Protecting my PC

[Weekend_Sawyer]

 I booted my home PC around 5pm tonight. I know I had a spyware program because they kept setting my homepage to bestsearch.something and then sending me messages that I had a spy program and advertizing a download fix.

A buddy of mine that does networking at NASA told me to use Lavasoft's free spyware checker.
I downloaded it and it found 93 objects!!!
I then updated my firewall also freeware and while on a roll I downloaded norton's virus updates, not free but very necessary.

So here I am at just after 7pm, finally able to do what I bought this PC for.  Man, I just want to reach out and touch ONE person who sets off viruses, worms, spyware... ect!

Ok I'm better now, just had to vent for a minute.

[Weekend_Sawyer]

Ok I'm also tired and not paying attention, been on the road A LOT latley. I should have noticed
There was already a thread on this subject.

Sorry folks,

[Ernie]

If you ever do find one of these guys might I suggest that you send him off as a permanent member of the Vienna Boy's Choir.

[thecfarm]

Some people need to get themsleves a sawmill.That way they wouldn't have so much time to screw up our computers.Awful we have to spend more time and money to keep out the jerks.

[sawguy21]

Trouble is Ernie, he could still operate a computer. I suggest we  bend him over and use his computer as a suppository. 8)

[KiwiCharlie]

Jon,
Dont know what firewall you have, but ZoneAlarm does an excellent one.
Charlie.

[DanG]

Sorta makes ya wonder just who could profit from creating a virus that bugger's up everybody's computer, don't it?  The only ones I can think of are the ones that are making billions selling anti-virus software. : :P

[Furby]

I'm slowly finding out the sad part of all this is that it's mostly big, legit companies that are creating this stuff. There are still plenty of hackers doing it for fun or money from companies, though.

Weekend,
You get your hands on one of these fellows, be a friend and pass him along to the rest of us. I know there are a few of us members that would like to have a nice heart to heart chat with these guys! ;)

[Norm]

I thought I'd throw in some shameless fatherly bragging here. ;D My cell phone rings Sunday afternoon, I answer and the oldest son comes on and says "Hi dad guess where I'm at?" Well I can hear a foreign language being spoken in the background so I'm guessing he's not in the US. He's in Italy somewhere near Solerno, I'm told, and what the heck you doing in warm Italy? He was down there testifying against some scumbag kiddie porn guy when they called him and said head to Solerno we traced a hacker to a house down there. He and the Italian federalies show up at some 21 year old kid, who lives with his parents, place at 7AM to ask what he's doing snooping around in a network he's not supposed to be in. I was surprised by the Italians seriousness of this since the network was a US one.  Joel said the kid was looking at 5 years, also said you should have seen the look on his face when they came in his room. Hope the little hacker does every one of those 5 years.

[Patty]

Yea, you know you're gonna have a bad day when the Italian police and the US Air Force CCI show up at your door at 7:00AM on Sunday morning .  :D    Joel said the kid's parents weren't too happy either.  :D

[Weekend_Sawyer]

Now it's great to  hear about someone getting caught. Three Cheers for Joel!!!!

[Ianab]

Man, I just want to reach out and touch ONE person who sets off viruses, worms, spyware... ect!

Sounds like someone just got touched  :D

1 down...  99,999 to go  :

Actually there are a few getting busted now. 
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/02/22/spim_arrest/
I'd guess the Italians are getting spammed / hacked by the rest of the world as well, so when they find one on their own turf it's extra brownie points to haul him in.  :D