What's the latest and greatest malware/spyware removal software?

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wemorgan

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I currently use Malwarebytes, IObit Security 360 and 'Spybot Search and Destroy' to remove spyware and such nasties.

But today I learnt that my credit card has been used fraudulently. So to ensure the leak was not my laptop I want to clean it as thoroughly as practically possible.

If possible I'd rather not reformat my HD, so is there any additional software the IT gurus can recommend to me?

Thanks.
 
The likelihood is your card was either cloned or abused by somewhere that had your credit card info from a previous transaction rather than being a PC problem imho.

How frequently do you use this particular card?
 
The likelihood is your card was either cloned or abused by somewhere that had your credit card info from a previous transaction rather than being a PC problem imho.

How frequently do you use this particular card?

I take your point :) I guess I just want to be 100% sure.

I use my card about twice a week, mostly online rather than in high street stores.
 
OK, you don't mention any virus protection in your ****nal - only Spyware... I assume you do have some antivirus software?
 
Scan with the Microsoft Malicious Software Removal Tool -MSRT first.

Check you have auto updates turned on, and check for updates.

Install/check the avir software is actually running. (microsoft security essentials is excellent, free and unobtrusive), then run a full scan.

If the above work without problems its probably your PC is clean, and you card was cloned elsewhere.
 
Linux ;)

Cheers,

Gaz

Hear, hear! No amount of 'protection' can protect an operating system built without basic understanding of how to built an operating system :)

Frankly it puzzles me that majority of people continue to use the rubbish Microsoft providing them with, never question the premise that operating system, for which they pay some reasonable money, needs an extra software to be able to survive till next virus come along ... Not to mention, that Linux* is faster, more fun and infinitely more intelligent and intuitive OS!
* okay, most of [modern] Linuxes ;)
 
Hear, hear! No amount of 'protection' can protect an operating system built without basic understanding of how to built an operating system :)

Frankly it puzzles me that majority of people continue to use the rubbish Microsoft providing them with, never question the premise that operating system, for which they pay some reasonable money, needs an extra software to be able to survive till next virus come along ... Not to mention, that Linux* is faster, more fun and infinitely more intelligent and intuitive OS!
* okay, most of [modern] Linuxes ;)

Problem is that new computers and laptops come out of the box with Microsoft operating system and not everyone know how to change the system to any other, I certainly don't and that is why I, and probably many many others need to obtain that extra software.

Many moons ago I used something called smitfraud which is downloaded and added to your desk top, but the computer must be restarted in safe mode before operating it.
 
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Problem is that new computers and laptops come out of the box with Microsoft operating system and not everyone know how to change the system to any other <...>

You're absolutely right, that's what the problem is and that's what you get when one company is allowed to [unjustifiably] dominate the market, unfortunately...

There were a few attempts to put Ubuntu Linux on some netbooks, but nothing big time, as far as I know. And yet another Linux version (Android) is doing remarkably well and displaced Windows in mobile OS market, so it's really all down to marketing ... Perhaps booming tablet market, most of which is run on Linux, will show people they don't have to suffer under Windows to use a computer ...

There's always  Mac too :)
 
and...

dont frequent dodgy websites!
:devil::devil::devil:
 
You're absolutely right, that's what the problem is and that's what you get when one company is allowed to [unjustifiably] dominate the market, unfortunately...

There were a few attempts to put Ubuntu Linux on some netbooks, but nothing big time, as far as I know. And yet another Linux version (Android) is doing remarkably well and displaced Windows in mobile OS market, so it's really all down to marketing ... Perhaps booming tablet market, most of which is run on Linux, will show people they don't have to suffer under Windows to use a computer ...

There's always  Mac too :)

Don't you think though, that when another OS becomes popular, it will then attract the same number of attempted hacks etc as MS is now?
 
Hear, hear! No amount of 'protection' can protect an operating system built without basic understanding of how to built an operating system :)

Frankly it puzzles me that majority of people continue to use the rubbish Microsoft providing them with, never question the premise that operating system, for which they pay some reasonable money, needs an extra software to be able to survive till next virus come along ... Not to mention, that Linux* is faster, more fun and infinitely more intelligent and intuitive OS!
* okay, most of [modern] Linuxes ;)

Some of us run both:) Linux in a virtual machine on a W7 system is as secure as you can get.

Certainly on a server level, W2008R2 is an extremely good product, far better than any competitor.

Malware follows the market, there are lots of MS users who aren't computer literate, so easy to fool into infecting their machines. Thus profitable.

Linux users tend towards being more IT literate, so are more suspicious, and harder to fool. Much less profitable.
 
Don't you think though, that when another OS becomes popular, it will then attract the same number of attempted hacks etc as MS is now?

Sure, but it is almost impossible to penetrate Linux system, without fooling the user to [positively] allow a virus or malware to run (and type the password in to confirm) - on a Windows system you can get infected just by visiting a website or opening an attachment - in 99.9% of cases this can't happen on a 'nix system, due to OS structure.
 
Some of us run both:) Linux in a virtual machine on a W7 system is as secure as you can get.

Certainly on a server level, W2008R2 is an extremely good product, far better than any competitor.

Malware follows the market, there are lots of MS users who aren't computer literate, so easy to fool into infecting their machines. Thus profitable.

Linux users tend towards being more IT literate, so are more suspicious, and harder to fool. Much less profitable.

:) I still run, though not too often these days, Windows XP Pro in a virtual machine on my Macs (and on Linux before that), to be able to access my old CorelDRAW files. The WinXP VM is denied all network and, of course, internet access though, and is also stripped of almost all relevant protocols, for good measure, - I can't be bothered with antiviruses etc :)

There's no question that, Linux user can be tricked into running malicious code, just like a Windows user, but what annoys me with Windows is built-in vulnerability, whereby you can get infected without any input on your side - something Linux and BSD (i.e. OSX) are free from by design.
 

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