 DarkSithPro
join:2005-02-12 Huntington Beach, CA
2 edits | Cnet tells users 100% guarantee infection
cnet.com Under lock and key
No matter how savvy of a computer user you are, your computer will be the victim of malware or a virus at some point.
Pretty bold statement from cnet. What do you guys think? |
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  Smokey Bear veritas odium parit Premium join:2008-03-15 Annie's Pub
1 edit | said by DarkSithPro :cnet.com Under lock and key No matter how savvy of a computer user you are, your computer will be the victim of malware or a virus at some point. Pretty bold statement from cnet. What do you guys think? As long people don't download malware from CNET/download.com servers there is a possibilty they remain clean. CNET still offer malware for download.....
Edited: typo -- Smokey's Security Forums »www.smokey-services.eu/forum/ Smokey's Security Weblog »smokeys.wordpress.com/ Site Member ASAP - Alliance of Security Analysis Professionals |
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  Cudni La Merma - Vigilado Premium,MVM join:2003-12-20 Someshire
| reply to DarkSithPro said by DarkSithPro :No matter how savvy of a computer user you are, your computer will be the victim of malware or a virus at some point. Pretty bold statement from cnet. What do you guys think? Farting Under Duvet unless of course they mean when someone not computer savvy steals a computer belonging to a savvy user and goes on to fulfil cnet statement. I'm sure there are more hypothetical situations
Cudni -- "what we know we know the same, what we don't know, we don't know it differently." Help yourself so God can help you. Microsoft MVP, 2006 - 2008 |
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  Its a Secret Whatever Premium join:2008-02-23 U B Funny | reply to DarkSithPro Sounds like CNET needs to make money from clicks. FUD, imo. |
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  VikingBob
join:2004-06-05 Ste Anne, MB
·MTS
| reply to DarkSithPro Nothing is 100% secure... there is some truth mixed in with the FUD. But if you're "savvy" then the odds are pretty minimal. You probably already have installed/implemented good security already.
For the average user, the odds of being infected are pretty good! I've cleaned a few machines, and the usual cause in the end is the user. Outdated security software, insecure programs and/or OS, and surfing where you should not. Even when you beat them over the head with how to avoid getting infected, they do it again... a lot of people just don't get it. Too lazy, or just too thick. |
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  nwrickert sand groper Premium,MVM join:2004-09-04 Geneva, IL
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| reply to DarkSithPro No matter how savvy of a computer user you are, your computer will be the victim of malware or a virus at some point.
Pretty bold statement from cnet. What do you guys think? If I am counting correctly, I have owned 6 different computers (not counting my wife's), and none of them has ever been a victim of malware.
I have probably had at least 10 different desktop computers at work, and only one of them was ever a victim of malware - a minor virus accidently introduced by a department technician working on the machine.
I would say that the claim is a gross exaggeration.
Footnote: if Windows itself is considered malware, then all but three of the machines have had some version of that installed  Footnote2: for those who consider linux to be malware, many of the machines have had that installed. -- AT&T dsl; Westell 327w modem/router; openSuSE 11.0; firefox 3.0.5 |
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 Tyreman
join:2002-10-08 1 edit | reply to DarkSithPro Re: Cnet tells users 100% guarantee infection
Never say never?  |
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  EGeezer Summertime - Premium join:2002-08-04 Country!
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| reply to DarkSithPro I didn't see the 100% guarantee thing when I went to the CNet download site.
I did find this interesting story though.  -- The greatest dangers to liberty lurk in insidious encroachment by men of zeal, well-meaning but without understanding. -- Justice Louis D. Brandeis |
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 Kerodo
join:2004-05-08 Rancho Palos Verdes, CA | reply to DarkSithPro Well.... I have been online for over 12 years now, doing all manner of things, unsavory as well, and have never once been the "victim" of malware or a virus. So go figure...  |
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  Jodokast96 R.I.P Bassman442 Premium join:2005-11-23 Erial, NJ | reply to EGeezer Nothing surprising there. The women weren't having sex anyway, for whatever the reason is this week, while the guys were the ones not having sex with any of those women. The rest of the guys just got some on the side. |
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  dadkins Can you do Blu? Premium,MVM join:2003-09-26 Hercules, CA
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| reply to DarkSithPro So far, even with countless downloads from Cnet and the like, not one virus.
