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Thread: Stopping a Virus Writer

  1. #1
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    Stopping a Virus Writer

    New here!
    I have heard that this is the best MB for newbies like me.
    My question: How can I stop or report a person who is writing viruses?
    What information do I need to report them?
    I am a longtime member of a MB about Hedgehogs and recently we have gotten a troll who I believe is writing viruses and sending them to certain repected members of our MB. Whenever this troll gets pissed at somone on the board, they end up with a virus. It has happened to four people so far. We on the above mentioned MB are a peaceful group of people who simply love to talk about their pet hedgehogs. We are not computer experts as you guys here are, and we don't know how to stop this guy. We are in danger of losing our MB if we can't stop the viruses because our members are scared to post. Most of our members are older folk and kids. We have banned this guy several times but he keeps finding a way to change his IP address and keeps coming back. Our MOD's have tried everything they know. This guy is good!
    What I don't understand is why this guy would be causing all of this trouble to a small message board that is about pet hedgehogs!
    Can someone please help us or direct us to a site where we can get help to stop this guy?
    Thank you in advance

  2. #2
    I'd rather be fishing DjM's Avatar
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    Re: Stopping a Virus Writer

    Originally posted here by jett1960
    New here!
    We have banned this guy several times but he keeps finding a way to change his IP address and keeps coming back.
    This statement implies that the MOD's are banning this person via his/her IP address. If that's the case, it may be as simple as tracing the current IP address back to the ISP and then reporting him/her to the ISP. Usually at an e-mail address like "abuse@his/herISP.com".

    Cheers:
    DjM

  3. #3
    Frustrated Mad Scientist
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    Why don't you get up to date antivirus and personal firewalls?
    If you have those the troll wouldn't be able to do anything other than be a pain in the arse.
    I doubt there is much you can do unless you can go round to his house and kill him. Get your machines locked down and he'll soon get bored and piss off.

    Links for freebies:

    Free antivirus
    http://www.avast.com/eng/avast_4_home.html
    or
    http://free.grisoft.com/doc/Get+AVG+FREE/lng/us/tpl/v5

    Free firewall
    http://www.zonelabs.com/store/conten...eeDownload.jsp

    BTW I don't think you are supposed to keep hedgehogs as pets.
    If you are in the UK you could get in touch with St. Tiggywinkles and they could release them back into the wild.
    http://www.sttiggywinkles.org.uk/

  4. #4
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    Why don't you get up to date antivirus and personal firewalls?
    They believe the guy is writing his own viruses... most AV software would have difficulty catching those. It would be a lot of work to set that up, and with possibly little benefit. I would go with DjM's idea and report him to his ISP. His ISP can be found by punching his IP address into the Whois field at http://www.arin.net. You can then follow the links the answer provides you with to find an abuse email for his ISP.

    You could also try banning his entire ISP from the board and see if that works. If he uses a large ISP, though, you might end up banning innocent members as well, so use that with caution. Banning his IP address won't be of much use, though, since most ISP's assign addresses dynamically every time a user connects. So all he has to do is close his internet connection and reconnect. He gets a new IP address and he's back in. He might not even notice that you banned his last address.

    Hope that helps.
    Government is like fire - a handy servant, but a dangerous master - George Washington
    Government is not reason, it is not eloquence - it is force. - George Washington.

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  5. #5
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    Just a question...

    Have you banned only his IPs? You have banned his actuall nick as well, right? Heh. Just asking.

  6. #6
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    Originally posted here by Aspman
    Why don't you get up to date antivirus and personal firewalls?
    If you have those the troll wouldn't be able to do anything other than be a pain in the arse.
    I doubt there is much you can do unless you can go round to his house and kill him. Get your machines locked down and he'll soon get bored and piss off.

    Links for freebies:

    Free antivirus
    http://www.avast.com/eng/avast_4_home.html
    or
    http://free.grisoft.com/doc/Get+AVG+FREE/lng/us/tpl/v5

    Free firewall
    http://www.zonelabs.com/store/conten...eeDownload.jsp

    BTW I don't think you are supposed to keep hedgehogs as pets.
    If you are in the UK you could get in touch with St. Tiggywinkles and they could release them back into the wild.
    http://www.sttiggywinkles.org.uk/
    Thank you for the links. One person who got the virus was behind a firewall and we all have updated antivirus software. It has not seemed to prevent these viruses.
    Hedgehogs are legal in all but 6 states in the US. Among those illigal are Vermont, Penn., NY, CA, AR. All in our group live in legal states. We are very much against owning a hedgehog in an illegal state because those states will put to death any hedgehogs found. Although the African Pygami hedgie has not been imported since 1990, there have been sufficent numbers imported before then to keep many active lines of breeding. The UK hedgie is illegal anywhere in the world to own. I live in TN and personally am owned by three hedgehogs that I have rescued from animal shelters in several states. Myself and the members of my board treat our hedgies as if they were our own children. Our hedgies are usually allowed free roam of the house as they are as easy to litter train as a kitten would be and are usually quite friendly and very intelligent creatures. I'm sorry, I have gotten off topic.
    Thank you for your suggestions!

  7. #7
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    Originally posted here by DISLEX
    Just a question...

    Have you banned only his IPs? You have banned his actuall nick as well, right? Heh. Just asking.
    Good question.
    Yes, we are banning him as per his email account which has to be an account from an ISP. No free email accounts are accepted. We don't kow how he keeps getting different ISP email accounts and yes, he keeps coming back under different names. He has used 8 different email accounts and names to date.

  8. #8
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    Thank you all for the replys so far. I am taking notes!
    I've been looking around this board and my friend was right, this is a most awesome message board even if I don't know most of what is being talked about! lol
    Please keep the suggestions coming and Thank You again!

  9. #9
    I'd rather be fishing DjM's Avatar
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    How are these 'Viruses' being delivered? Do they come as an e-mail attachment, or via IM? How do you know they are viruses, what do they do?

    Cheers:
    DjM

  10. #10
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    If you post your website somebody might be able to figure out how he keeps signing up with new email accounts.

    Of course, I have 5 addresses available through my ISP, which I can change anytime I wish. He might be doing that too.
    Government is like fire - a handy servant, but a dangerous master - George Washington
    Government is not reason, it is not eloquence - it is force. - George Washington.

    Join the UnError community!

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