The pitfalls of pornography
I fix and build computers on the side of my normal nine-to-five job. I also clean out spyware and viruses--either the easy way or the hard way.
This woman brought her computer in, and it was obvious her husband liked his porn. She had no idea, and I suppose he explained it as standard pop-ups or a bad Internet connection. The computer contained more than 2,000 pieces of spyware and seven Trojan horses. It had more than 70 programs loaded on it and took more than 20 minutes to boot up.
I finally got it all out by using a combination of Spybot - Search & Destroy, Ad-Aware, and AVG Anti-Virus. Furthermore, I had to use a Knoppix live CD to delete files that just wouldn't give up.
The final bill came to $225. The lady screamed until I told her I would put everything back the way it was if she didn't pay.
--Steevo
Colorado, U.S.A.
Adult Web sites are notorious havens for spyware components. It's amazing that more of their hot-and-bothered customers don't know this (or don't care enough to be dissuaded). Along with the pop-up adware on the PC you describe above, the computer could easily have gotten dialers and spyware components the way it was being used. The scourge of spyware does seem to be good for the computer-technician business, however.
--Download.com editors
Stories
- > Big Brother has your number (and your name)
- > The 180 Search Assistant runs amok
- > Not even a geek could slay this beast
- > Free music with a terrible price
- > The pitfalls of pornography
- > Spyware that comes out swinging
- > Think you're safe? Think again.
- > The seventh circle of spyware hell
- > Hey, shouldn't this be illegal?
- > Spyware that makes small children cry
