# Hackers!



## TonyE (Aug 1, 2007)

I have a strange feeling that some one is hacking into my PC at night.
How can I stop them from getting into my PC without turning off my PC if possible.


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## redwall (Mar 10, 2007)

why do you fell that tihs is going on? your computer miht be a zombie bot


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## jefferson (Nov 11, 2004)

Why not turn it off?


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## PcH8er (Jul 18, 2005)

Get a firewall. Zone alarm is really good.


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## Nevada (Sep 9, 2004)

PcH8er said:


> Get a firewall. Zone alarm is really good.


I wouldn't give you a dime for a port-blocking firewall, including ZoneAlarm. There are too many simple ways around a firewall. I use the firewall for XP because it's free, but I get no comfort from it.

That said, I'm with redwall. What leads ToneE to the conclusion that someone has hacked his PC?


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## TonyE (Aug 1, 2007)

When I open at my PC then next day is see a guess folder on my desk top, when I never set one up for my PC. Plus no one else uses this PC! I do have a fire wall and use Mcfee security system. I am not certain that some one is using my PC at night to hack into my bank accounts and other important accounts.

If I have to shut my system down each night I will, if this would help to keep hackers away.


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## Gary in ohio (May 11, 2002)

TonyE said:


> I am not certain that some one is using my PC at night to hack into my bank accounts and other important accounts.


You shouldnt store your bank account info on your computer. If you do then the hackers already have your info and dont need your computer to get your money. If you dont store it then they dont need your computer to hack your account they can do it from anywhere.


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## Nevada (Sep 9, 2004)

TonyE said:


> If I have to shut my system down each night I will, if this would help to keep hackers away.


Shutting your computer down at night and running a firewall will certainly help, but your best protection against hackers is applying the operating system security updates. Most hacking attacks are made possible by known operating system vulnerabilities, for which Microsoft provides patches as they are discovered.

I suggest you apply the XP security updates at once, if you haven't already done so. However, if your system has already been compromised a trojan may have been planted in your machine by the hacker, which your virus scanner may catch. Therefore, I also suggest you also scan your entire system with your virus scanner.

I'm still not convinced that you've been hacked, but my suggestions are normal precautions that all PC users should take.


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## backwoodsman7 (Mar 22, 2007)

TonyE said:


> If I have to shut my system down each night I will, if this would help to keep hackers away.


Yours is exactly the kind of computer spammers & purveyors of other malware love: Run by someone who doesn't really have a clue about securing it (which is difficult or impossible with Windows anyway), and left on all the time. So start turning it off when you're not using it. Those of us who get way too much spam will appreciate it, as will all the Windows users who have to deal with viruses.


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## WisJim (Jan 14, 2004)

And you will probably notice the slight decrease in your electrical bill, too, if you only have it on when using it.


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## Nevada (Sep 9, 2004)

backwoodsman7 said:


> Yours is exactly the kind of computer spammers & purveyors of other malware love: Run by someone who doesn't really have a clue about securing it


While your suggestion is a good one, there really is no call to speak down to the original poster. Doing so intimidates some members. We want more questions here, so try to encourage rather than to ridicule posters, regardless of experience level.

Peace


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## backwoodsman7 (Mar 22, 2007)

Nevada said:


> While your suggestion is a good one, there really is no call to speak down to the original poster. Doing so intimidates some members. We want more questions here, so try to encourage rather than to ridicule posters, regardless of experience level.


I didn't mean to talk down to anyone, but the cruel fact is, most computer users don't really have a clue about system security. It's not really their fault -- there's no reason why someone who just wants to use a computer to do a few things should have to learn all the complicated nuts & bolts -- but they're sold a bill of goods by Microsoft, McAffee, Norton, etc., who tell them if they download the right things & pay the right people their system will be secure. No one ever tells them it's nearly impossible to secure a Windows system, or that Windows is rather unstable and quite capable of causing its own problems even without the help of malware, or that the only way to solve both problems once and for all is to ditch Windows and run Linux instead. You don't have to spend a whole lot of time reading a forum like this one before it becomes clear that anything you can do to avoid Windows is a good idea if you want a stable system.


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## TonyE (Aug 1, 2007)

Thank to you all, for your informative information on this post. I do not store any sensitive information in my PC as passwords and account numbers, etc... for any hacker to get at. But I do worry about people using my PC to store dark information or use it as a slave. Thanks again to everyone!


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## Cygnet (Sep 13, 2004)

Instead of turning it off, just disconnect it from the internet.  When I'm not online on my laptop, I turn off the wireless. (It has a little switch.) And I unplug my desktop from the router when not using it. Takes 2 seconds.

I have a good firewall & security, but it's one extra step. NOBODY can hack into a computer that's not connected to the 'net.


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## Nevada (Sep 9, 2004)

backwoodsman7 said:


> No one ever tells them it's nearly impossible to secure a Windows system, or that Windows is rather unstable and quite capable of causing its own problems even without the help of malware, or that the only way to solve both problems once and for all is to ditch Windows and run Linux instead.


