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Old December 21st 06, 12:00 AM posted to microsoft.public.windowsxp.basics
BoaterDave
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 82
Default Thank you.

Hello Michael,

Thank you for responding. Your comments were rather supportive of my theory.

I haven't (or so I thought!) intimated that *.bat files are spreading 'in
the wild', rather that I feel that they may be being utilised by (probably)
a small number of 'bad guys' who are hiding within a specific newsgroup, the
purpose of which is supposed to help others with their PC problems (*still*
no concrete proof, which is highly frustrating!). There are, though,
hundreds of users of the 'host' server, so many users may be compromised.

When I discussed the threat I received with our Police (once I had recovered
funds fraudulently taken from my bank account by PayPal last year) I
discovered just how massive Cybercrime has become. Discussion with their
Hi-Tech crime unit then led me to investigate further, and I discovered
findings by Sunbelt Software which, in turn, made me realise that no-one
really knows just *how* such crime is growing. So, perhaps in memory of my
son, I've done my best to identify how it *may* be being done (at least in
part).

I feel that I can take the matter little further on my own.

Thanks again.

David

PS You will find many posts I've made before if you 'Google' for BoaterDave,
but find out just who *I* am if you 'Google' for BoaterDaveTJ
__________________________________________________ __

"Michael D. Alligood" wrote in message
...
I guess I will join this thread and post my 2 cents in as well. Let us
start with the basics: What is a virus? According to Microsoft, a viruses
are, "(Computer viruses are) software programs that are deliberately
designed to interfere with computer operation, record, corrupt, or delete
data, or spread themselves to other computers and throughout the Internet."
This includes *.bat files. So can *.bat files be viruses? Of course. It is
a possibility. However, *.bat files are old technology (but that is still
in use today). The probability of a *.bat virus spreading on the internet
is slim; at least one that is spreading quickly in the wild. A batch file
is a collection of commands; although not as sophisticated as today's
scripts.

I remember old batch files that would reboot your computer and format your
c:\ drive or worse fdisk the whole drive. To knock on wood, I have not run
across many viruses nowadays that do this. IMHO, I worry about spyware 10x
more than viruses.

I feel as if I have digressed, so I will stop now. :-) I hope that helps


--
Michael D. Alligood
MCSA, MCDST, MCP, A+,
Network+, i-Net+, CIW Assoc.,
CIW Certified Instructor



"BoaterDave" wrote in message
:

Ooops! Sorry about that - I was deep in thought and sent the blank
response
in error.

Perhaps it was Divine intervention - I then saw the post from Kerry
Brown.
Or, as he's known elsewhere, TechB.

What you couldn't know, gls858, is that my younger son, Nick, who would
have
been 36 tomorrow, tragically collapsed and died almost 8 years ago. No
cause
for his death was found. He was a computer guru, with a first class
degree
in Physics, and worked for ICL. He could *always* answer my queries
........
and I miss him.

I appreciate *your* help. Thank you.

My basic understanding now is that, as a 'bat' file is not a 'virus' per
se,
it would (probably) not be picked up by an anti-virus programme. However,
I
suspect that if such a file was surepticiously placed on one's PC, it
could
issue commands to make one's PC do just about anything, including being
able
to make adjustments to, in my case, NIS 2006.

If I'm right about this (and I recognise that I may have got it wrong yet
again!) unless one specifically seeks out a suspicious 'bat' file, one's
PC
could apparently be working normally whilst, at the same time, be acting
as
a 'zombie' for unscrupulous persons unknown. (Perhaps that is what my
'script kiddie' meant - he's no academic, that's for sure!)

Referring to the post from KB, I'd just mention that he 'advises' on the
N/g
to which I was lured (by email) following posts I made here with MS back
in
February. I was highly suspicious then, and still feel that there may be
those with malicious intent residing there (perhaps using the PC's of
other
newsgroup members as zombies too - just my theory!). I'm aware that some
'members' there scan these MS newsgroups - perhaps looking for other
vulnerable 'clients' - I could determine no other reason.

I didn't know what a 'Troll' was this time last year. All I've been
trying
to do is identify just how the 'bad guys' wreak havoc on the 'Net, not
simply 'clean' my own machine.

FWIW (and I didn't know what that meant either, then! g)

David
__________________________________________________ ____


"gls858" wrote in message
...

It's not the fact that's it's a .bat file that makes it good or bad
it's the commands that it contains. A .bat is simply a series of
commands.
If you want to see the contents of a .bat file simply right click and
select edit. If you or your so called "script kiddie" don't understand
the
commands contained in the batch file I would suggest you find a real
computer programmer to explain to you what the file is intended to do.
Batch files are commonly used to perform redundant tasks on a schedule.

gls858




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