OT: Spyware

[Will]

At work, I've helped to develop a checklist of things to go through for spyware/virus infected systems. Since most of the time it's bad enough to call into the helpdesk because work can't get done, the list is *very* comprehensive:

1) Run Windows Update.
2) Clean out Symantec AV Quarantine, Backed Up Items, and Repaired Items. Empty Recycle Bin, Temporary Internet Files, and Cookies. Empty Deleted Items folders in MS Outlook.
3) Run full SAV scan (check that client is on managed server, and definitions are up-to-date). Auto-clean, then use the manual removal instructions for each virus to ensure proper removal.
4) Use TrendMicro's Housecall Online virus scan, set for auto-clean. Follow manual removal instructions for any viruses found to ensure removal.
5) Run both SpyBot S&D (scan & immunize), and AdAware (scan).
6) Install and run Vision, to monitor computer's network traffic.
7) Run full SAV scan again.

A bit extreme, and at least a half-day affair (longer for the end-Users that have insane numbers of files, like 400,000). But so far it has cleaned up all the nasty infestations we've had. If the system doesn't have any data that needs to be saved though, usually it's just re-imaged and we forget about it.

[dogscoff]

Not all anti-spyware is what it seems:
http://www.spywarewarrior.com/rogue_anti-spyware.htm

[Arkcon]

Originally posted by dogscoff:
Not all anti-spyware is what it seems:
http://www.spywarewarrior.com/rogue_anti-spyware.htm

Thta's true. When you go to download.com, and read the comments, you'll see people ripping apart the various new spyware removal programs, that use ad sponsering.

People are even critial of Adaware and Spybot, but their comments are noticibly less credible. I like to run Adaware first, then Spybot.

I really like Spybot 1.3, because it wil purge all sorts of crap from the hard disk, like the previously acessed files in Windows Media player, which is nice. The latest Version has never removed something critical -- for me anyway, YMMV.

There was this real evil group that was spamming newsGroups, email, and using Windows Messager to promote it's spyware removal tool, can't recall who that was.

[ June 29, 2004, 21:52: Message edited by: Arkcon ]

[Raging Deadstar]

Originally posted by Arkcon:
There was this real evil group that was spamming newsGroups, email, and using Windows Messager to promote it's spyware removal tool, can't recall who that was.

Don't get me started on this It's been plaguing my computer for days until i got it sorted