malware, viruses and bad juju in Win7?

FudgeNuggets · Nov 5, 2009

I've been using OSX for a few years now and to be perfectly honest the Snow Leopard update has some issues and I'm kind of tired of running VMware.

The big question is that malware, viruses, trojans and just generally bad juju were rampant in XP. An honest mistyping of http://badjuju.com as http://badjuuju.com could cause you hours of frustration and running spybot, adware, virusscan etc.....

Had this been curtailed any with Windows 7? I can certainly avoid and handle these issues but I'm not the only user of the machine.

My only other option would be to go with Linux but then it's back to the VM again........

SeanBest · Nov 5, 2009

Viruses/malware/etc. can all be easily avoided by using proper Anti-virus/firewall in combination with safe surfing habits. I've used Win2k/XP/Vista/Win7 and have yet to ever get a virus. All about taking the necessary precautions.

Based on some reports from a few anti-virus things I've seen online, it seems Win7 has fewer infections, but it also has less users so I can't say it's "safer".

hokiealumnus · Nov 5, 2009

In addition to standard antivirus, anti-malware & firewall implimentations, it's wise to set up accounts for other users with limited privelages. That should help in preventing someone else from completely borking your system.

doublejack · Nov 5, 2009

The short answer is no, Win 7 does not curtail one's exposure to malware. The reality is that any OS from Microsoft will be prone to malware attack simply because of their monopoly. If you're a hacker, what OS are you going to target? How about the one that everybody is using, that sounds like a good target.

No OS is completely immune. If you want to use one that greatly reduces your exposure, though, then you stay away from MS. That's why my 7 year old's computer is running linux.

DaveHCYJ · Nov 5, 2009

FudgeNuggets said:
Had this been curtailed any with Windows 7? I can certainly avoid and handle these issues but I'm not the only user of the machine.

The answer is a very solid Yes. Here are some stats from Microsoft's most recent security intelligence report (Win7 has all the same security upgrades Vista does):
Windows Vista is infected with malware about 62 percent less frequently than Windows XP. But that's just with the very latest XP version; Vista with SP1 was infected fully 85 percent less XP RTM.

Here is a stat from that report that really emphasizes keeping your system up to date:
Over 71 percent of Office-based attacks in 2009 exploited a single vulnerability for which a security update had been available for three years.

As some other people pointed out you can setup accounts with limited access to help protect your machine from less knowledgeable users. Or if you don't want to do that at least there is the UAC which goes a long way to protect you from things like mistyping a website name.

vixro · Nov 5, 2009

NOD32 is the ****.

freeagent · Nov 5, 2009

I just use my router, and nothing else..

I do view "questionable" sites, but have yet to have a problem :thup:

jmdixon85 · Nov 5, 2009

I do have yet to get a virus since using Win95, 98SE, Win 2000, XP, Vista & Win7. I must be so lucky. But I would have to say that my "safest" system would be my Amiga 1200. Yep, the "BEST" computer ever. If commodore won't so greedy I would love to see where Amiga would be today.

Oroka Sempai · Nov 5, 2009

Really, it is up to the user. Installing everything that asks, and hitting yesyesyesIAgreeyesyesOKyes will get you in trouble. First line of defense from viruses and crapware is BTKATC. I recently started using Windows Security Essentials as that is what I install on people's computers, and all it has found on my computer is software cracks that often get labeled as trojans.

jmdixon85 · Nov 5, 2009

Oh man, dont get me started on people that click yes to everything on install of a program. Thats my most common phone call, lol. Someone that has managed to install about 5+ toolbars in IE, lol

stool · Nov 6, 2009

The thing is, to me, you have to use common sense practices when you do anything. When you KNOW that all this crap is out there, why would you not use every precaution available? I'm not talking about joe sixpacks, but the people who are here should know better by now.

nikhsub1 · Nov 6, 2009

FudgeNuggets said:
I've been using OSX for a few years now and to be perfectly honest the Snow Leopard update has some issues and I'm kind of tired of running VMware.

