You imagine up one bad-ass rootkit, PG.

And speaking of dogs, I just got a new one! Lassie! Where are you? Come here, boy! Lassie? Lassie...?
kimson | 04.27.06 - 2:44 pm | #

....oh noes.
Paperghost | Homepage | 04.27.06 - 2:47 pm | #

I hate to be the proverbial "broken record" saying the same thing all the time, but in regards to the first question there about secure IM clients, you can improve security by running them under a non-Admin-class user account. And/or adding a Software Restriction Policy, if you have WinXP Professional Edition. Whatever the malware's up to, it better not involve writing to the fun parts of the Registry, or to the Windows directory, or to the Program Files directory, or registering Services, or molesting your HOSTS file. Haha on you, bad guys, you stole my gun but there's NO AMMO IN IT .

*ahem*

Just something to think about. I don't see low-rights getting near the coverage it merits in the antispyware blogging community.
mechBgon | 04.27.06 - 4:57 pm | #

Fwiw, I tried jumping on the low-rights bandwagon a while ago, but nobody listened and I got sick of repeating it over and over again (like you probably are in whatever locales you hang out at!)

I now take the approach that nobody ever listens with regards admin rights, and take every PC on with the pre-assumed thought that they are indeed running rights and they won't listen even if you beat them over the head with a large stick.

I dunno. Blame Microsoft.

/ shakes fist at Bill
Paperghost | Homepage | 04.27.06 - 5:09 pm | #

I hang out at the AnandTech Forums, where I am the semi-official King Of The Newbie-Huggers I found the poll in this thread interesting:

Do you use an Administrator/root account for your regular logon?

As you can see from the poll at the top, about 1/3 of the Windows respondents are using non-Admin accounts. Naturally the *NIX ratio is better. But the awareness is growing and I keep pimping the concept to the newbies every chance I get
mechBgon | 04.27.06 - 5:28 pm | #

See, I find pimping stuff like that seems to work better in forums, as opposed to blogs. Specially this place, I tried it people got bored and started going elsewhere. Oh God, I'm like the spyware version of http://thesuperficial.com/

:P
Paperghost | Homepage | 04.27.06 - 5:36 pm | #

But Xp admin accounts are so Dull :-P
serious here its a good idea to have Xp on admin account
Nice side step PG Re my question ...
milligansghost | 04.27.06 - 6:25 pm | #

> Secure IM clients are well overdue - the scary thing is, as all the infections come from clickable URLs, you're pretty much doomed whatever client you use by default.

You could always go into MSNM 7.5^ and untick "Allow links in the conversation window".
Mark Odell | 04.27.06 - 6:25 pm | #

"Nice side step PG Re my question ..."

yeah, I'm good at those. Btw, Ethel is now saying that Tarquin-willumsby the Third will alway love you. And to look behind the vase.

"You could always go into MSNM 7.5^ and untick "Allow links in the conversation window"."

Wow lol - I can't even get 7.5 to work on my PC Nifty option though...
Paperghost | Homepage | 04.27.06 - 6:37 pm | #

lol msn 7.5 nice idea to be honest i would not touch it with a barge pole Blahhhhhhh bill gates
milligansghost | 04.27.06 - 7:32 pm | #

Woo! kent rules.
TDWWDT | 05.10.06 - 9:32 pm | #