Now, I have never proclaimed, and I am still not proclaiming, to be a Security Guru of any sort.
 -- Think outside the Fox... Opera |
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 pandora Premium join:2001-06-01 Outland
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| reply to DarkSithPro I tend to agree with the statement. For years I ran Norton Internet security, and felt it was doing a great job. Then ran trendmicro's housecall and it found stuff.
My guess is we are all infected with something, as there are limits to the number of AV products we can install at any time.
I note another PC which had McAfee scan it as clean, was also found to have malware on it by trendmicro.
IMO the people most likely to be infected are the non-paranoids who feel confident they aren't infected.
If you really aren't going to be infected, you've got to run with scripting disabled, and maybe with a text only browser. Not many will do this, anyone really paranoid probably won't be claiming to have a free from malware PC as they're too busy making sure it is clean. -- "People demand freedom of speech as a compensation for the freedom of thought which they seldom use." |
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  EGeezer Summertime - Premium join:2002-08-04 Country!
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| reply to DarkSithPro Re: Cnet download
quote: No matter how savvy of a computer user you are, your computer will be the victim of malware or a virus at some point.
After a quick review of one CNET offering,
»www.download.com/Intelinet-Spywa···927.html
I can see where the statement might be true - if you trust CNET for your downloads.
See »Intelinet Internet Security: definitive malware
 -- The greatest dangers to liberty lurk in insidious encroachment by men of zeal, well-meaning but without understanding. -- Justice Louis D. Brandeis |
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  Thug21 Just Chillin' Premium join:2005-08-21 2 edits | Seems to me that CNET can both the cause and cure 
Pretty cool if you ask me (or even if you don't!).  |
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  Vampirefo Premium,MVM join:2000-12-11 Huntington, WV | reply to DarkSithPro Re: Cnet tells users 100% guarantee infection
just fud |
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  Blackbird Built for Speed Premium join:2005-01-14 Fort Wayne, IN
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| reply to DarkSithPro The statement's too categorical: "No matter how savvy of a computer user you are, your computer will be the victim of malware or a virus at some point". As it stands, I believe it's incorrect. Admittedly, for many folks it will apply, because of their own security (mis?)behavior and/or because of vulnerabilities in their software. But if somebody's using a decent firewall, correctly running something like Deep Freeze or a quality anti-executable program and is applying educated "safe hex" otherwise, it's hard to imagine how that statement could apply to them in actuality.
Of course categorical statements do generate headlines and clicks... and revenue... -- If God wanted us to work with electrons, He'd make them big enough to see... |
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  Smokey Bear veritas odium parit Premium join:2008-03-15 Annie's Pub
| reply to Thug21 Re: Cnet download
said by Thug21 :Seems to me that CNET can both the cause and cure  Pretty cool if you ask me (or even if you don't!). With the cause I agree, regrettably not with the cure: »smokeys.wordpress.com/2008/12/31···ownload/ -- Smokey's Security Forums »www.smokey-services.eu/forum/ Smokey's Security Weblog »smokeys.wordpress.com/ Site Member ASAP - Alliance of Security Analysis Professionals |
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  Thug21 Just Chillin' Premium join:2005-08-21 | I tend to agree - I was being sarcastic with the "cure" part of it.  |
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  Smokey Bear veritas odium parit Premium join:2008-03-15 Annie's Pub
1 edit | said by Thug21 :I tend to agree - I was being sarcastic with the "cure" part of it. Txs for understanding, because the cure can even be worse than the the infection caused by the downloaded and installed malware...  -- Smokey's Security Forums »www.smokey-services.eu/forum/ Smokey's Security Weblog »smokeys.wordpress.com/ Site Member ASAP - Alliance of Security Analysis Professionals |
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