am i being hacked???

Hi all,
I've been running XP-Pro for a couple of months now without any security updates installed, I am connected to the net via a broad band modem which is generally connected 24/7 - 'as i download a lot using Kazaa lite'
The other day my whole system seemed to slow down and as both my anti virus programs could not find any viruses on the system i started to worry a bit - thinking - could be a hacker???
I have zone alarm fire wall, AVG anti virus, and just recently installed Norton-2003 full package.
I have now installed the security updates and my system is very usable but seems to be just as slow, I initially did not install the security up dates as i remember the last time that i installed them it seemed to slow the system down.
Can anyone please inform me on the following -

Have i made a grave error by not installing them initially, and what are the chances of been hacked?

Am i right in thinking that these updates slow the system down when installed?

How can i check to see if there are, or has been any hacking going on

If i have been hacked, would i have been too late by installing the updates after a hacker has had access to my system?

Go easy on any tech-stuff! im very new to all of this

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

skylark

Did it start slowing down when you installed Norton? It may just be that Norton requires a lot of resources which takes away from speed on other processes. As for if you've been hacked, probably not if you've been running your firewall and it's properly configured, but you never know. Just keep an eye out for anything weird. Peace.

Forgot to mention, im using ad-aware 6, i dont know if it is just me being paranoid, but recently it does not find any were as many spyware bugs as it used to. Could this be any thing to worry about?
thanks again
skylark

:) Doesn't sound like a good way to surf the net, or safe.
Hey, i get me a chance to promote my tut.
You might want to read through this tutorial

And also the other's on securing windows. Mine is a very basic one, and shouldn't be at
all too technical to understand.

Will post some links for online scanners,when i get, be back soon.

Thanks for the reply,
i think it was before i installed norton, but i will uninstall it and see if it makes a difference.
about the actual security updates, is it necessary (wise) for them to be installed, and by having them does it make a difference to the speed of things or would this just my imagination

:)How much RAM have you got?
How many services are running in the background?
How many of them are you using, can you turn some off?


It is better to have a slow machine than one that stops completely.
I would say surfing the net without AV, Firewall, would be like driving a
car at 200mph (americans) round ocean cliffs with no hands! Don't do it!

online scanners

http://www.symantec.com/cgi-bin/securitycheck.cgi

http://www.bitdefender.com/scan/licence.php

http://www.pandasoftware.com/actives...f=EN-PR-AS-107

http://www.kaspersky.com/scanforvirus

Try these to see if anythings on your box that shouldn't be.....

Thanks for all the info....
I enabled xp built in fire wall, and ive downloaded spybot
Ive got - 768 ram
services running - 44, but i dont know what i can and cannot turn off
ive got AVG and Norton at the mo.. and my fire wall is Zone alarm.
Is this sufficient to protect my computer, or is it vital that i have the xp security updates too.

Yes, it's wise to install security updates when available.
Unfortunately sometimes a patch gets released that will slow down your system. This is usually fixed some time later if MS receives alot of complaints about it.

:) You MUST have all the critical updates installed. Have you updated
any security updates from M$????? If not best you do. Also if you are
using Internet Explorer ,DONT download Mozilla instead.
Is that 768 MB of RAM??

For your Services that you can change/disable, go to

blackviper

I have virtually done what is recommended there, and have not noticed any
problems at all.

its 768 MB's
what is Mozilla, and why should i not use it

:) 768 MB is plenty RAM.

Mozilla is a Browser that is more secure than Internet Explorer.
Use Mozilla NOT IE.

Have you updated security patches??
Have you used the online scanners??
Have you gone to blackviper??

You can get Mozilla here

Mozilla is a browser. I think this is the first time I've heard someone suggest not downloading Mozilla. I use it on both my Linux and Windows XP installations. Works nice. :) Very quick and I find fewer problems than IE. Now that said, for reasons of avoiding issues with popups and such and people wanting or having to use IE, my want to look into MyIE2.

That said, there are some poorly programmed spyware out there that can cause some grief. Have you done a check with Adware and/or HiJackThis?

