Malware·2,759 discussions

I need Help with Home PC Security

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I just recently had my home PC hacked. The hacker created a new user account and password protected my account and any sub accounts I had. I run Windows XP. Luckily, from the tricks of the trade I was able to regain access to my desktop through a security hole using the Windows installation disk. I was able to delete the new account the hacker created and I changed all the passwords.

I was also able to pull up the security log in event viewer, and saw that he logged into my PC almost every night for the past couple weeks.

I have 2 separate hard drives. One is the system drive, the other I basically use for extra storage. The system drive was infected with viruses planted by this hacker when I scanned it with Bitdefender Plus. My extra HD seemed to be ok. I decided to completely format my main HD. And reinstall Windows. I also purchased a Linksys Firewall Router to sit between my DSL and my PC.

Here is a question: After I installed the firewall router, I left my computer on that night. I checked the logs in the morning, and I could see that this hacker was again trying to access my computer. There was a bunch of failed audits due to bad passwords. I could tell he was trying, but from what I could see his attempts were unsuccessful…but, how is he even getting this far with my router installed? Isn’t the purpose of the router to mask my actual IP address from the outside?

I then went out and purchased Zone Alarm’s 2007 Security Suite because of how highly touted their software firewall is. After a night with this extra layer of protection, I did not see any attempted logins…so maybe this will work.

Does anyone have any suggestions or have experienced what I am going through? And, how come the router didn’t stop this guy from again trying to access my PC? Lastly…should I reformat my extra storage HD I mentioned? It didn’t seem like he messed with anything in there, and my anti-virus didn’t detect anything unlike my main system HD…but, I just want to be 100% safe.

Any help would be appreciated…

jho

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Clarifications

In reply to I need Help with Home PC Security

Clarifications

Disable remote destop control if you don’t use it.

In reply to I need Help with Home PC Security

And also, keep you XP updated.

check

In reply to I need Help with Home PC Security

out this site there is some interesting reading and tests that you can run.

https://www.grc.com/x/ne.dll?bh0bkyd2

Pro or home?

In reply to I need Help with Home PC Security

Which flavor of XP are you running?
In Pro you can set user acount password/lockout policies and lock down security much better than home.

Pro

In reply to Pro or home?

I had Pro when it was hacked. But, I rverted back to XP Home so that I can upgrade to Vista Home Premier…

So I was Pro, now Home..

nothing else better to do

In reply to Pro

there are people in the world with nothing else better to do, or for that matter nothing else in their life, other than causing other people problems.

ah well the best you can do is use a firewall AV and best practice security measures to protect yourself from no life people.

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