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Non-Technical Users Talk Malware

Posted by Zonk on from the from-the-horse's-mouth dept.

swirsky writes "The Chicago Sun Times is running an article detailing the experiences of non-technical users after they were infected by spyware, malware, and viruses. We cluck our collective tongue and think that we'd never be so stupid, but this is a major problem that plagues personal computing." From the article: "The study found that spyware has disrupted the computer lives of 43 percent of surfers. That means an estimated 59 million people have spyware or adware on their computers, the study found. Adware is defined as tracking programs that come bundled with other software and that users knowingly download, although they don't necessarily want the adware."

2 of 410 comments (clear)

  1. It's not just the non-technical users by DanielMarkham · · Score: 5, Informative

    I downloaded my first program with BitTorrent a few weeks ago -- a TV show that my VCR failed to record. While doing that, I accidentally clicked on a certain part of the web page. Bingo slammo, my system was infected with spyware, this nasty Aurora and nail.exe
    Being a technical guy, familar with the registry, COM, and how windows works, I went about trying to kill this pesky snake. A few hours later, after saying some words I won't repeat here, I decided to wipe the machine and start over (it was a lighly loaded box, so no major loss)
    I could have gotten SoftIce and gone into kernal mode to trap this bastard, but it was way beyond my effort vs. reward tolerence level. Spyware has gotten so complicated and sneaky nowadays: to me it is worse of a threat than virsuses ever were.
    Now I run double anti-spyware programs in addition to my A/V and firewall. I think that we technical people are also misunderestimating the danger posed by this junk to our own machines.


    Run With the Bulls, Swim With the Sharks

  2. Claria and HomeSec by Tackhead · · Score: 5, Informative
    > An thanks to Microsoft it looks like *every* Windows computer will be infected with spyware in the next veriosn of Windows.

    Gator, er, Claria, is not spyware.

    Gator CPO at the Department of Homeland Security.

    D. Reed Freeman, the "Chief Privacy Officer" of Claria Networks (formerly Gator), the creators of the pervasive spyware package GAIN, has been appointed to the Department of Homeland Security's "Data Privacy and Integrity Advisory Committee"

    Legitimized by Microsoft and with representation on HomeSec DPIAC, Gator is now officially securityware, Citizen!

    And if you've got some sort of problem with that, take it up with the boss, namely HomeSec's Chief Privacy Officer. She's none other than Nuala O'Connor-Kelly, formerly of Doubleclick.

    What's with the head-on-desk-thumping motion? I'm not demented enough to make this shit up!