Also, what other programs are running besides your AV and firewall? What other processes are running (ProcessExplorer from Sysinternals might help you find all the processes).

Also if you are
using Internet Explorer ,DONT download Mozilla instead.

Typo, should be if you are using IE DONT, download Mozilla instead.
Sorry for the confusion.

Don't think I can add much to what has already been posted, but for what it's worth, here goes...

First of all ensure you have all the critical updates for XP.

One of your further postings states you have been using the XP firewall. Yeuk! It's better than nothing, however, you would be wise to get a better one (do a search on here for more info) and then switch the XP one off. Does the Norton product your using have one?

I would suggest you get the critical updates for XP, update Adaware definitions, update your Norton product, go to safe mode and run all the scans. Then pick the bones out of that.

As SirDice has typed, some patches / updates do slow windows down. It is, however, better to run slowly than not at all, like tidalfaze23 stated.

As for seeing if you've been hacked, you would need to interrogate the firewall log files. If you are not technical, you will need to read up on ports and the such like. There's lots of information in the tutorials.

Hope that's helpful and good luck!

hmmm...it is critical to do the updates as it secures your computer. Also try running a defrag it should make it run better.

Quote:

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Originally posted here by skylark
Thanks for all the info....
I enabled xp built in fire wall, and ive downloaded spybot
Ive got - 768 ram
services running - 44, but i dont know what i can and cannot turn off
ive got AVG and Norton at the mo.. and my fire wall is Zone alarm.
Is this sufficient to protect my computer, or is it vital that i have the xp security updates too.

---

If I am reading this right, just turn off one of your firewall, and then turn off one of you AV's and you will probably be alright.

It sounds to me like you are running at least 2 AV programs and 2-3 firewalls (if Norton has a firewall with the AV), and that is not a very good thing to do. Only use 1 (one) firewall or AV program at at a time. Other wise you will find that they conflict with one anouther and cause you all kinds of problems.

As for which services you can safely turn off, go to Black Vipers web site and follow his tutorials on services: http://www.blackviper.com/

Hi all,
Ive now tried most of the things youve all advised me on.
just want to say a big thanks to everyone, youve all been great helping me, and youve got me looking in the right direction............
All the Best
skylark

:) Your'e welcome, come again.....




[edit]

Quote:

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Only use 1 (one) firewall or AV program at at a time. Other wise you will find that they conflict with one anouther and cause you all kinds of problems.

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[edit]

moxnix, i have Norton firewall. Sygate firewall, and xp firewall, all turned on and
working fine together. I have not noticed any conflict at all, why would this be?
I read a few recommendations to turn off xp, and only run one. Could i just have them
configured right?????

??? Don't know Tidal, but I do know that (at least some time) running 2 or more firewalls at the same time (hardware and software running together is excluded from this) can cause holes big enough to drive the granddaddy of all exploites through.

I have read a couple of articals that have mentioned that some of them conflict and cancel each other out. I have also seen others post the same thing.

I don't have any links to give you on this, but I will be looking for some as this has peaked my interest again.

:) I think i will go over all the configuration settings, just to make sure
they are not set to allow all.... :eek:

Still looking, but I have found one interesting discussion of this:

Quote:

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One of the big problems I see with running more then one firewall is unfortunatly most people (average home users) dont have the so called, HORSE POWER SYSTEMS to handle many apps/programs running simultaneiously doing the same job, and even then it can still be a problem for the biggest system. Most conflicts caused within a system comes from more then one application trying to accsess the same thing at the same time. Lets face it, if one firewall is useing a certain service or port then the other cant so whats the point? The second firewall just sits and basicly waits it's turn until it can be granted accsess. By then the task is comleted and it becomes useless for the other to even try at that point.

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This is from: http://www.windowsbbs.com/showthread.php?t=22814

Edit> Here is some more that I have found:

Quote:

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Why the hello do you have more than one firewall running on your machine? - Are you that certain that General Motors,the CIA,the KGB, or the Country Music Association are really that interested in your musical tastes?? http://www.cybertechhelp.com/ubb/biggrin.gif,(Yeah,yeah, I know but the Belgians get a little carried away at times).

