Caution re Avast antivirus

[Stan Brown]

This was user error (my error), but I'm posting just in case others
might have made the same mistake.

I noticed a few days ago that my virus definitions were a week old.
There was no problem connecting to the site; I could do a manual
update without problem. But I had "Automatic update" selected, and
that wasn't happening.

The problem was in the "Update parameters" section of Settings »
Updates. There are two check boxes, "I only connect to the Internet
using a dial up [sic] modem." and "My computer is permanently
connected to the Internet." Well, neither of those is true: I have
broadband not dial-up, but I disconnect it when I'm not using it.

So I checked "dial up" because I thought Avast would check for
updates when I connected. WRONG! The correct setting is to check
neither of those boxes. After I unchecked both of them, Avast now
updates automatically a couple of times a day, as desired.

As I say, this was user error. But if you have Avast, you might
check that your updates are happening automatically, and if they're
not then that section of the settings may be the problem.

 

[Char Jackson]

The problem was in the "Update parameters" section of Settings »
Updates. There are two check boxes, "I only connect to the Internet
using a dial up [sic] modem." and "My computer is permanently
connected to the Internet." Well, neither of those is true: I have
broadband not dial-up, but I disconnect it when I'm not using it.

The best thing about an always-on connection is that it's always on.

 

[Stan Brown]

The problem was in the "Update parameters" section of Settings »
Updates. There are two check boxes, "I only connect to the Internet
using a dial up [sic] modem." and "My computer is permanently
connected to the Internet." Well, neither of those is true: I have
broadband not dial-up, but I disconnect it when I'm not using it.

The best thing about an always-on connection is that it's always on.

Okay, help me out here. Why is that a good thing? I'm not being
belligerent; I truly don't understand why an always connection is
better than one you establish when you want it and disconnect when
you've finished.

Mind you, we're not taking about anything very onerous: it's just a
two-key combination to turn my computer's wireless on and off.

 

[Char Jackson]

The problem was in the "Update parameters" section of Settings »
Updates. There are two check boxes, "I only connect to the Internet
using a dial up [sic] modem." and "My computer is permanently
connected to the Internet." Well, neither of those is true: I have
broadband not dial-up, but I disconnect it when I'm not using it.

The best thing about an always-on connection is that it's always on.

Okay, help me out here. Why is that a good thing? I'm not being
belligerent; I truly don't understand why an always connection is
better than one you establish when you want it and disconnect when
you've finished.

Mind you, we're not taking about anything very onerous: it's just a
two-key combination to turn my computer's wireless on and off.

I have things scheduled to take place when I'm not physically in front
of my computer that require a network connection. Those things would
fail if the connection wasn't available and would have to be
rescheduled for when I'm trying to get something done.

The more selfish reason is that I've been completely spoiled since I
moved from dial-up to cable in late 1996 or early 1997. Disabling a
connection is a step backwards for me, which is not the direction I
wish to go.

Even if restoring a connection takes only 10 seconds, it's time
wasted. Presumably, when I sit down at the computer, it's because I'm
ready to do something, so I expect my computer to be ready, as well.
With that in mind, when I walk away I don't turn it off, I don't
disable its network connection, I don't close any programs or windows,
etc. When I come back, it's just how I left it, ready to go.

 

[Alex Clayton]

On Sat, 25 Dec 2010 21:21:59 -0500, Stan Brown
Even if restoring a connection takes only 10 seconds, it's time
wasted. Presumably, when I sit down at the computer, it's because I'm
ready to do something, so I expect my computer to be ready, as well.
With that in mind, when I walk away I don't turn it off, I don't
disable its network connection, I don't close any programs or windows,
etc. When I come back, it's just how I left it, ready to go.

I have the desktop always on and connected because it is the phone also. I
do often turn off the wireless though when we are not here. It is an old
router and does use protection but I have read in many places that it is
fairly easy to beat this. I was at one time going to buy a new router but
soon read that the newer security had also been beat so I figured to hell
with it. The only thing that scares me is some neighbor getting on it and
doing something stupid like sending out a threat to the President or
downloading kiddie porn then the Feds showing up at my house saying my ISP
said it was me. When I first got the wireless I had a switch I would use to
turn it on and off when I wanted to use it but it was too much hassle. I
would always forget and sit down with the laptop then remember I had to go
turn on the router. I just started turning it off if we leave the house for
a while.

 

[SC Tom]

On Sat, 25 Dec 2010 21:21:59 -0500, Stan Brown
Even if restoring a connection takes only 10 seconds, it's time
wasted. Presumably, when I sit down at the computer, it's because I'm
ready to do something, so I expect my computer to be ready, as well.
With that in mind, when I walk away I don't turn it off, I don't
disable its network connection, I don't close any programs or windows,
etc. When I come back, it's just how I left it, ready to go.

