• Please be sure to read the rules and adhere to them. Some banned members have complained that they are not spammers. But they spammed us. Some even tried to redirect our members to other forums. Duh. Be smart. Read the rules and adhere to them and we will all get along just fine. Cheers. :beer: Link to the rules: https://www.forumsforums.com/threads/forum-rules-info.2974/

Google search results

pixie

Well-known member
SUPER Site Supporter
I am getting pretty sick of having to close my browser because of the "your computer is infected" messages/ads/whatever they are. I can't believe that it's very difficult for Google to filter these out. Why don't they ?
 

Lia

Banned
pixie, I perfectly understand and sympathize with your frsutration over google search; I had the same frustrations with it myself. However there is a light at the end of the tunnel...

When you go to google click on the blue asterik icon that is to the left of the 'sign in' instruction at the top right of the page. When you hover over it it will say 'options.' Click on it, then click on 'search options' and then tick 'open search results in new window.'

When you've done this, all you will have to do is close the offending window, and not your browser.

I agree, it is an outrage, but what can one do? To complain would be as futile as using a chocolate hammer to drive a nail into google programmers heads.

Good luck honey! :smile:
 

DaveNay

Klaatu barada nikto
SUPER Site Supporter
Google has nothing to do with those messages. Your computer has been infected with spyware/malware.
 

Lia

Banned
This is not true DaveNay! :glare:

pixie, your computer is not infected at all!!!! These 'your computer is infected' messages and pages are nothing more than 'Scareware!' As long as you don't click on anything in their pages your computer is fine, so long as you have your firewall and internet security, it cannot get thro on its own, only if you invite it too! :smile:
 

Lia

Banned
I should also have mentioned that a good proportion of these scams are from Nigeria. Or so I am informed...

...and Dave, you are correct in saying that it is not, technically, googles fault; however, they should not ask one to report such scams if they cannot do anything about it in the first place, which suggests that they actually can!
 

pixie

Well-known member
SUPER Site Supporter
Thanks, Lia ! I'll try that.

Google has all their spiders out collecting new stuff. Maybe a couple of them could check up on older links. Besides the stupid Windows based "your computer is infected" scam, there are many results that sound good but when you click on them, a whole line up of different and strange web addresses runs through my address bar and I end up with nothing ... probably because I have a Mac. ( no longer invulnerable but I like the OS )
When I'm really frustrated, I'll change search engines :hammer:
 

Danang Sailor

nullius in verba
GOLD Site Supporter
This is not true DaveNay! :glare:

pixie, your computer is not infected at all!!!! These 'your computer is infected' messages and pages are nothing more than 'Scareware!' As long as you don't click on anything in their pages your computer is fine, so long as you have your firewall and internet security, it cannot get thro on its own, only if you invite it too! :smile:

Google is my primary search engine, and I don't get any of these trash messages popping up. While you "may" not be infected with anything, it would appear that your firewall and security software could be better. Let's face it, this crud will only reach you if:

1) Your system security is not top-notch, and/or
2) You visit websites that are inherently untrustworthy.

Since the very best firewall available is 100% free, there is no good reason not to use it. So, if you and pixie are NOT currently running the free Zone Alarm firewall (http://www.zonealarm.com/security/e...m=zone alarm free&campaign=Brand+FreeFirewall), my recommendation is to go grab and install it ASAP. It will absolutely cut down on the number of pop-up and pop-under trash message you'll receive!

Suggestion: If you're running a different firewall go to Steve Gibson's website and run "Shields Up" (https://www.grc.com/x/ne.dll?bh0bkyd2), then install Zone Alarm and run the same test. I think you'll be surprised by the difference!

Disclaimer: I do not work for Zone Alarm or Steve Gibson and don't receive anything from them for recommending them. I do, however, believe that all my friends and acquaintances should be using the best there is ... and it's FREE for goodness sake!!

 

pixie

Well-known member
SUPER Site Supporter
Thanks for the recomendation. I'll try it as soon as it's available for Macintosh.
 

Lia

Banned
Google is my primary search engine, and I don't get any of these trash messages popping up. While you *"may"* not be infected with anything, it would appear that your firewall and security software could be better. Let's face it, this crud will only reach you if:

1) Your system security is not top-notch, and/or
2) You visit websites that are inherently untrustworthy.

Since the very best firewall available is *100% free*, there is no good reason not to use it. So, if you and pixie are NOT currently running the free Zone Alarm firewall (
http://www.zonealarm.com/security/en-us/cdn/2010/search/freeza-pro-and-antivirus.htm?cid=W200002&source=Google-US-Brand&medium=Firewall&content=COPYAVnotenough-LPfreefirewall+AV&term=zone%20alarm%20free&campaign=Brand+FreeFirewall), my recommendation is to go grab and install it ASAP. It will absolutely cut down on the number of pop-up and pop-under trash message you'll receive!

Suggestion: If you're running a different firewall go to Steve Gibson's website and run "Shields Up" (
https://www.grc.com/x/ne.dll?bh0bkyd2), then install Zone Alarm and run the same test. I think you'll be surprised by the difference!

Disclaimer: I do not work for Zone Alarm or Steve Gibson and don't receive anything from them for recommending them. I _*do*_, however, believe that all my friends and acquaintances should be using the best there is ... and it's FREE for goodness sake!!


Danang Sailor, this is just your opinion, and whilst I respect others opinions, it does not make their,’ or mine, fact. I have McAfee at the moment, I had Norton before that and never had any problems with that. I have McAfee now because it came with the server package when I changed servers, and was also free.

