people on this forum). As you acknowledged in another post most of computer users are ignorant and do not know what they are actually doing other than perhaps checking their email and playing Slingo online. How do you think those Paypal/bank/credit card scams work? People do not know any better.

Phishing is rather unrelated to malware though. So I don't see what point you're trying to make.

As you point out below they are both related to Internet security. Also, I don't believe Matt was saying they were directly related.

Malware attempts to produce ads on your comp. Phishing attempts to steal your credentials.

Not necessarily. It depends how you define Malware, because I define it as malicious software - spyware, adware, drive by downloaders, rogue applications, keyloggers, viruses and trojans can also potentially fall into this grouping.

Sure they may generate popups, slow down your machine, hijack your browser, etc. However, they can also harvest information such as surfing habits, passwords, credit card numbers, etc and send it back to "home base" if you will.

B

[scissorhands7]

You are comparing yourself to someone who has limited knowledge of computers and Internet security - you cannot do that (well, you could, but it's not fair as most people do not have the same skill set as you, me, or most people on this forum). As you acknowledged in another post most of computer users are ignorant and do not know what they are actually doing other than perhaps checking their email and playing Slingo online. How do you think those Paypal/bank/credit card scams work? People do not know any better.

I completely agree that people don't know any better.

However I was talking site-wise. Not really internet security wise. I do now understand what he was saying though and I agree, phishing sites are particularly dangerous and perhaps more so that porn sites because they steal information (though you could say backdoor trojans do as well).

However I was referencing more just browsing online. Usually if your just on a web browser and you're visiting sites on google etc. Porn sites are going to be the most dangerous and the most common for users. I deal with college students so that is generally what I see. Additionally downloading random executables from frostwire is another biggie. I'm not denying that phishing is uncommon. I'm just saying for web browsing typically you don't get phished just by browsing the internet. Mostly its through emails.

[Besttechie]

I'm not denying that phishing is uncommon. I'm just saying for web browsing typically you don't get phished just by browsing the internet. Mostly its through emails.

So you're saying Microsoft and Mozilla implemented Anti-Phishing techniques in their browsers for the hell of it (e.g. a semi-non-existent problem)?

B