I have the desktop always on and connected because it is the phone also. I
do often turn off the wireless though when we are not here. It is an old
router and does use protection but I have read in many places that it is
fairly easy to beat this. I was at one time going to buy a new router but
soon read that the newer security had also been beat so I figured to hell
with it. The only thing that scares me is some neighbor getting on it and
doing something stupid like sending out a threat to the President or
downloading kiddie porn then the Feds showing up at my house saying my ISP
said it was me. When I first got the wireless I had a switch I would use
to turn it on and off when I wanted to use it but it was too much hassle.
I would always forget and sit down with the laptop then remember I had to
go turn on the router. I just started turning it off if we leave the house
for a while.
--
"Everything in excess! To enjoy the flavor of life, take big bites.
Moderation is for monks."

[Lazarus Long]

If you have WPA on your router, you can set a passphrase for security
purposes. That way, unless you share the passphrase, your neighbors and
other signal poachers won't be able to use your wireless for access.

 

[Stan Brown]

The only thing that scares me is some neighbor getting on it and
doing something stupid like sending out a threat to the President or
downloading kiddie porn then the Feds showing up at my house saying my ISP
said it was me.

I've had two wireless routers, and each of them has an optional
setting to allow only certain MAC addresses. You can find a
computer's MAC address by typing
ipconfig /all
at the command prompt and looking in the results for a "physical
address" of the form XX-XX-XX-XX-XX-XX.

If your router has such a setting (and you may have to dig for it),
you can set things up so that only your pre-designated computers can
get a network connection through it.

 

[Char Jackson]

I've had two wireless routers, and each of them has an optional
setting to allow only certain MAC addresses. You can find a
computer's MAC address by typing
ipconfig /all
at the command prompt and looking in the results for a "physical
address" of the form XX-XX-XX-XX-XX-XX.

If your router has such a setting (and you may have to dig for it),
you can set things up so that only your pre-designated computers can
get a network connection through it.

Great, but keep in mind that it's trivial for someone to get around
your MAC filtering if they want to. It adds another layer to your
overall security, but it's a mighty thin layer.

 

[Char Jackson]

I have the desktop always on and connected because it is the phone also. I
do often turn off the wireless though when we are not here. It is an old
router and does use protection but I have read in many places that it is
fairly easy to beat this.

If you're talking about WEP, the first generation of wireless
security, it's more than fairly easy to beat. For a person with the
right tools, it takes less than a minute.

If you're talking about WPA, the followup to WEP, it can also be
cracked, especially if you're using TKIP rather than AES and/or if
you've chosen a relatively short (less than 20 characters or so)
password/passphrase and then especially if it's made up of one or more
dictionary words.

If you're talking about WPA2, especially if you're using AES
encryption, then I'd say it's secure, relatively speaking.

With any of them, don't use your last name as your wireless security
password. Nor should you use your wife's first name, your pet's name,
the name of your car, or any of a hundred other pieces of personal
information that someone else might easily guess. And don't leave the
password laying around in the open.

I was at one time going to buy a new router but
soon read that the newer security had also been beat so I figured to hell
with it. The only thing that scares me is some neighbor getting on it and
doing something stupid like sending out a threat to the President or
downloading kiddie porn then the Feds showing up at my house saying my ISP
said it was me. When I first got the wireless I had a switch I would use to
turn it on and off when I wanted to use it but it was too much hassle. I
would always forget and sit down with the laptop then remember I had to go
turn on the router. I just started turning it off if we leave the house for
a while.

That seems like a valid concern to me. If an unknown person has gone
to the trouble of defeating your wireless security, it's not a big
stretch to assume they have some bad behavior in mind.

 

[Alex Clayton]

On Sun, 26 Dec 2010 11:44:33 -0800, "Alex Clayton"

That seems like a valid concern to me. If an unknown person has gone
to the trouble of defeating your wireless security, it's not a big
stretch to assume they have some bad behavior in mind.

As time has gone on I have gotten less and less "worried" about it. I guess
if it ever happens they would look over our computers and be able to tell it
was not us. The password is just a random bunch of letters and numbers I
made up when I first set it. I have to keep it written down as I can in no
way remember it when I get a new computer. I can't even remember now which
kind it was, I know when I did it I could not get on the net without calling
the tech support to do it again with me. <G>
I figure when it finally wears out I will buy a new one which will of
course have the newest security, which I am sure I will be told most kids in
Jr High can get past. <G>

 

[Boscoe]

As time has gone on I have gotten less and less "worried" about it. I
guess if it ever happens they would look over our computers and be able
to tell it was not us. The password is just a random bunch of letters
and numbers I made up when I first set it. I have to keep it written
down as I can in no way remember it when I get a new computer. I can't
even remember now which kind it was, I know when I did it I could not
get on the net without calling the tech support to do it again with me. <G>
I figure when it finally wears out I will buy a new one which will of
course have the newest security, which I am sure I will be told most
kids in Jr High can get past. <G>

All a hacker requires is a laptop computer and widely available software
to steal access to emails, social networks, and online banking sites and
even to assume the online identity of victims. Individuals should think
very carefully about network security and what information they provide
when going online because hackers are able to breach a typical password
in seconds. Security won't stop criminal gangs but it will stop your
average geek down the road.

