Anti virus program installed

[Kieth]

Just for the fun of it, I decided to install clamav to see if I was mailing any viruses to my "Windows" friends. This is the first scan I've done in a long time. After the scan - no viruses!! Thank you Linux!!

 

Kieth

[aphelion]

But what if you have got a virus that causes your virus scanner to report that there is no viruses :unsure:

[ianw1974]

I let my email server do all the scanning :)

[Artificial Intelligence]

But what if you have got a virus that causes your virus scanner to report that there is no viruses :unsure:

 

Highly unlikely. Unless Kieth was running as root and at the same time executing a 'free pr0n' :P script he found somewhere/or got e-mailed, but he had to make executabel first.

Edited April 19, 2008 by Artificial Intelligence

[Kieth]

I wasn't running clamav as root, and I wasn't executing any script, either. I still think it is interesting that there wasn't any viruses. On WindowsXP, the scanner "snips" viruses now and again, and it isn't hook up to the internet very much.

 

Kieth

[Crito]

I had Vista running running for a year and a half before installing anti-virus software and despite being connected to the internet 24/7 still no viruses. The government's Mexican Al Qaeda pirate hacker propaganda has become just plain absurd. But I guess they need some excuse to retroactively absolve themselves for illegal wiretapping, not to mention violating the constitution itself.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Room_641A

 

To be fair though, Vista does come with Defender and I use UAC. Older versions aren't as secure out-of-the-box.

[David Batson]

I had Vista running running for a year and a half before installing anti-virus software and despite being connected to the internet 24/7 still no viruses.

 

To be fair though, Vista does come with Defender and I use UAC. Older versions aren't as secure out-of-the-box.

I can believe it.

 

It can make a big difference as well if you keep your software fully up-to-date and patched for security vulnerabilities. A number of Windows users do not do this.

[ianw1974]

Common sense is also important, than clicking and opening everything you've been emailed or visiting dodgy websites.

 

I remember a few years ago, we did an install of Windows 2000 Pro, and connected it to the internet. Within minutes it was infected and we hadn't even downloaded or done anything. Flaw in the system obviously that accepted what was sent and got it infected. Once an service pack had been applied to another install, and this was then connected to the internet, it didn't get infected because it didn't have the flaw.

 

In a nutshell, updates are important - especially if you're not going to run anti-virus software and you have Windows! Otherwise for us, just updates :)