What level of threat are we at from hackers while we are on Hubpages?

1. 86

   Pamela Kinnaird Wposted 12 years ago

   Yesterday I posted on a forum which some of you did also.  The original poster was unhappy with Hubpages.  She or he had a couple of threads going.  When I read the other thread, I noticed that a very experienced online writer said the poster is a trojan and we are putting ourselves at risk.  Less than an hour later, a recording, quite professionally done, came through my speakers telling me I do not have protection on my computer and I need to go to such and such a site immediately to get a security protection set up.  The recording gave the day's date and then played again.  I just put out $165 two weeks ago getting my computer cleaned off again (as it had been totally hijacked)  losing Word and some other good things at that time because my Dell warranty had expired.  I'm thinking that if it was someone yesterday trying to place a trojan in it or one of those keystroke things that follows me into bank accounts -- that they couldn't be IN yet or they wouldn't have put that recording through.  Am I correct?  Or could they already be in to my computer?  It's enough to make a person swear off computers (except I have important stuff to do in other areas.)  Thanks for any input.

   replyreport
2. 60

   knolyourselfposted 12 years ago

   You need an anti virus program like Avast which can be gotten for free.
   You need Malwarebytes Anti-malware which is free. You might also use CCleaner which will clean off all cookies every time you start up. If you know the approximate day you may have contracted a virus, you can do
   a system restore to some earlier date.

   replyreport
   1. 86

      Pamela Kinnaird Wposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I do have a good a good security system in place: I should have mentioned that.  Are you saying Malwarebytes Anti-malware is something I should add on top of that?  And is it a program or within ones you mentioned.  I'll check mine and see if it already cleans for those.  And is CCleaner something to be added to whatever I have, too? Thank you.

      replyreport
3. 60

   knolyourselfposted 12 years ago

   Malwarebytes Anti-malware is a standalone program that finds and removes malware. It is considered the best in the industry. CCleaner is a
   standalone free cookie cleaner, that gets rid on a daily basis, those cookie
   ad trackers. Both programs are added on top of what you have.

   replyreport
   1. 86

      Pamela Kinnaird Wposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Thank you very much, knolyourself.

      replyreport
4. 66

   psycheskinnerposted 12 years ago

   I think they meant trojan as a slang term for sock puppet. Just reading this forum isn't going to get you malware.

   replyreport
   1. 86

      Pamela Kinnaird Wposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      That's good.  I'm glad I'm better protected now, though.

      replyreport