I am on Cable Fibre Optic Broadband.
When looking at my Desktop, not being logged on to the Internet, am I immune from infection ?
Can I turn my Firewall and AV off ?
I don`t think so.
Every one of my stand alone programs are on scheduled auto-update including Windows.
All these connect to the Internet and download their material without me having any knowledge of it other than perhaps a pop-up saying an update is in progress.
So unknown to us Broadband users the Internet is always connected except when the PC is completely shut down or if during Standby and Hibernate the local connection is severed.
Hence if a Malware Rootkit or bug exists in the system it can operate Inward and Outward bound traffic without showing any signs of activity. There would obviously be no pop-up to say we are being burgled.
Normally the Firewall and AV programs are still live and should do their work in the normal way even with the Internet closed, but if they are shut down for some reason then the Malware can operate freely.
I have recently come across a program that requires the Internet, AV and Firewall to be shut down before running - GMER. Bearing in mind what has just been said, that sounds like big trouble.
Your comments on this personally puzzling situation would be gratefully received. Particularly the shutting down of the AV and Firewall programs.
John Bull
Example :-
After a long shutdown on Hibernate, no Firewall activity had occured. I manually updated MBAM, it took less than a minute, but in that time with no Internet connection open on my part ONE intrusion was blocked by my Firewall :- Protocol = TCP, Source IP = 58.218.204.110, Destination IP = ME, Souce Port = 12200, Destination Port = 9090. The IP track is shown here :-
When looking at my Desktop, not being logged on to the Internet, am I immune from infection ?
Can I turn my Firewall and AV off ?
I don`t think so.
Every one of my stand alone programs are on scheduled auto-update including Windows.
All these connect to the Internet and download their material without me having any knowledge of it other than perhaps a pop-up saying an update is in progress.
So unknown to us Broadband users the Internet is always connected except when the PC is completely shut down or if during Standby and Hibernate the local connection is severed.
Hence if a Malware Rootkit or bug exists in the system it can operate Inward and Outward bound traffic without showing any signs of activity. There would obviously be no pop-up to say we are being burgled.
Normally the Firewall and AV programs are still live and should do their work in the normal way even with the Internet closed, but if they are shut down for some reason then the Malware can operate freely.
I have recently come across a program that requires the Internet, AV and Firewall to be shut down before running - GMER. Bearing in mind what has just been said, that sounds like big trouble.
Your comments on this personally puzzling situation would be gratefully received. Particularly the shutting down of the AV and Firewall programs.
John Bull
Example :-
After a long shutdown on Hibernate, no Firewall activity had occured. I manually updated MBAM, it took less than a minute, but in that time with no Internet connection open on my part ONE intrusion was blocked by my Firewall :- Protocol = TCP, Source IP = 58.218.204.110, Destination IP = ME, Souce Port = 12200, Destination Port = 9090. The IP track is shown here :-