As the title says.......
In being on the internet regularly for 30 years now, I'm not once ever had the pleasure of being hijacked, hacked, or had a PC virus take over the computer that I was using.
Since Windows 1.1, through almost all the versions, minus a few like Vista, Win7, and on various computers, now using "10" but....... nothing.
Oh sure, I've had HDD failures, memory crapouts, the normal stuff, ya know.
But never a virus.
Never had a problem with my e-mails either
Is it because I'm lucky?
Is it because I've got the common sense to not "click" on strange websites or links?
I dunno.
And lord knows, I've been on a plethora of websites, downloaded countless stuff through the decades.
And yes, even that "racy stuff" too. 😱
For the longest time, I felt that those anti-virus programs like Norton, etc, were just BS, just another marketing gimmick to make money off of paranoid people.
I still suspect that the recently reported hacks are generated to scare the public.
How come I never got "infected"?
In being on the internet regularly for 30 years now, I'm not once ever had the pleasure of being hijacked, hacked, or had a PC virus take over the computer that I was using.
Since Windows 1.1, through almost all the versions, minus a few like Vista, Win7, and on various computers, now using "10" but....... nothing.
Oh sure, I've had HDD failures, memory crapouts, the normal stuff, ya know.
But never a virus.
Never had a problem with my e-mails either
Is it because I'm lucky?
Is it because I've got the common sense to not "click" on strange websites or links?
I dunno.
And lord knows, I've been on a plethora of websites, downloaded countless stuff through the decades.
And yes, even that "racy stuff" too. 😱
For the longest time, I felt that those anti-virus programs like Norton, etc, were just BS, just another marketing gimmick to make money off of paranoid people.
I still suspect that the recently reported hacks are generated to scare the public.
How come I never got "infected"?
Maybe your lucky...I got infected twice,1 time they told me to call a number and pay a fee.
I did not,I refomated and did it all again..
I did not,I refomated and did it all again..
Downloads, torrents, running sketch software, hacking or iffy ‘security’, porn, being member of large/targeted groups? these are the best ways to become infected so you are probably somewhere between very lucky and not having enough fun?
I would argue the trackers, on the web and the collection big data have made many illegal hacking attempts obsolete. Your phone is freely and legally with your authorization collecting more sellable data then corps can currently figure out how to process and utilize. Also phones have created many ‘black box’ and or encryption issues which make hacking or viruses in the modern day a different sport
I remember the Internet of 30 years ago - I didn't see much future it in. 😀
Of course that changed quickly and I've been living here ever since.
I dunno, I've not had much trouble. Well once when I using I.E. on a work computer to look for song lyrics and a website pushed a crap ton of stuff thru the browser. That was embarrassing - and took me hours to clean up that mess. Browsers are much more secure now, thankfully. There used to be so many security holes in the bad old days.
Don't viruses and malware hang out mostly on the "something for nothing" types of websites? A little common sense and caution go a long way.
Of course that changed quickly and I've been living here ever since.
I dunno, I've not had much trouble. Well once when I using I.E. on a work computer to look for song lyrics and a website pushed a crap ton of stuff thru the browser. That was embarrassing - and took me hours to clean up that mess. Browsers are much more secure now, thankfully. There used to be so many security holes in the bad old days.
Don't viruses and malware hang out mostly on the "something for nothing" types of websites? A little common sense and caution go a long way.
My only "virus" was a root-kit (C-Dilla) installed by legitimate TAX software (TurboTax) nearly 20 years ago. The primary symptom was that PSpice would not shut-down clean; but it was 2 years before the rooting was exposed in the press (it was never worth my time to diagnose who was hooking the program). Uninstalling TurboTax followed by a malware cleaner, then re-installing PSpice (the roots ran deep) and all was well.
Yes, I am one of those "longtime TurboTax users who have vowed not to purchase Intuit products again".
Yes, I am one of those "longtime TurboTax users who have vowed not to purchase Intuit products again".
>Is it because I've got the common sense to not "click" on strange websites or links?
I think that's a big part of it. How many times have you seen a link described one way on screen, but then when you hover on it it's actually taking you somewhere completely different?
I think I've survived by practicing the habit of NOT just clicking on any 'ol thing. And never answering YES! to anything the mouse pointer is automatically placed upon...
I think that's a big part of it. How many times have you seen a link described one way on screen, but then when you hover on it it's actually taking you somewhere completely different?
I think I've survived by practicing the habit of NOT just clicking on any 'ol thing. And never answering YES! to anything the mouse pointer is automatically placed upon...