Not all firewall programs are designed to track precisely the same activies in order to stop unwanted upload/download behaviours. In fact,this can lead to uncertainty. The programs are designed to treat any activities that are outside of the parameters of the programmer's expectation; as potentially invasive or destructive and to block anything that is unforeseen and alert the user of a potential danger.

Running more than one firewall introduces an additional layer of unusual activity to the mix.

My suggestion? - If you are bound and determined to have a firewall choose one and get rid of the rest.

From: http://www.cybertechhelp.com/forums/...hp/t-2058.html

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http://springfield.news-leader.com/c...ult-94914.html
has one more 'opinion' about multiple firewalls.

Here is a discussion in favor of multiple firewalls : http://techrepublic.com.com/5208-623...108374&start=0

There's no point in having more than one software firewall. Why waste the memory? It's best to avoid many applications competing for the same resources - especially in windows!

Hardware and software firewall - well now, that's different and acceptable as there is no competing for resources. Perhaps a little bit of latency, but hardly noticable - certainly to the home user.

This might be stupid but....since you download on it a LOT, when was the last time you rebooted your computer?

:) O.K. seems to make sense of them competing or conflicting in some ways.
What would be your recommendations for choosing which f/w to keep? Should
i keep sygate? disable nortons f/w? Keep nortons disable/remove sygate?

Your preference I suppose. I'm sure posters on here would argue one is better than the other. Me? I would say they are both capable.

Effectiveness of either is in the detail, i.e. configuration. Go with the one you find easisest to use / configure / interrogate log files in.

Oh, yeah! Un-install the one you decide you're not using. No point wasting disk space and clogging up your system! lol

Quote:

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Oh, yeah! Un-install the one you decide you're not using. No point wasting disk space and clogging up your system! lol

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Especially if the one you are not going to use is Nortons. I have heard ( but can't verify) that Nortons changes some values and such that could cause you problems if not removed all the way. Thus I would believe it to be better safe than sorry.
And if you are going to use the Nortons, then it would be just to free up disk space.

:) Thanks for your suggestions. Seeing hows i paid over$100aud, for my
Norton, and $0.00 for Sygate, i think i will stick with Norton. This is also
a complete security package with, A/V , firewall, antispam and privacy tools.

The thing is the firewall is harder, or more advanced to configure than Sygates,
so i will be a little hesitant at first, but once i've configured it properly, i will be
safe from unwanted connections.

Thanks again for your advice.....

If you have more than one virus scanner running full time in the background this could cause your system to become very s...l...o....w. just a thought.
Also you said you were going to stick with Norton because you paid for it that might not be the best way to look at it. I find that AVG anti virus is better than Norton for my needs and that sygate makes a great free firewall that works just as well as Norton with out using up as many resources.
Just my two cents.

I agree with poser on this. AVG and Sygate both have less of a resource profile compared to NAV and NIS. The fact that they are also free helps out too. I find Sygate to have more advanced options than NIS, but with simpler controls. They don't get me confused as easily. Sygate gives it to me straight, no BS in the way. I hear kerio is the same way, but I can't vouch for it.

You should also think of getting Ad-aware 6 and Spybot search and destroy. They will get rid of all that bad stuff on there. And The more programs you have installed do slow down your comp. And maby you have a bad copy of norton if you downloaded it. And to help speed up a defrag is always a great thing today i do one around weekly sometimes twice a week that does help for sure. And you have a slim chance of being hacked unless you made a friend mad that may be rally smart or you are being targeted for doing something wrong.

:) I think i will just disable Nortons firewall. I like NISPro, so if
i just disable f/w, that will take care of any conflict that may arise.
I have 2.68GHz cpu, 512MB RAM, 120GB HDD, so i don't really notice
much lagging, and i am on dialup.

Thanks for your advice.....