We aren't talking about malware or operating system stability, the subject is protection from hacking. The fact is that if you don't apply operating system updates you will be vulnerable to hackers, regardless of whether you use Windows or Linux. If you don't believe me then install a Fedora server without aplying the yum updates and put it on the Internet. Your server will get rooted in short order.

Your claims of stability and resistance to malware are arguable. I haven't observed any more stability with Linux using a graphical interface (like KDE or GNOME) than with Windows. I do find a command line installation to be much more stable than Windows, but few users today would be satisfied with command line Linux as a workstation operating system.

As for malware, it's true that Windows is much more vulnerable. That's for good reason. With over 90% of today's PC users running Windows, that's where malware gets targeted. However, that's not to say that Linux is necessarily more resistant to malware, it's just that malware authors are currently concentrating on Windows. When the majority of PC users start running Linux, Linux will inherit the malware problem.


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## backwoodsman7 (Mar 22, 2007)

Nevada said:


> We aren't talking about malware or operating system stability, the subject is protection from hacking.


Actually we are talking about malware (more likely) or OS stability (less likely), no matter what the OP put in the subject line. The chance of some random computer being attacked by an actual hacker is (wild guess here) probably something like one in a million, while a virus or automated malware attack is almost a certainty for a Windows system, particularly if it's left on & online all the time. And Windows doesn't need any help from either malware or hackers to choke itself, it does that quite well on its own from time to time. One doesn't have to read a forum like this one very long before that becomes clear.



> Your claims of stability and resistance to malware are arguable. I haven't observed any more stability with Linux using a graphical interface (like KDE or GNOME) than with Windows.


Then your experience is very different than mine. I've been running Linux (mostly Suse & PCLinuxOS, mostly with KDE) full time for years, and ran several versions of Windows (starting with 3.1) for many years before that. So, with all due respect, I'll go with my own experience as the definitive answer on stability.


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## Nevada (Sep 9, 2004)

backwoodsman7 said:


> Then your experience is very different than mine.


Evidently.

I started using Linux servers to run dialup racks in rural Arizona in the late 1990s. My first server ran Redhat 6.0. I've stayed with Redhat since then due to my familiarity with it. I'm acutely aware of the strengths & weaknesses of Linux.

I haven't found Linux to be satisfactory for my workstation needs, so I use XP Pro. There are applications that I use that simply aren't available for Linux.

I actually had a copy of Windows 3.0 at one time in my IBM-XT, so I date back a little earlier than you. However, early versions of Windows bear little resemblance to XP.

The day will come when Linux as a workstation environment will ignite. When that happens we'll all be using Linux. I suspect that even Microsoft will begin releasing Linux versions of their applications. In the meantime it is imperative to remain compatible with Windows and Internet Explorer.

Finally, keep in mind that Linux is an operating system, not a religion. There is no reason to be defensive about Linux. It stands on its own merit.


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## backwoodsman7 (Mar 22, 2007)

Nevada said:


> I've stayed with Redhat since then due to my familiarity with it. I'm acutely aware of the strengths & weaknesses of Linux.
> I haven't found Linux to be satisfactory for my workstation needs


You mean, you're acutely aware of the strengths & weaknesses of _Redhat_ Linux. Whenever someone says Linux just isn't a good solution for the desktop, a little digging almost always reveals that they're really not familiar with the distros that would be the best choices for the average user. Redhat is aimed at enterprise solutions, and it's not really fair to look at it and conclude that Linux isn't good for a desktop because Redhat isn't.



> There are applications that I use that simply aren't available for Linux.


That's a good reason to run Windows, but it's just about the only one. For the tasks most people do on a computer it makes no difference what OS you're on, so might as well use the less expensive, more stable one.



> I actually had a copy of Windows 3.0 at one time in my IBM-XT, so I date back a little earlier than you.


I saw a demo of Windows 1.0 in 1986, but it wasn't really practical then because of the hardware limitations of the day. I ran Desqview on top of MS-DOS for years before I switched to Windows 3.1, and plain old MS-DOS for years before that (256K of RAM? what am I ever gonna do with all that? and wow, 8 mhz and a 1200 baud modem -- this thing's a real screamer!). Before that I dinked around with Apple ]['s, TRS-80's & Commodore 64's, but that predates my work-related computer use.



> The day will come when Linux as a workstation environment will ignite. When that happens we'll all be using Linux.


Well, people tend to stay with what they know unless some sort of crisis forces a change. So although Linux is ready for prime time now, most people will keep running Windows for a long time to come.


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## quadcam79 (Oct 1, 2007)

disable the guest account in winDOHS! or at least change it to a name other than guest. 
turn off disk and print file sharing 
shut down all unnecessary programs running in the background, besides it speeds up your system instead of hogging resources. go here for the config lists http://www.blackviper.com/WinXP/servicecfg.htm and also here http://www.theeldergeek.com/services_guide.htm

zone alarm is a PITA, i got rid of that in a hurry. 
buy a mac or switch to Linux, I hear the Ubantu distro is pretty sweet.


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## FD2N4P (May 10, 2007)

I just want to thank everyone.............i didn't want to start a new thread......i turned my husband on to this site. he had questions so i said go to the experts. i use the other forums goat chicken etc...you all are terrific...thanks for all replies sue and Tony E.


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