Protection Against Malware/Virus/Keylogger

So i have an old dell xps 9550 laptop that i still have been using for a while. It has windows ten pro. It's my main laptop. With my laptop, I try to do my best of trying to avoid going on certain sites and clicking links etc. So because of that, a while back I got another computer, a chromebook to do my web browsing on sites where its possible to get virus... such as streaming sites etc. But I will most likely have to get another chromebook as the one im using has issues with the screen and keys.



Now of course, you could still always by accident click on something when using your main computer as you see there are tons of ads when web browsing. I use google chrome and have ad block plus on... but some sites for some reason still have ads... and you can easily click it by accident etc.



The only virus protection I have is the windows defender.. where i would click on it and then do a scan... option is quick scan and full scan. I would do the full scan few times. But back then i recall sometimes doing the microsoft defender offline scan as i read its even better... is that true? It does say on it.. some malicious software can be difficult to remove from your device and this would find and remove them using up to date threat definitions. So if you scan it full scan... i just did one right now that took about an hour and a half and it showed nothing. There is no point of doing a microsoft defender offline scan right? Its the same thing almost since i assume its only useful if the full scan detects something... but you can't remove it? But the offline scan would?



I also have malware bytes as well but haven't used it in a while. I just tried to open it... and i needed to do an update. After this... it seem to give me a two week free premium trial etc. So im using it right now. I did a scan... and it was so quick. Is there only one type of scan with malware bytes premium?



So does this mean if you do a malwarebyte premium scan... it took no more than like 5 minutes it seemed... then the machine is completely malware/virus/keylogger free? Or do programs like this not enough?

 

Now im sure you all read and heard about people clicking on phishing links or clicking on things in their email... and people getting hacked. But i heard many times... if its some document that they ask to type in... say imagine a paypal phishing site where it would redirect to you a fake paypal site and you put your password in there... then your account would get hacked. But do majority of these malware/virus do that? Or do many plant keyloggers/trojans etc?



Because the keylogger is probably the worst thing that could be put in your computer right? Since i heard if you have a keylogger, the hacker basically sees every single letter you type in your computer and your screen and they could basically access your computer whenever they want right? Because if that is the case, isn't your entire computer compromised since say you use a password manager like lastpass or keepass... well the hacker is going to see your master password and thus have access to your entire lastpass or keepass database? Thus say you uploaded it to the cloud like dropbox or gmail... well they would have your dropbox/gmail password easily then right? Now imagine you use an encryption program for documents like axcrypt. Well assuming your password for axcrypt is typed in your lastpass or keepass... then you are basically screwed?



I know people say hackers send links but certain files... i forgot the exact format... but if you open the file... you would get malware/keylogger. What type of file is this? For some reason, i can't remember the name of it. But most malware/keyloggers... do they require you to open a certain file or not?



What if someone gave you a link to a site and you click on it... but then you just close the page a few seconds later after mistakenly clicking on it?



Could that one click to a particulate site give you


Virus

Malware

Keylogger

Trojan


I assume virus definitely yes... but what about keylogger? Because if you have a virus... does the hacker still see everything you type in your computer like when you access email or online banking or anything? Or its only keylogger/trojan?




Is there a way for a person to check if their laptop has either virus/malware/keylogger/trojan when using windows defender or malware bytes or malware bytes premium? Or are some hackers so good... that these programs wouldn't even be able to detect it? If so... which programs would work in order for one to check if one's laptop is virus/keylogger/trojan free?

 

Just need to get something off my chest here...

With the amount of threads you make that more or less revolve around the borderline paranoia of being hacked, tracked, cracked, exploited, etc, etc, what baffles me the most is that you participate on a forum that does not use HTTPS.

If you are connected to a network you do not control, you should accept the possibility of running into an adverse scenario. Obviously that changes based on where you traffic, and that goes for anywhere, in the net and in life generally.

 

Hey... I was not aware of the https thing. I dont even look at it. But all the other sites i visit doesn't seem to have that in the address bar though?


But i just noticed right now... on my chrome browser... it shows not secure. Has it always been like this on this site? I check now that most sites i visit... always all have secure in it with the lock logo... this one doesn't. MOst sites im on


But my main question is this.



Now... let say you click on a link but not sure if it has malware/virus/keylogger. Let say its a link that directs you to a website... can you get a keylogger from that? I know virus... you can. But what about a trojan? Because i always hear people say... if you click on a link on an email or anything... if its some exe file or something like that... make sure you don't open it because if you do... that could get you malware/keylogger right? My main concern is... if you click on a link that directs you to a website... what is the most harm that can be done? Can you get a keylogger? That to me seems to be the worst thing that can happen because that way... hacker sees everything you type in right? Or they can't do that unless they install an exe file on your computer? Or could possibly just clicking on a link to a website... but not install or do anything... can get you malware/keylogger?



And if you use windows defender and malwarebytes... if you do a full scan on windows defender and a scan on malwarebytes premium... and it doesn't find anything... does that mean your computer has no virus/malware/keylogger etc?


I'm asking this because I clicked on a link on a site by accident in one of the sites I visited. This site is a safe site.. but the thing is there was an ad right in the middle of the webpage which was there. So i want to know... if clicking on a link that just directs you to a web page could give you virus/malware/keylogger etc.

 

Which then begs of question why arent you using noscript?