"Your PC is now stoned"...
It's been a long time since I had any malware/virus but I've run Linux for 10 years, and I don't pirate software/games anymore. When I was young and stupid and did those things, I'd scan with F-prot.
These days Windows Defender keeps most issues from becoming a big deal.
I get phishing scam emails all the time, but I'm not stupid... Like getting a text saying my Scotiabank account has been locked etc but I'm not a customer of Scotiabank...
I have had my credit card / debit card compromised but that was due to the merchant. When I saw charges for iTunes but I loathe Apple and wouldn't use iTunes if it was the last store on Earth, I called and reported it. Other than the inconvenience, it didn't cost me anything.
It's been a long time since I had any malware/virus but I've run Linux for 10 years, and I don't pirate software/games anymore. When I was young and stupid and did those things, I'd scan with F-prot.
These days Windows Defender keeps most issues from becoming a big deal.
I get phishing scam emails all the time, but I'm not stupid... Like getting a text saying my Scotiabank account has been locked etc but I'm not a customer of Scotiabank...
I have had my credit card / debit card compromised but that was due to the merchant. When I saw charges for iTunes but I loathe Apple and wouldn't use iTunes if it was the last store on Earth, I called and reported it. Other than the inconvenience, it didn't cost me anything.
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True. I think I've had more credit cards numbers stolen than computers hacked. At least the computers are mostly in our control.
Indeed, I had my bank's C card compromised too, last year in fact.
Like you, it was a small inconvenience, handled properly by my bank, funds replaced.
I think it was part of that massive breach that hit Wawa last year.
I've never been to Orlando Fla, yet had two purchases there, on the same day as I used my card here in Philly!
My online banking showed the transactions/times/stores.
Now how can I possibly be in two places thousands of miles apart on the same day and within minutes purchase in both cities?
Some research on my part, and calling those two businesses helped track down the culprits.
Stores today have video of registers, etc.
I remember some years ago my father's card got hacked. Someone in another state bought $1200 of gasoline with his card. Even at today's prices, that would be hard to do.
All taken care of, no worries. Just kinda funny.
On a recent flight to Philly my card was cancelled mid air, it seemed. Landing in Philly I couldn't buy breakfast - but it worked for coffee and a snack when I took off. 🙂 Someone was buying circus tickets in Mexico.
All taken care of, no worries. Just kinda funny.
On a recent flight to Philly my card was cancelled mid air, it seemed. Landing in Philly I couldn't buy breakfast - but it worked for coffee and a snack when I took off. 🙂 Someone was buying circus tickets in Mexico.
I get a credit card hack about every year and a half. They get hacked before they expire. Last one to get hacked had nothing to do with buying online from mouser or parts express - it was buying gas at a Buc-ee’s late at night driving home from Austin. No possibility of going inside and using cash, unless I stood in line for half an hour - so I reluctantly used pay at the pump. Next day I had $2000 worth of charges from a grocery store, so they cut the card off and called *me* to sort it out. It did delay a planned parts express order by a couple of months so I missed the Labor Day sale and had to wait for Black Friday.
I just assume that any computer used for any sort of “entertainment” even family-safe, is compromised and won’t enter credit card numbers into them, ever. I keep several “fake” ones (from expired or hacked cards) stored in web browsers to keep ‘em guessing. Wife used hers on Amazon all the time - until one too many hacks broke the camel’s back. Got tired of dealing with it every 6 months, cut the card up, and now uses cash at sam’s and Walmart to buy the same stuff. Was it her tablet or Amazon that was compromised? Don’t know and don’t care anymore. I was using iTunes a lot during my active DJ phase (which will return eventually) but only with prepaid cards from Apple. Use them till they’re used up, get another. Buy with cash.
I don’t have any “obvious” infections on any of my machines, but things behave as if they are being tracked. Targeted ads based on what I’m doing on my desktop show up on this tablet - even if I haven’t used a browser on my desktop in months. Turn on my “financial” laptop, and I don’t get any off that crap. But I won’t even open DIYAudio on that machine, or use any search function. Got to keep one squeaky clean or there isn’t even a way to file your taxes anymore.
I just assume that any computer used for any sort of “entertainment” even family-safe, is compromised and won’t enter credit card numbers into them, ever. I keep several “fake” ones (from expired or hacked cards) stored in web browsers to keep ‘em guessing. Wife used hers on Amazon all the time - until one too many hacks broke the camel’s back. Got tired of dealing with it every 6 months, cut the card up, and now uses cash at sam’s and Walmart to buy the same stuff. Was it her tablet or Amazon that was compromised? Don’t know and don’t care anymore. I was using iTunes a lot during my active DJ phase (which will return eventually) but only with prepaid cards from Apple. Use them till they’re used up, get another. Buy with cash.
