No april 1'st joke. Very dangerous trojan.

[kgun]

A trojan not detected by most AntiSpyware programs. Can it steal your credit card number?

Read this post.

[dharrison]

Sorry kgun. I do not get it. The link you are pointing to just compares Spyware packages.

Is there really a dangerous trojan going about and do you have any more info?

Sorry to sound like a pleb, but you should be used to me by now? :)

[kgun]

Have you read the two last posts?

If you do not have time to read the posts make the following KW search:

InProcServer32

Spyware.IamBigBrother Version: 9.0

"Spyware.IamBigBrother is a spyware program that can logs all keystroke, lists the names of all running programs, takes periodic screenshots, saves Web sites if it contains predefined key words, and logs URLs of all visited Web sites
Symptoms
Spyware.IamBigBrother is detected by your Symantec software.

Transmission
Spyware.IamBigBrother must be manually installed". I am not sure.

Read the removal instructions.

Two good links related to firewalls:
http://www.firewallguide.com/
http://www.dslreports.com/scan?r=916

Trend Micro has an online virus and hackercheck that is good

If you use Windows Xp,

Use one Administrator account with a strong password (at least 8 characters and a good mix of letters and numbers)

Make at least one user account. With ordinary use and in periodes of heavy virus attacks log in as user unless you mus log in as administrator.

[kgun]

PC Security software reviews & side by side comparisons

Are you logged on to Windows 2000/XP as an administrator?

Disabling or enabling Windows XP System Restore

Note the following:
"What is System Restore?
System Restore, a Windows XP feature, is similar to the "Last Known Good Configuration" in Windows NT and Windows 2000. You can use System Restore to restore the computer to a previous state, using the backups that it makes of selected system files and program files. Unlike the "Last Known Good Configuration" feature, System Restore maintains multiple restore points. This gives you the choice of restoring your computer to any number of previously saved states.

While this is a desirable feature, in some cases it should be temporarily turned off. For example, if the computer is infected with a virus, then it is possible that the virus could be backed up by System Restore. By default, Windows prevents System Restore from being modified by outside programs. As a result, there is the possibility that you could restore a virus-infected file, or that the on-line scanners would detect the virus in that location".

How to restore the operating system to a previous state in Windows XP

How to start the System Restore tool from a command prompt in Windows XP.

[kgun]

Another tip if you use the excellent software Xp is the following:

If you use more than one harddisk, I personally use three, you may turn off system restore on some of them. I have the following configuration:

C: System restore turned on the system disk.
D: System restore deactivated.
G: System restore deactivated.

Note that earlier restore points are deleted if you deactivate restore for a disk or partitition.

Use the following procedure:

1. Manually create a system restore point when you get the Pc.

2. Manually create system restore points after large cleans of your computer.

Note the time of the restore points and store them in a secure place.

Conclusion:
If you use Xp + Spack II with automatic update, the right configuration of your webbrowser, configure the inbuilt firewall (e.g. by using log files), use system restore, create a system administrator account with a strongly typed (at lest 8 characters) password and use a register blocker you are secured against a lot of viruses and spyvare.

If you in addition take regular backup, have the system configuration as it came from the producer on a secure partition and are logged in as user for ordinary tasks, you are fairely well secured. For the rest you find a lot of good software in this forum and in the following places on MultiFinanceIT:

1. Index page along the left edge. Scroll down to the heading "Security".

Read the text with heading, "Security" on the main body of the page. On my screen with normal taxt size, it is 4 page scrolls. This section is updated with important new security tips.

2. Security sub page. In the site navigation box in the upper right corner of the index page choose "IT + Security".

3. In the link collection. On the security subpage klick "Links", last link in the top link collection on that page. While on the "link page" you find a lot of good online tools.

Search this page in IE: Ctrl + F + KW

OnlineVirusScan

or scroll down to that heading.

Never download software that are attached to emails and software from sites you are unsure about. Links to cites in my linkcollection is no exception since I do not have the capacity to control the sites I link to. I have tried most (if not all of the online scans) without any known problem. Prefer secure installation of software by intrusion software like Abtrusion Protector. It is free for home, non commercial use. So you may start by trying it on your home- or your childrens computer. Learn the different options. That may be the difference between intrusion and not.

Remeber, security is a never ending marathon race, so scan and read new posts of interest in this and other forums. It may be wortwhile to skim through the news headings on the security subpage with

Keyword search for "Secure payment"

[kgun]

Remember with todays technology, it is (much more) impossible to infect and read a (nonwriteable) CD than a harddisk. That is an argument for storing important information on DVD's. I personally have never heard of a virus that starts to read your CD and you usually hear it on most computers if it happens.

Very critical information like important customer information should not be stored on webservers or systems with access to the internet.