I am an Artist, amongst other things, and I do extensive research online, using google, perhaps your research/search usage is not so extensive, and may be the reason for why you would not have gotten this scareware. As you agreed, neither pixie’s computer, nor mine, is infected. That is what I said originally. It is wrong for people to try to scare pixie into believing otherwise, no matter whether there is a motive or not, nor whether one believes one security system is better than another. It doesn’t make it fact.

My security system is FINE! I do not, nor ever had an infected computer! Pixies computer is NOT infected either! The problem is a rogue spam which pops up in searches, whatever security system one has, and you know this! It is wrong to mislead someone by scaring them when you say that their security system is not ‘top notch.’ Let me assure you, neither is Zone Alarm!

I never got this problem with Norton, which I paid for, yet I get it with McAfee which is free. I know someone who had Zone Alarm, and the poor devil had more problems with it than one could shake a big stick at. ‘Shields Up’ is a good site, certainly, but you have no evidence to suggest that mine or pixies security is weaker than yours, I don’t care what your friends believe.
Pixie, don’t let this nonsense scare you into changing your security system just on someone’ else’s say so…

While I agree that Zone Alarm is an average firewall imho, and it is only that, AVG free is an average anti-virus programme, but again is only that, Adaware provides protection against malware and popups too but singly, no one is complete unless you accept their full versions for which you are charged a subscription comparative to any “complete package”. Oh, and AVG will slow up a computer to a snails pace, trust me on that one!

Scareware, is, just that, scareware. A scam to try to pry details from your bank/credit cards, so that they can steal it, and use your details to obtain goods and services at your expense. However, it can only do so if you invite it into your computer.

Forewarned is forearmed, and so you are perfectly safe from it. I’m not saying don’t change your security system, I’m merely saying that you don’t really need to… they are all much of a much.
 

Wart

New member
If you like I'll provide the link to the ZD Net blogs where the Mac Defender virus/Trojan is discussed ad nauseum.

Pixie, you're computer (OS X) has always been vulnerable. It's just that now the bad guys are starting to refocus on the Mac

(at one time there were no Windows viri, all viri was for the Apple, but that was a long, LONG time ago and the subject for another discussion).

I would say right click, choose open in new tab or window ... guess you can't do that.

/ pixie, address to all

The set search options to open in new tab/window in Google, I used that for the longest time then it decided the option wouldn't stay set between sessions.

About visiting websites that are inherently not trustworthy, the bad guys crack a trustworthy site and plant data the spider will find and will create a link in a search result to a page on the cracked site the the site owner won't see (not exactly accurate but works for this explanation). That hidden page contains redirection code, and I believe those are the strange addresses you see running through your bar.

I believe it was Symantec that had a good write up on this.

McAffee is notoriously crappy, Symantec is a little better, I've heard good things about BitDefender but it's annoying, and I'm not sure any of those work on OS x.

Sophos has a Mac anti-viri, and I just remembered, there was a patch released for (I think it was) Safari to prevent the installation of Mac Defender,

I wouldn't say anyone is infected BUT I wouldn't say your NOT infected either.

What I learned way back when I got my first firewall (Zone alarm, looooong time ago), I got all these alerts from pings and port scans. Then it was pointed out to me it isnt the alerts I was seeing that should worry me, it's the alert I'm not seeing ...

Same with viri, it's the one you DON'T see, the one that ISN'T detected that is going to get you.
 

Lia

Banned
I've had bitdefender also, and whilst I agree, it was good, it was as you say, incredibly annoying, and always doing something in the background that slowed everything up. Not as bad as AVG did, as my friend found out to his cost, but it was frustrating.

I've actually heard, altho I wouldn't wanna test the theory, that so long as one has a good firewall and factory installed computer security, that one has absolutely no need for extraneous security software. Just something I read somewhere, can't even remember where now... :unsure:
 

Wart

New member
I've had bitdefender also, and whilst I agree, it was good, it was as you say, incredibly annoying, and always doing something in the background that slowed everything up. Not as bad as AVG did, as my friend found out to his cost, but it was frustrating.

In the mid 'Oughts' I thought my machine was locking up.

It was Norton checking for updates.

They seem to have fixed that.

I've actually heard, altho I wouldn't wanna test the theory, that so long as one has a good firewall and factory installed computer security, that one has absolutely no need for extraneous security software. Just something I read somewhere, can't even remember where now... :unsure:
I was talking to one of the ITs in the Computer Science department of the University.

He said the U was going from MacAfeee to MS Security (Essentials and Forefront).

I asked if MS was that good.

He said its more like the rest are that bad.

And so it goes ....

The article from Symantec I referenced about search engines and redirection is explained here:

http://www.symantec.com/connect/blogs/iframes-please-make-way-seo-poisoning

And the ZD Net blog containing a movie about Snow Leopard stopping mac malware.

http://www.zdnet.com/blog/hardware/...security-update/13076?tag=mantle_skin;content
 

Lia

Banned
In the mid 'Oughts' I thought my machine was locking up.

It was Norton checking for updates.

They seem to have fixed that.

Yeah, McAfee are as bad for that also... :rolleyes:

I was talking to one of the ITs in the Computer Science department of the University.

He said the U was going from MacAfeee to MS Security (Essentials and Forefront).

I asked if MS was that good.

He said its more like the rest are that bad.

Ain't that the truth! As I said, they're all much of a much really... :smile:

And so it goes ....

The article from Symantec I referenced about search engines and redirection is explained here:

http://www.symantec.com/connect/blogs/iframes-please-make-way-seo-poisoning

And the ZD Net blog containing a movie about Snow Leopard stopping mac malware.

http://www.zdnet.com/blog/hardware/...security-update/13076?tag=mantle_skin;content

Interesting links Wart... :smile:
 
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