I don’t have any “obvious” infections on any of my machines, but things behave as if they are being tracked. Targeted ads based on what I’m doing on my desktop show up on this tablet - even if I haven’t used a browser on my desktop in months. Turn on my “financial” laptop, and I don’t get any off that crap. But I won’t even open DIYAudio on that machine, or use any search function. Got to keep one squeaky clean or there isn’t even a way to file your taxes anymore.
Don't forget the infamous Sony root kit. Sony planted a root kit virus in every CD that they sold for several years. It was supposed to call home to Sony if the CD was put into a PC for copying purposes or block any attempt to copy the CD in a PC. Unfortunately hackers soon learned how to exploit the back door that Sony was installing in PC's. Sony put this in about 20 million CD's in the 2000's and most of them are still out there planting their root kit. Most anti malware will remove it, so I run a scan every time I (legally) rip some CD's. I have only found it once in the past 10 years or so, before that I did not know about it so I may have been compromised.
About two years ago there was an infection that was delivered encoded into some of the pop-up ads shown by Yahoo mail and other programs. The payload was distributed across multiple ads, and it reassembled itself once all the pieces were delivered to escape detection. Eventually My web browser was being constantly redirected to nasty sites nearly every day.
I was using a popular AV program at the time which did not detect this and therefore could not remove it. Windows Defender detected it, claimed removal, but it remained. I tried the free versions or nearly every AV program and MalwareBytes killed it dead on the first try. My previous AV software company said that it was not a virus so it was not removed. I now use MalwareBytes constantly, and do a Windows Defender scan every week or so on my older slower PC's. I don't leave Defender on all the time because it sucks up too much CPU power (up to 30% on an old core i5).
Any time I work on someone's PC I run a MalwareBytes scan. Several times I have found some malware on them without the users knowledge. Who knows what the malware is doing, but I certainly don't want it there.
It is obvious that Google, Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, Ebay, and others are gathering and SELLING info on users. So far this has been primarily for targeted advertising, but that has already been taken too far.
About two years ago there was an infection that was delivered encoded into some of the pop-up ads shown by Yahoo mail and other programs. The payload was distributed across multiple ads, and it reassembled itself once all the pieces were delivered to escape detection. Eventually My web browser was being constantly redirected to nasty sites nearly every day.
I was using a popular AV program at the time which did not detect this and therefore could not remove it. Windows Defender detected it, claimed removal, but it remained. I tried the free versions or nearly every AV program and MalwareBytes killed it dead on the first try. My previous AV software company said that it was not a virus so it was not removed. I now use MalwareBytes constantly, and do a Windows Defender scan every week or so on my older slower PC's. I don't leave Defender on all the time because it sucks up too much CPU power (up to 30% on an old core i5).
Any time I work on someone's PC I run a MalwareBytes scan. Several times I have found some malware on them without the users knowledge. Who knows what the malware is doing, but I certainly don't want it there.
It is obvious that Google, Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, Ebay, and others are gathering and SELLING info on users. So far this has been primarily for targeted advertising, but that has already been taken too far.
The infamous Sony root kit has caused many of my CDs to become unplayable in some CD players. I had one car stereo head that simply refused to play them. ANY of them.
I have since downloaded the affected CDs on iTunes (using prepaid cards) and thrown all the CDs in a drawer and they haven’t been used since.
I have since downloaded the affected CDs on iTunes (using prepaid cards) and thrown all the CDs in a drawer and they haven’t been used since.
About the year 2001 I had my first kid. I decided to rip my CD collection about 2004 to avoid the clutter. Thankful I used a Linux machine for the ripping.
I didn’t even *know* about the root kit at the time - I just was using my CDs like usual, and they started getting flaky. Then refused to play. I tried to rip them on the computer to try to “salvage” them, then the virus warnings went off as soon as I tried to load them in the drive, saying the discs were infected. Discs that I bought in the store, and had never played in anything but a stand alone CD player. All had the “FBI warning” on them.
Now I have many illegal copies of all of them - anything I buy online gets copied into multiple backups on separate media so if the original file gets deleted or corrupted there are more. Especially if I ended up buying it TWICE.
Now I have many illegal copies of all of them - anything I buy online gets copied into multiple backups on separate media so if the original file gets deleted or corrupted there are more. Especially if I ended up buying it TWICE.
