More than 450,000 computers are now part of zombie networks

[AtW]

AtW's got to get his distributed computing power from somewhere

We only have just over 150, all legit of course.

[DaveB]

You can get a definitive answer by firing up the suspect box, leaving it idle and running a packet sniffer or other monitor of network activity from a seperate, known to be clean, device and seeing what there is going on over the network.

A compromised box will be sending traffic to odd places even when it is supposedly idle. Prime suspects are IRC traffic and outbound email traffic.

[ratewhore]

And I use the Noscript add-on.

Tried it, binned it. Broke too much functionality.

Oh, and network based forensics will tell you whether you have a rootkit, whatever, on your machine...

[cojak]

I had to manually remove most of the carp it left on the laptop when I tried it

I still have to clean up after it - on a new machine too. What a stupid cow...

I'll have to tackle it this afternoon.

[Diver]

Well, that's me sorted...

Apart from being dumb enough to download Chrome, obv....

I had to manually remove most of the carp it left on the laptop when I tried it

[cojak]

And I use the Noscript add-on.

[cojak]

Most "up to date" AV programs will detect it.
Use Firefox as your Web browser (it's more secure)
Don't open suspicious emails (Bin them)

Well, that's me sorted...

Apart from being dumb enough to download Chrome, obv....

[Diver]

Not that I'm worried you understand (I've just scanned mine using Sophos), but how do you check that your machine han't been zombied?

(or has been for that matter.. )

Most "up to date" AV programs will detect it.
Use Firefox as your Web browser (it's more secure)
Don't open suspicious emails (Bin them)

[cojak]

Not that I'm worried you understand (I've just scanned mine using Sophos), but how do you check that your machine han't been zombied?

(or has been for that matter.. )

[pisces]

A worrying and troubling issue.

I'll be lobbying my MP forthwith.

[NickFitz]

I was just experimenting

[DiscoStu]

The Shadowserver Foundation, which tracks zombie numbers worldwide, said it had seen at least a threefold increase in the last three months.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7596676.stm

AtW's got to get his distributed computing power from somewhere

[Diver]

Time to shift to a Mac methinks

[AtW]

[Diver]

The Shadowserver Foundation, which tracks zombie numbers worldwide, said it had seen at least a threefold increase in the last three months.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7596676.stm