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Thread ID: 59409 2005-07-01 13:36:00 50% Chance Unprotected Windows Compromised in 12 Minutes vinref (6194) PC World Chat
Post ID Timestamp Content User
368509 2005-07-03 00:59:00 I can't understand all this talk of Virus's. And spy ware etc. etc.

Any good ISP scans all e-mail etc for virus and spam.
I have win xp firewall enabled and NAV installed. No spybot or adaware.

I have not seen a virus on my computer for the past two years, and I have not had a single piece of spam over the same period. I notice gmail has blocked 18 spam items.
NAV has never found a virus on my computer.

I'm inclined to think some people are paranoid about virus's

How do you know you don't have any spyware on your computer.
Very few Windows systems are not infected with some sort of spyware.

Email is not the only way you can get viruses, and trojans, your ISP can't protect you from everything.
Safari (3993)
368510 2005-07-03 01:19:00 I can't understand all this talk of Virus's. And spy ware etc. etc.

Any good ISP scans all e-mail etc for virus and spam.
I have win xp firewall enabled and NAV installed. No spybot or adaware.

I have not seen a virus on my computer for the past two years, and I have not had a single piece of spam over the same period. I notice gmail has blocked 18 spam items.
NAV has never found a virus on my computer.

I'm inclined to think some people are paranoid about virus's
All depends on how often you're online, where you go and what you do. I haven't had a virus in years either. And spyware, well, only the other day I had that suspected hijacker. But that could have been somethng I downloaded.
but I do have a real firewall, not free and properly configured. I have Adaware, Spybot and Counterspy. I run Hijackthis every now and then too. Not infested on any regular basis but Windows has IE/OE removed, heaps of services off and I don't download music, do chat or view porn.
BUT as I said earlier connected to the net once with no firewall, vanilla Windows and got 23 infestations , possibly more, in 1 hour. And I hadn't gone anywhere except to download MS SP1.
Its a target, so is IE/OE. I may have avoided a lot like you, but I sure don't tempt fate.
I see the stuff all the time, and thats what I usually get told - oh I don't do this or that so I'm safe. Not.
pctek (84)
368511 2005-07-03 01:24:00 Last week I was told, by a Telecom employee, that a third party firewall is not required for an ADSL connection with a basic ADSL modem because the dynamic IP addressing used acts as a firewall!
What a load of BS
Davesdad (923)
368512 2005-07-03 02:00:00 Depends on what the rep was meaning Davesdad.

NAT does.
DHCP'd Real-world IP's dont.
Chilling_Silence (9)
368513 2005-07-03 03:47:00 NAV has never found a virus on my computer........and in my experience nothing is perfect and that does NOT mean there is or has not been viruses on your pc.........in my work as a tech I've seen several situations where NAV has missed viruses.............. drcspy (146)
368514 2005-07-03 04:18:00 Depends on what the rep was meaning Davesdad.

NAT does.
DHCP'd Real-world IP's dont.
I see what you mean Chill. But would a basic USB ADSL modem (not router) use NAT
Davesdad (923)
368515 2005-07-03 07:25:00 I see what you mean Chill. But would a basic USB ADSL modem (not router) use NAT
some do, tho generally its only ethernet external adsl modems.
in either case software firewalls are required.
tweak'e (69)
368516 2005-07-03 09:05:00 I installed free ZoneAlarm as the firewall on my first computer (Win98SE) & was happy with its performance.
My current machine has XP Home SP2.
The more-computer-savvy-than-me relative who set it up recently told me XP's built-in firewall was adequate, so I didn't need ZA as well.
Being a belt & braces type - and with a head full of PF1 advice about the dangerous stuff) - I decided to install it anyway.
Then I remembered that when SP2 was first released last year, some people had problems with it.
(Several threads, in fact....should I/shouldn't I install?. What went wrong..? etc) Fighting firewalls were mentioned. Wasn't having more than one supposed to be a No No then?
But I don't hear that nowadays. So is my memory wrong or that advice has been proved incorrect?
I'm happy to try ZoneAlarm again, but wonder if that means I should disable Mr Gates' version. Or maybe they've reached peaceful co-existence..?
I've dithered on this so far. This looks like a good thread to get some answers on the subject.
Laura (43)
368517 2005-07-03 09:11:00 P.S. Yes, I do have anti-virus software protection. This query is just about firewalls. Laura (43)
368518 2005-07-03 10:47:00 When I reinstall Windows XP I use a slipstreamed SP2 disk. After install I promptly disable the built in firewall and get about downloading the updates. Never had a problem at all doing it this way. Only protection I have is COMMON SENSE and NAT. Jeremy (1197)
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