Spybot

Please can anyone help.

I have just run a Spybot Search on my computer.  It came up with the following:

Global Internet Billing

User Settings
HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Software\GIB

I'm really worried about it.  We used a debit card to secure a hotel booking this weekend, never ever usually do this and really worried about internet security.

Does anyone think it is anything to worry about

Do a search and download Microsoft's AntiSpyware.  It is the best Spyware program out there.  It gives excellent detail about what each program does.  If you are worried, check with your CC company

Cheers for your note. unfortunately I cannot download this as I am Windows 98 SE and you need a more up to date version

If you are truly worried about your privacy, you'll have to read the articles and software linked to below.


How Stuff Works - How Internet Works
How Stuff Works - How Security Works
Gibson Research Company


Virus scanners
AVG Free
-- Anti virus scanner
Trend Micro Housecall
-- Online anti virus scanner.

Anti spy/malware
Microsoft Antispyware
-- Anti spyware scanner. Windows XP Home and Professional only.
Spybot Search & Destroy
-- Anti spyware scanner
Adaware SE Personal
-- Anti spyware scanner

Firewalls
Use both a hardware and software firewall.
Be advised as dual software firewalls may cause problems

ZoneAlarm Free
-- Free firewall - more user friendly
Sygate Personal
-- Free firewall - more configuration options

Removal tools
The following files are not substitutes for the ones described above.
They are either diagnostic tools or removal tools for malware of a certain kind

HijackThis
-- Manual malware remover. Post the HijackThis log generated only if requested!
McAfee Stinger
-- Virus removal tool. No substitute for a fully functional virus scanner!
CWshredder
-- CoolWebSearch removal tool. Widely known and persistant Hijacker.

[Moderator]

Please can anyone help.

I have just run a Spybot Search on my computer.  It came up with the following:

Global Internet Billing

User Settings
HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Software\GIB

I'm really worried about it.  We used a debit card to secure a hotel booking this weekend, never ever usually do this and really worried about internet security.

Does anyone think it is anything to worry about

Use LInux, more secure. When you're online you can even use a LiveCD - nothing is written to your hard drive, nothing can be retrieved later either.

Hi... thanks for all your posts.  I decided to remove Spybot and install Ad-Aware SE instead.  

Spybot found a couple of items that it could not remove and I had to reboot to remove them.  However, when I rebooted it came up with all these error messages in German.  I then had to reboot the computer and then every time I went into Spybot I was told I had performed an illegal operation.  

I have just installed Ad-Aware and find it much more user friendly as I am not an expert at these things!!!

Now looking at firewalls, thanks for all your help

Debs

I have just installed Ad-Aware and find it much more user friendly as I am not an expert at these things!!!  

Spybot S&D used to have a lot of potentional, but that declined rather swiftly.

Now looking at firewalls, thanks for all your help

ZoneAlarm is the user friendly one.

[Moderator]

Adaware is no Spybot.
At the very least download & install WinPatrol, at least it has 'almost' real time monitoring.

Use LInux, more secure. When you're online you can even use a LiveCD - nothing is written to your hard drive, nothing can be retrieved later either.

 Hey GX1.  you should help me get started with Linux.  I have NO IDEA where to begin.  I have an old computer, PII 64 mgs of RAM...well....its just old.  ill say that.  I want to format the Hard drive completely and install SuSe or Linspire or something.  I dont want to go and buy it and that w/o any advice/help!

[Moderator]

 Hey GX1.  you should help me get started with Linux.  I have NO IDEA where to begin.  I have an old computer, PII 64 mgs of RAM...well....its just old.  ill say that.  I want to format the Hard drive completely and install SuSe or Linspire or something.  I dont want to go and buy it and that w/o any advice/help!

Boy that's not much hardware to work with! To use the graphical interface you need 128 meg of RAM, 256 is better. And Linspire is probably the highest requirements - 800 Mhz processor and 256 or 512 (preferred) RAM. Any distro just needs 6-10 gigs of disk space.

If you are bound to do this with that equipment and want to go graphical. Please start with something like DSL (*censored* Small Linux) which can be found at (surpriisingly www.damnsmalllinux.org

You can create a bootable CDROM from an ISO and run off the live CD for a very minimalist experience. If you have broadband, that makes it even sweeter.

Let me know your goals and other specifics of your hardware you can alot. If you get the RAM to 128 we can be more sophisticated.

[Moderator]

** = am in the above post (censorship, I see). Good thing I didn't say pooty tang.