I need help fighting internet hijackers

[phenom]

My parents, who probably should NOT have internet access, have recently(yesterday) moved from dialup to DSL.

In the past, their PC was hijacked at least three times. All of this in the past 9-12 months, and most recently, four weeks ago. At that time, a clean sweep was run on their hard drive, and everything was done anew, and the problem seemed to be fixed. Adaware, Spybot S&D, Hijackthis, and CWShredder could find nothing. Norton AntiVirus even gave it a clean bill of health.

So, one day after getting DSL hooked up, my mother called me with the news that her PC has been hijacked YET AGAIN!

Needless to say, my frustration is unmeasureable.

What can I do to this machine, this software, to minimize the need for me to go in and clean everything up every month?

Do any of you have any software suggestions? Any Windows/IE settings suggestions? Any suggestions at all?

[the Sandman]

When you say "hijacked" are you referring to spyware? If it's spyware, you need active software like PestPatrol or SpyBlocker, or a program like Norton "Internet Security" or Zone Lab's "ZoneAlarm" for a more complete defense against internet invaders.

[cbiweb]

Sounds like a firewall is desperately needed (if one is not already there). This sounds like my mother. She trusts everyone online, and will download anything from anywhere if it looks cool, or sounds fun. Educating her doesn't seem to do any good. If a firewall is what you need, once you have it set up and configured for that computer, be sure to tell her NEVER let anything through if it comes a-knocking. She should ask you (or someone else who knows better) first.

Have fun!

[Shining Arcanine]

My parents, who probably should NOT have internet access, have recently(yesterday) moved from dialup to DSL.

In the past, their PC was hijacked at least three times. All of this in the past 9-12 months, and most recently, four weeks ago. At that time, a clean sweep was run on their hard drive, and everything was done anew, and the problem seemed to be fixed. Adaware, Spybot S&D, Hijackthis, and CWShredder could find nothing. Norton AntiVirus even gave it a clean bill of health.

So, one day after getting DSL hooked up, my mother called me with the news that her PC has been hijacked YET AGAIN!

Needless to say, my frustration is unmeasureable.

What can I do to this machine, this software, to minimize the need for me to go in and clean everything up every month?

Do any of you have any software suggestions? Any Windows/IE settings suggestions? Any suggestions at all?

Here are some ideas, install Zone Alarm Pro (you might want to set program control to learning mode for the first few weeks, also, keep the privacy sliders set to off, turning them on will block downloads) and an antivirus, password protect them so she can't mess with them, get Ad-Aware professional:

http://www.lavasoftusa.com/

And setup Ad-Watch. Install the Google Toolbar and have it block popups. After that, setup IE's privacy settings to Allow 1st party cookies and deny 3rd party cookies. Also, uncheck the session box. Once she decides on a home page, install Spybot S & D and lock down the home page, immunize the computer, and lock the hosts file. You will want to add the registry change that it makes to lock down the home page to Ad-Aware's ignore list. Get IE-Spyad:

http://www.staff.uiuc.edu/~ehowes/resource.htm#IESPYAD

It is a free registry file that contains a list of sites that are known to be bad. Adding it to the registry will add those sites to IE's restricted sites list.

Configure that antivirus software to auto update its definitions as often as possible, configure Auto Update, and keep Zone Alarm Pro up to date manually.

After you do all of that, you could probably sit back and relax.

[Craig3]

What do you mean, your homepage keeps getting hijacked?

Copy this into notepad and save it as *.reg then run it, that will lock your homepage.

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
; lock home page for all users[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Control Panel]
"HomePage"=dword:00000001
; lock home page for current user
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Control Panel]
"HomePage"=dword:00000001

If you want to change your homepage again use this code

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
; unlock home page for all users
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Control Panel]
"HomePage"=dword:00000000
; unlock home page for current user
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Control Panel]
"HomePage"=dword:00000000

[_| () R | Z]

seems like you need to update windows. run windows update and download all available updates

[Shining Arcanine]

What do you mean, your homepage keeps getting hijacked?

Copy this into notepad and save it as *.reg then run it, that will lock your homepage.

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
; lock home page for all users[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Control Panel]
"HomePage"=dword:00000001
; lock home page for current user
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Control Panel]
"HomePage"=dword:00000001

If you want to change your homepage again use this code

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
; unlock home page for all users
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Control Panel]
"HomePage"=dword:00000000
; unlock home page for current user
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Control Panel]
"HomePage"=dword:00000000

Spybot S & D can do that, it has an option in the immunization menu.

[Jake Bunce]

1. Don't click Yes when asked by a web page, would you like to install this software?
   
2. Don't open executable email attachments or executable files downloaded from untrusted web sites.
   
3. Run Windows update on a regular basis.
   
4. Set a password on the Administrator account and any other accounts with admin access. And disable the Guest account.

Now you will never get a virus or have your computer hacked.

[Shining Arcanine]

You didn't suggest a firewall. Even with secure practices, you are leaving the door to your house open if you don't install a firewall.

[Jake Bunce]

I think a firewall for a home computer is being paranoid. Just my IMO.

[bahbah]

It is also good practise to rename the Admin account

[Vile]

I think a firewall for a home computer is being paranoid. Just my IMO.

If one is on broadband, and does not have a firewall, it's just asking for trouble, and having one is definitely not being paranoid..It's just being prepared.

[cbiweb]

Having is firewall is pretty much a requirement these days. It doesn't matter what you've done to make your computer secure. If you have no firewall, and I know your IP address, I can get you!

Not only that, even if I don't know your IP, I can scan the Web and find all computers with wide open ports (those without firewalls btw), and then I can do nasty things. One of those ports may be YOURS.

[Jake Bunce]

How can they access my computer?

Let's say I have a static IP and no firewall. You can access my computer without a login by using a random port?

[Shining Arcanine]

How can they access my computer?

Let's say I have a static IP and no firewall. You can access my computer without a login by using a random port?

TCP/IP vunerabilities, unpatched holes, unknown holes, etc. It is possible for someone with the expertise to hack into your computer if they had the IP (they could guess it).

I can't go into specifics as I don't know anything about hacking computers, I just know how to secure them.