Botnets! Ever increasing Threat!!

[Guest]

[Melih]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7120251.stm

Here we are, an 18 year old who made $20 millions, taking over unsuspecting user's machine, stealing their data as well as using their machine in criminal activity to steal more data and money!

Was your computer one these millions of computers turned into a Botnet? Are you a Zombie?

Melih

[Ragwing]

Was your computer one these millions of computers turned into a Botnet?

Nope, because I'm using Comodo 

It's the 21st centuary, and still some people don't use a firewall with outbound protection and a good up-to-date antivirus, that's enough to prevent this.
And yes, botnets are big threats. Take the Storm botnet for example.

It is estimated to run on as many as 1,000,000 to 50,000,000 infected and compromised computer systems as of September 2007

We don't want to imagine what you can do with that many computers at your command. Yet again, a simple firewall and antivirus could stop it.

Cheers,
Ragwing

[Melih]

So why are people not using it then?

Melih

[Dennis2]

So why are people not using it then?

Melih

Apathy
Will not happen to them.

I might be going to far the other way?
Run CPF3 in Paranoid Mode, will not allow any process access to the internet unless absolutely necessary mostly specific address.(Except CPF3)
Also run browser email & media player sandboxed.
Dennis

[marcos.zy]

And it is still common to find people who don't know what is a firewall. 

[Ragwing]

And it is still common to find people who don't know what is a firewall. 

True. My dad doesn't. Like half of my class doesn't know what a firewall is. My school doesn't, so I can play around with their network with a teacher's user and do some thing we'll call "stuff" 

Cheers,
Ragwing

[Blas]

do some thing we'll call "stuff"

ROFLMAO unfortunately this is very common. I have a friend whose parents are doing online banking. They don't have a firewall nor an AV and not even a router. ADSL directly connected to their PC. Well I warned them...without success. Eventually their luck will be gone.

[Melih]

so the responsibility falls upon us to educate them all!
To each one of us!

Melih

[weaker]

Most people learn only the hard way. The clever ones already use Comodo Firewall.

People don't want to know about firewall and stuff. At least until something happens to them that could have been prevented with a firewall. Then they know what a firewall is and not one second earlier. I really do believe in the stupidity and stubbornness of people.

[Frosty Port]

as a recent [could have been victim] of a attempt Bot-net attack just 1 day after the release of the new comodo firewall pro all i can say is that if it was not for comodo my pc would be spamming it's way across the net by now [or worse] this firewall DID stop it never thought it would happen but it did. I had my trusty comodo firewall never leave your front page with out it!! {Thank You Comodo Team} 



      

[marcos.zy]

The problem is that some people don't want to learn about, and think that something bad never will occurs with them.

The bad thing here is that when they finally learn, this means that something bad has already happened, and their machines has already been infected by some type of malware, and in the above mentioned case of botnets, a great damage can already have been caused to other people.

[Burillo]

"the public is an ass!" (c)

unfortunately i don't know english that well to be able to translate a common russian phrase that perfectly matches this case... i know many people who don't use AV and FW software - my dad runs only Antivirus, but he uses computer only for reading email (the Bat), M$ Office stuff and *offline* gaming. Thus he is somewhat protected. My two brothers use firewalls, AVs... I myself am kinda security geek so my comp is full of additional security software (HijackThis, IceSword...) so me and my family are somewhat protected from attacks. But i know many people who don't use security software at all. Of course i tell'em "guys, you hear about computer viruses and hacker attacks every day and still don't use AV and FW?!"... some of them listen, some don't... Common problem - Firefox/Opera/Safari is far more secure than IE, still many people use it - they just don't want to install another software that does the same job... and when something happens - you really can't say anything except "i told you, goddamit"...

[grayhair]

   Personal computer security aside, what troubles me about this story is:  "is alleged to have infiltrated more than one million computers and skimmed millions of dollars from people's bank accounts. "  "After being questioned "Akill" was released without charge, but police say he is still being investigated."  At least charge him with the crime before you just let him free.  I am sure if I took millions from a bank I would be singing "Old Man River" in a jail cell near me.

[Melih]

Isn't one of the reason why people don't use protection because it cost them money?

Melih

[Burillo]

believe me - it is not :-))) people just don't bother/afraid of installing something onto their computers (though they install thousands of adware-spyware-powered tiny games)

i've seen people that sound alarm and call system administrator when they see an "operation completed" message box... and you say they must install security software... nonsense :-))

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