..

 

[milt]

in seconds. Security won't stop criminal gangs but it will stop your
average geek down the road.

.

Most people won't have to worry about either one, if they have to worry
at all.

 

[Alex Clayton]

Most people won't have to worry about either one, if they have to worry at
all.

I long ago quit worrying about it. I use some "common sense" when surfing in
that I do not open e-mails claiming to have the latest crotch shot of of
some stoned starlet.
I do a LOT of online shopping, to me this is the best thing since sliced
bread. I have one credit card that is used exclusively for online shopping.
I keep a close eye on it. Over the many years of doing this 1 time it did
get used in a train station in India. Oddly enough when I called to ask them
about it I was calling India. When I told them I had the cards, and was not
in India they took care of it.
I have one of the deals from the bank that will allow us to check our
credit scores, and checks every month for any "new" accounts so if someone
starts an account in our name I will know about it now rather than years
from now.
So if someone hacks into my computer I could really care less. I don't have
any national secrets on there. As I said when the wireless router finally
wears out I will go out and buy another one that will no doubt have the
latest and greatest security, which many "experts" will tell me is easy to
get past.
I just don't care enough to lose sleep over it.
--
Democrat lawmaker pontificating:

Conservative Americans only oppose Obama because they are racist....
Conservative Americans were against the stimulus because they are
uneducated....
Conservative Americans oppose socialism because they are greedy....
Conservative Americans are against Obama care because they are stupid....
Conservative Americans are opposed to the Ground Zero mosque because they
are bigots....
I just can't figure out why these Americans are opposed to us.

Maybe because we're racist, uneducated, greedy, stupid bigots.
Or maybe it's because you morons sound like Nazis talking about Jews in the
1930s

 

[DGDevin]

"Stan Brown" wrote in message

This was user error (my error), but I'm posting just in case others
might have made the same mistake.

I liked Avast until last year when after one automatic update it promptly
started seeing malware all over the place. I did some research, but not
enough, and then most unwisely allowed Avast to fix the problems it was
seeing. Well it turned out the update had a bug which was causing Avast to
report false positives, and letting it run amok with a meat cleaver was a
big mistake. Anyway, I no longer use Avast, it was a bruising experience
even if it was partly due to my own foolishness.

 

[Bob Henson]

"Stan Brown" wrote in message


I liked Avast until last year when after one automatic update it promptly
started seeing malware all over the place. I did some research, but not
enough, and then most unwisely allowed Avast to fix the problems it was
seeing. Well it turned out the update had a bug which was causing Avast to
report false positives, and letting it run amok with a meat cleaver was a
big mistake. Anyway, I no longer use Avast, it was a bruising experience
even if it was partly due to my own foolishness.

There had to be more to it than that, of course, as we all had the same
updates, and I haven't heard of it happening to anyone else - it certainly
didn't here.

 

[Ken Blake]

There had to be more to it than that, of course, as we all had the same
updates, and I haven't heard of it happening to anyone else - it certainly
didn't here.

Same here. Three of my five machines run Avast, and neither had that
problem.

 

[Char Jackson]

Same here. Three of my five machines run Avast, and neither had that
problem.

Yes, but it made a great Usenet anecdote. ;-)

 

[milt]

So if someone hacks into my computer I could really care less. I don't
have any national secrets on there. As I said when the wireless router
finally wears out I will go out and buy another one that will no doubt
have the latest and greatest security, which many "experts" will tell me
is easy to get past.
I just don't care enough to lose sleep over it.

Best way to go about it. For the most part, hackers have no interest in
your computer. They are interested in bank computers, online stores, and
other such businesses where they can get personal information, credit
card numbers and such.

 

[Char Jackson]

Best way to go about it. For the most part, hackers have no interest in
your computer. They are interested in bank computers, online stores, and
other such businesses where they can get personal information, credit
card numbers and such.

I look forward to a time when ISPs proactively scan and test each of
their customers' computers in real time and instantly cut their net
access when malware infection and/or hacking is discovered. The two
attitudes expressed above are part of the reason why hundreds of
millions of personal computers are sitting there, waiting for
instructions from a kid in an IRC channel somewhere to participate in
a DDOS attack or spam relay or whatever. Some people don't seem to
realize that it's the computer itself, along with it's Internet
access, that some of the bad guys are after.

 

[XS11E]

So if someone hacks into my computer I could really care less.

I care a whole bunch, what if someone hacks into my financial
information and logs on to my utility account and <gasp!> PAYS MY BILL?

I have to agree with you, there's a hint of paranoia about computer
security from people who will dine in a restaurant and give the waiter
their credit card and cheerfully watch him disappear with it......