Do you use UAC (User Account Control)?

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  1. Posts : 9,600
    Win 7 Ultimate 64 bit
       #21

    Gary said:
    "Cr00zng"
    Malware nowadays isn't as noticeable as it used to be, especially the ones that trying to steal your information, money, etc. The seemingly a OK system may have this type of malware running in the background, collecting information, transferring your money, etc. Once you notice some issues and restore from backup, the chances are that this type of malware will be restored as well.
    That is why I have Avast Internet Security running. I also am behind a Nat Router.
    As good as AVAST is, something could sneak by, such as a new nasty that AVAST hasn't written a definition for yet. Keep in mind that AVs, etc. are more retroactive than proactive; they mostly respond to known nasties. If set correctly, UAC will alert you every time a process is being started so it will be difficult to impossible for a nasty to start a process without your knowledge as long as you allow UAC to do its thing and you take the extra second to read the popup before clicking on it.
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  2. Posts : 568
    Windows 7 64-bit, Windows 8.1 64-bit, OSX El Capitan, Windows 10 (VMware)
       #22

    Golden said:
    Yes, I view it as the last line of defence to getting something installed on my system.
    You could also use Winpatrol that also will warn, if the system settings changed, as backup for malware bypassing UAC.
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  3. Posts : 19,383
    Windows 10 Pro x64 ; Xubuntu x64
       #23

    Yep, I have that too.
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  4. Posts : 568
    Windows 7 64-bit, Windows 8.1 64-bit, OSX El Capitan, Windows 10 (VMware)
       #24

    Golden said:
    Cr00zng said:
    It's pretty much the same as Linux Mint, except the UAC cannot be disabled in Linux Mint. At least not by my knowledge level of this Linux
    An analogy, although not exactly accurate:
    Linux = SUDO
    Windows = UAC

    In Linux, you never (usually) run with administrator privileges - hence you are required to elevate certain commands using SUDO.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sudo
    From the operation perspective, SUDO is the same as UAC, as long as one needs to enter the password for the UAC. Minor differences, but both of them do the same...

    Not being able to login as root in Linux Mint actually ticked me off and enabled root login. I seldom login as root, but it is my choice and not some developer(s) somewhere.

    I do find interesting that we are discussing UAC on/off, while in the Linux world it is a given that the UAC/SUDO is turned on and should not be disabled. I am not even sure that it can be disabled...
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  5. Posts : 19,383
    Windows 10 Pro x64 ; Xubuntu x64
       #25

    Cr00zng said:
    I am not even sure that it can be disabled...
    There are a few ways, but I've never tested them....
    How to disable sudo password prompt in Linux | PHP Architect blog
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  6. Posts : 568
    Windows 7 64-bit, Windows 8.1 64-bit, OSX El Capitan, Windows 10 (VMware)
       #26

    Lady Fitzgerald said:
    As good as AVAST is, something could sneak by, such as a new nasty that AVAST hasn't written a definition for yet. Keep in mind that AVs, etc. are more retroactive than proactive; they mostly respond to known nasties. If set correctly, UAC will alert you every time a process is being started so it will be difficult to impossible for a nasty to start a process without your knowledge as long as you allow UAC to do its thing and you take the extra second to read the popup before clicking on it.

    But...

    AV vendors have been integrating heuristic/ behavioral based protection, in addition to the signature based detection. Kaspersky and BitDefender had been the leading companies in heuristic/ behavioral protection, stopping about 97% of the new malware without signatures. Avast is lagging behind them, at around 87%...
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  7. Posts : 568
    Windows 7 64-bit, Windows 8.1 64-bit, OSX El Capitan, Windows 10 (VMware)
       #27

    Golden said:
    There are a few ways, but I've never tested them....
    How to disable sudo password prompt in Linux | PHP Architect blog
    Thanks for the tip and will try it since it is easily reversible...
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 1,397
    Win 10 Pro 64
       #28

    Lady Fitzgerald said:
    Gary said:
    "Cr00zng"
    Malware nowadays isn't as noticeable as it used to be, especially the ones that trying to steal your information, money, etc. The seemingly a OK system may have this type of malware running in the background, collecting information, transferring your money, etc. Once you notice some issues and restore from backup, the chances are that this type of malware will be restored as well.
    That is why I have Avast Internet Security running. I also am behind a Nat Router.
    As good as AVAST is, something could sneak by, such as a new nasty that AVAST hasn't written a definition for yet. Keep in mind that AVs, etc. are more retroactive than proactive; they mostly respond to known nasties. If set correctly, UAC will alert you every time a process is being started so it will be difficult to impossible for a nasty to start a process without your knowledge as long as you allow UAC to do its thing and you take the extra second to read the popup before clicking on it.
    I have never had a malware problem, I have never gotten a virus. I have a Firewall (not Windows). I just do not need a machine to do the thinking for me and tell me if it is OK to install this or that, BTW AIS has an auto sandbox which basically does the same thing.:)
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 10,485
    W7 Pro SP1 64bit
       #29

    Cr00zng said:
    Yes, I do and it forces me to enter the password for the admin account. It's pretty much the same as Linux Mint, except the UAC cannot be disabled in Linux Mint. At least not by my knowledge level of this Linux.

    Malware can routinely bypass/disable UAC and my system also has MS EMET running to block buffer-overflows in internet connected and other applications.
    I would be interested in seeing a write up of malware bypassing the UAC (when it is set to the max level) without user interaction. I've searched for same and I must not be using the right search terms.
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  10. Posts : 10,485
    W7 Pro SP1 64bit
       #30

    md2lgyk said:
    One of the first things I did after upgrading to Win 7 was disable UAC. It was so annoying I couldn't stand it. It's not an age thing - I'm 65. I am the only user of my laptop and, believe it or not, in 15 years of using the internet, have never once been hijacked or infected with anything. UAC may be useful for some, but I'll take my chances.
    But you are not just taking chances for yourself - you are on the internet, not on an island. If your computer becomes infected, it impacts others, not just you. Malware that fraudulently earns money by "clicking thru" to websites costs us all money.

    I just cleaned 2 such infections from a friend's computer that the av tools (Norton and later MSE) and Malwarebytes never saw. As best I can tell, this computer had been infected for more than a year.

    If you get infected with a well written app, you (and your antivirus app) will never know that it is there. An offline scanner like WDO might find it, but a regular antivirus tool won't. There is no way of knowing if you were never infected with malware.

    edit: BTW, I'm not attempting to get you to use the UAC. We are just chatting.
    Last edited by UsernameIssues; 11 Jun 2013 at 10:34.
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