12 minutes to PC infection

[Gorilla]

"If your Windows computer is not properly protected, chances are it will take all of 12 minutes before it becomes infected, a major security company says.

The speed with which machines can become infected has shortened, virus-watchers at Sophos, based in England, say, because they have detected 7,944 new viruses in the first half of 2005, a 59-per-cent increase over the same time span last year.

As a result, the time before a machine is infected is rapidly decreasing, with a 50 per cent chance of being infected by an Internet worm within just 12 minutes of being on-line using an unprotected PC."

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[DBlack]

Great Post G! Hopefully this is an eye opener to our fellow Afros that you gotta protect your pc. Consider it just as important as locking the doors of your house when you leave, or practicing safe sex.

[naskiecenye]

Thanks for this info girl

[charliekilothree]

Definitely a great post. I am fortunate enough to never go through a computer virus so far. I started with just using Anti-virus and worked up from there. There are so many harmful things out there in cyberspace it's not funny. The thing is that most people don't have any idea of the dangers their PC/laptops face.

[saraphen]

Whenever an older sibling calls me to help with their computer, it's usually after they have so many pop-ups and other strange things going on, on their computer that the can't do anything on it anymore. All it takes is clicking on a bogus link in an email, or clicking on a pop-up that says you need this to protect your computer.

The relative has Norton Anti-Virus scheduled to run every Friday at 8 PM, but they don't understand that the computer has to be on at that time for it to happen. And they don't do the regular updates because they're now afraid to click on anything.

Sometimes the only way to fix it is reformat the hard drive and start from scratch.

[charliekilothree]

Originally Posted by saraphen

Whenever an older sibling calls me to help with their computer, it's usually after they have so many pop-ups and other strange things going on, on their computer that the can't do anything on it anymore. All it takes is clicking on a bogus link in an email, or clicking on a pop-up that says you need this to protect your computer.

The relative has Norton Anti-Virus scheduled to run every Friday at 8 PM, but they don't understand that the computer has to be on at that time for it to happen. And they don't do the regular updates because they're now afraid to click on anything.

Sometimes the only way to fix it is reformat the hard drive and start from scratch.

I guess you're the designated PC doctor for your family.:)

[Gorilla]

Originally Posted by naskiecenye

Thanks for this info girl

did i just get called a girl?

Originally Posted by saraphen

Whenever an older sibling calls me to help with their computer, it's usually after they have so many pop-ups and other strange things going on, on their computer that the can't do anything on it anymore. All it takes is clicking on a bogus link in an email, or clicking on a pop-up that says you need this to protect your computer.

The relative has Norton Anti-Virus scheduled to run every Friday at 8 PM, but they don't understand that the computer has to be on at that time for it to happen. And they don't do the regular updates because they're now afraid to click on anything.

Sometimes the only way to fix it is reformat the hard drive and start from scratch.

I hate being the fix it person of the family. My computer right now is pretty much dead (windows installation). I've been too lazy to fix it and these knoppix discs are multiplying so I finally put them to use.