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[TheBoy]

Lizzie - don't trust the promises. I could easily hide stuff from malwarebytes

BM - being a full multitasking os, windows is full of processes that use TSR principals. As does Linux, Mac, and any other modern os.



The best solution is to limit access by reducing attack surface (firewalls, running only critical daemons), a good patching strategy, intrusion detection (such as av and malware, or proper intrusion detection on important systems) and user education.


On desktop systems, any suspected compromise should always be met with a full format, as guffers suggests. Also, putting on a manufacturer supplied bios, even same version, is prudent

[Gaffers]

And if you are really paranoid and how some IT skills, slap the Security Onion on a spare client and plug it in to your router.  I think you will be suprised at the results.  It's probably the best IDS you can get for free but it also gives you full forensic abilities too

[Lizzie_Zoom]

Lizzie - don't trust the promises. I could easily hide stuff from malwarebytes

BM - being a full multitasking os, windows is full of processes that use TSR principals. As does Linux, Mac, and any other modern os.



The best solution is to limit access by reducing attack surface (firewalls, running only critical daemons), a good patching strategy, intrusion detection (such as av and malware, or proper intrusion detection on important systems) and user education.


On desktop systems, any suspected compromise should always be met with a full format, as guffers suggests. Also, putting on a manufacturer supplied bios, even same version, is prudent

But TB, most of us "out here" have not got that depth of computer knowledge.  Yes, I have completed two college courses on computer usage plus a basic programming course, but when it comes to the knowledge professions like you have, I am nowhere!

Reading many other users experiences on internet sites, and then a piece by the editor of a PC magazine, let alone my conversation with a  computer building company who supply university students and other authority users, it is clear there is a major problem with malware, trojans, PUP's, full blown viruses...............well you know the rest TB!

I personally keep my PC well protected from attack, and I do not accept offers of "free" games, along with using sites like Facebook and the rest.  The problem was my friend does all that, against my repeated advise, and allowed her Norton360 to expire!  I had to reinstate Norton for her, clear Omiga, then Bing, and via Malwarebytes rid her computer of some vicious and persistent malware, viruses, trojans, and Websearch that had basically invaded her Internet Explorer and even blocked off my attempts to enter certain programmes and menus. Once Norton was reinstated it was constantly warning of it blocking repeated attempts by certain suspicious/dangerous sites to enter the PC.  It was that bad, and whatever had infected her PC even stopped me from doing an F8 into Safe Mode!  Malware though cleared all that and with repeated re-boots all became well.

I really think that for the average PC user this all becomes very overwhelming and all we can do is use Norton, F-Secure, etc, and Malwarebytes Corporation to bail us out.  This certainly is cheaper than using PC professionals to resolve issues, but for some that is the only option!

[Broomies Mate]

Lizzie, get your friend to scrap IE and install FireFox.  Install the AdBlock+ extension and 99% of the problems will fade away.

Internet Explorer is pathetic.

[TheBoy]

Lizzie, get them to stick with IE, it's more secure than the alternatives.

But after any suspected compromise on a desktop, don't use software to clean, rebuild

[Lizzie_Zoom]

Lizzie, get them to stick with IE, it's more secure than the alternatives.

But after any suspected compromise on a desktop, don't use software to clean, rebuild

Thanks TB.  I am keeping to IE on her system, with the search engines Google and Yahoo, and now it is all cleaned up it is running very well

[Broomies Mate]

Lizzie, get them to stick with IE, it's more secure than the alternatives.

But after any suspected compromise on a desktop, don't use software to clean, rebuild

Cite your source my friend.  With the exception of Chrome, IE is the worst of the mainstream browsers.

FF with some handy Add-On's is perfectly safe, perfectly stable and far quicker than any other browser out there.

[Sir Tigger KC]

I use Chrome as I've always found it the fastest and smoothest. 

[TheBoy]

Lizzie, get them to stick with IE, it's more secure than the alternatives.

But after any suspected compromise on a desktop, don't use software to clean, rebuild

Cite your source my friend.  With the exception of Chrome, IE is the worst of the mainstream browsers.

FF with some handy Add-On's is perfectly safe, perfectly stable and far quicker than any other browser out there.

I disagree, IE is the most secure of all Windows based browsers, with the added bonus of updates being built into Windows, so soon becomes blatantly obvious if the update mech has been compromised.

My source? The myriad of security notifications I have to sign up to in a professional capacity. These range from the standard government CERT organisations around the Western globe and vendor notifications, to the commercial based threat warning organisations.

NOT from lazy, useless IT journalists writing in popular IT journals, who simply do not know their arse from their elbows (and spout crap like "Vista is shit" when it came out, as they were too lazy to work out how to use it).

Not much comes out from IE. That and its inbuilt, secure update mechanism would make me recommend it for most Windows users.
A reasonable amount comes out for FF. I use this as my secondary browser, but would only recommend to IT savvy people (which rules out most who think they are^*)
Tonnes comes out for Chrome, as its inherently broken (on all platforms)
Safari under Windows leads to interesting vulnerabilities that are not the fault of either software per se, but what is called a blended threat. Best avoided on Windows.
Opera uses a different model altogether, not really relevant for Windows PCs.

HTH


^* Most people who use known/common fault or primarily (in this day and age) Google as primary sources for fault finding.

I have a knack for spotting them - probably all those interviews I've had to do every time we've needed staff. I've been on a Redhat 7 rapid track course all week (Redhat 7 is very different from earlier versions - init process replaced with system, firewalld replacing iptables ifconfig's deprecation in favour of ip and nmcli etc etc), and at the end of day 1, on the way home, I said to a colleague who was on the same course, 2 people I said were out of their depth here - both were the "I've had 30yrs experience, and I know all this stuff, no idea why I've been sent, yada yada yada.

During yesterday's exam, one left after an hour with some excuse about not being able to do it, other was getting examiner over constantly with complaints about mouse and keyboard not working, all of which were user error.

That said, my results haven't come through yet, so suppose it'll be Monday now. Squeaky bum time

[TheBoy]

That said, my results haven't come through yet, so suppose it'll be Monday now. Squeaky bum time

And I know I screwed up one question, as even after spending over an hour on it, I couldn't get a process to start 


//edited, italicised bits changed as I forgot I was under nda 

[Shackeng]

Lizzie, get them to stick with IE, it's more secure than the alternatives.

But after any suspected compromise on a desktop, don't use software to clean, rebuild

Cite your source my friend.  With the exception of Chrome, IE is the worst of the mainstream browsers.

FF with some handy Add-On's is perfectly safe, perfectly stable and far quicker than any other browser out there.

Hmmm, I use Waterfox (FF 64 bit version) and it frequently hangs on random websites, even though updated, reloaded etc., so then I revert to IE for the same sites and it works perfectly. Annoying, because I prefer Waterfox overall.