The big question is that malware, viruses, trojans and just generally bad juju were rampant in XP. An honest mistyping of http://badjuju.com as http://badjuuju.com could cause you hours of frustration and running spybot, adware, virusscan etc.....

Had this been curtailed any with Windows 7? I can certainly avoid and handle these issues but I'm not the only user of the machine.

My only other option would be to go with Linux but then it's back to the VM again........

Uhh, I have close to 1000 workstations out in the field running XP, no 'rampant malware, trojans or viruses. I think this is more user error than anything else.

SeanBest said:
Viruses/malware/etc. can all be easily avoided by using proper Anti-virus/firewall in combination with safe surfing habits. I've used Win2k/XP/Vista/Win7 and have yet to ever get a virus. All about taking the necessary precautions.

Exactly. There is no payday for writing this malcode for OSX or linux etc, so they target the majority.

freeagent said:
I just use my router, and nothing else..

I do view "questionable" sites, but have yet to have a problem

If you don't use anything for protection how do you know you don't have a problem? rootkit? Rootkit? ROOTKIT?

vixro said:
NOD32 is the ****.

Yes it is. NOD32 is the best AV software I have EVER used. Well worth the $30/year.

Pravius · Nov 6, 2009

Firefox + no script in combination with a decent antivirus = win.

truthfully most crap these days come in through scripts via the internet. Run noscript don't trust scripts at all unless you REALLY know the site (make sure not to let advertisements run scripts.)

Virus's are not the OS's fault.. most virus's are the users fault imo.

c627627 · Nov 6, 2009

Using Windows without installing these two:
http://www.ocforums.com/showpost.php?p=6290391&postcount=10

is like having regular unprotected intercourse with multiple partners - you will catch a nasty without protection and catch it very soon...

tool_462 · Nov 6, 2009

c627627 said:
Using Windows without installing these two:
http://www.ocforums.com/showpost.php?p=6290391&postcount=10

is like having regular unprotected intercourse with multiple partners - you will catch a nasty without protection and catch it very soon...

I have run XP/Vista and now Windows 7 (since January) un-firewalled, and with no AV whatsoever, never had a virus or anything negative on my system. I guess CCleaner a couple times per week is enough to keep me clean.

nikhsub1 · Nov 6, 2009

tool_462 said:
I have run XP/Vista and now Windows 7 (since January) un-firewalled, and with no AV whatsoever, never had a virus or anything negative on my system. I guess CCleaner a couple times per week is enough to keep me clean.

I'm sure it can be done, but why? Why not take a couple of precautions especially when there are good free ones? Antivir is awesome for example.

tool_462 · Nov 6, 2009

nikhsub1 said:
I'm sure it can be done, but why? Why not take a couple of precautions especially when there are good free ones? Antivir is awesome for example.

Because I've never tried an AV of Firewall that didn't give me a minor slowdown or annoyance of some sort, and never had any issues, so why not? Not like it takes long to reinstall Windows if it came to that.

Pravius · Nov 6, 2009

nikhsub1 said:
I'm sure it can be done, but why? Why not take a couple of precautions especially when there are good free ones? Antivir is awesome for example.

Antivirus is one thing an "internet security" type program is another. Software firewalls are horrible imo... anytime anything needs to scan, filter, or even touch my packets before it is being sent out or received is a hindrance to me...personally.

doublejack · Nov 6, 2009

tool_462 said:
I have run XP/Vista and now Windows 7 (since January) un-firewalled, and with no AV whatsoever, never had a virus or anything negative on my system. I guess CCleaner a couple times per week is enough to keep me clean.

You're living very dangerously...

With a quad, any well written AV program won't slow you down to any kind of noticeable degree. You should try Avira's Antivir, or the new one from Microsoft. Both are free.

tool_462 · Nov 6, 2009

doublejack said:
You're living very dangerously...

With a quad, any well written AV program won't slow you down to any kind of noticeable degree. You should try Avira's Antivir, or the new one from Microsoft. Both are free.

Not really dangerously, I switch hardware so much that I am usually on a pretty fresh OS install, all my storage is on a server, and until I have a reason to run an AV of some sort, I'll keep rocking my unprotected ways, it just feels better that way :beer:

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