Honestly dude you should just get off the internet, and I dont mean that as insult, but due to your own fears of being on the internet and read some general books about Internet security, best practices because you dont seem to be employing the use of anything if you keep coming here with a new thread every week or so asking essentially the same thing.

The fact is anything on the internet can occur especially when it sounds like you arent going through the trouble of using something like noscript, building your own PfSense, using adblock on the router level, or VPN for anything you do, having a firewall in place the list can go on and on for how much security.

Every time you have a blip on your radar you come here for answers but seemingly do not take anything from it since next week you will be asking again about keyloggers, viruses etc.

You need to get a baseline going and start becoming aware of your devices health, instead of repeating the same question that I have already answered.

 

I never heard of noscript. For me... anything i do on my main laptop... the dell xps, i make sure i try to be very careful. Example if its a site i never visited or it could possibly have malware... i do this on my chromebook. So if i click on any links that im not sure on... i do it on my chromebook. That is the precaution i take.


But i accidentally clicked on a link on a site i was on ... with my dell xps laptop. I was on a site that i rarely go on... but that site in general is safe. But there was an ad though right in the middle of the site and i clicked on it by accident. And it then directed me to a certain website. Then i just closed that site. And i want to know... is it possible to get malware/keylogger from that. Such as ... as long as it doesn't download or open an EXE file... i assume you are fine?


And again, i use windows defender as my virus scanner. I do full scan with it each time if i think i possible could have malware/virus. And i recently just used malwarebytes premium ... and did a scan and it showed nothing. So if both of these programs showed... no detection of viruses... does that mean my computer is free of any malware/virus/keylogger? I want to know... is there a way for certain to see if i have any malware/keylogger now with the programs i currently have on my laptop which i just used a bit after i clicked on the link. Or are some of these malware/keylogger... hidden and can't be found even with these two programs and it needs sophisticated programs etc if you know what i mean.

 

I've already answered this.

 

Use a virtual machine and just start fresh everytime you boot up.

You can still be tracked but at least you'll be able to start a fresh session/windows install on the fly.

Sent from my BLA-L09 using Tapatalk

 

There is always TENS distro, if your really worried.

https://distrowatch.com/table.php?distribution=tens

 

Your only choice is to not go to blacksites or load unknown software that is the only real way to avoid those types of malwares. If you have Win10 the Defender is free to install and use and does a good job at protection. But it comes down to this don't use the Admin/Owner account for your usage but use it for updates only and password protect it and then created a Limited user account so that if such software attempts to install it will need admin/owner permission then you can stop infections. But if you keep using admin/owner account then expect to find malware/virus on your system because they were given permission by the admin/owner account to install. Also you should update your Browser to help further protect for sites you go to as well. So it takes keeping Win10 uptodate as well as keeping your Browser up to date. And FYI doesn't matter what kinda of software protection you install if your using your admin/owner any malware/virus will install as though you gave the permission. So til you lock the admin/owner account with password protection your protection will not stop malware/virus.

 

Could i install a virtual machine on my chromebook? I assume you mean install a virtual machine on my current laptop?


My main laptop is the dell xps 15 9550 and it has windows 10 pro.


i5-6300hq processor
32gb ram
1tb m.2 samsung evo ssd


I assume it doesn't use much space or memory right? I did recall i heard you need lot of ram for virtual machine. But wouldn't that mean it would use half the ram i have so whenever im on my main account for windows... then i only have access to half the ram? How much space does it take? I do have over 700gb of space on my hard drive though.


When I turn on my laptop, I have to put in my bitlocker pin. Then after that, I have to type in my windows 10 password in order to have access to my computer. But i do know that windows 10 password is useless.


So you are saying if i install a virtual machine on my dell xps laptop... basically if i want to web browse any site for example that might have malware/viruses... then there is 0% way i could get malware/keylogger/virus if im using a virtual machine? Thus its a different computer and of course profile from my main machine even though it uses the same ssd?


So basically i could web browse freely on the virtual machine without any concern? I recalled watching a video of someone on youtube a while back who intentionally downloaded program that had malware or possible malware but i think he did it on virtual machine.


The thing though is what about if you are not careful when using your main computer and click on a link or site though? Like imagine you didn't meant to click it etc. For example im sure you all see how on youtube... many videos have users posting links in the comment page which im sure if you click on it... its virus/malware right? So if someone clicks on that while on a windows computer, are they basically screwed?

 

Well certain sites I visit... I do this on my chromebook. Thus i don't visit it on my dell xps windows 10 computer anymore. I use to do that. But yea... when you say load unknown software... can that happen if you click on link and it automatically downloads some software and opens itself? Or even if you download it... as long as you don't open the file you are safe? I always heard of never download and open an exe. file if you are not sure about it. But what if you download it but don't open it and just delete it? Are you still safe or not?


I do have a profile with my name on windows. So are I administrator or not? Im not sure if its that kind of account or not but i do have my name on it. Lot of the programs i download myself... it does have that message of User Active Control with a message whenever I open different programs i downloaded myself on the computer. Is that what you mean?


How do i know if i have the updated browser? I use chrome but I don't think i ever manually updated chrome myself. Doesn't it do it self though? But you say windows 10 updates does that... so for me... whenever i see a windows 10 update computer logo on bottom right of my computer, i typically do the update within a day or so.


Am I using my admin/owner? Im not sure if i am. I do know many or almost all programs/icons i click on my desktop... i get message of User Account Control... Do you want to allow this app to make changes to your device? And i click yes everytime to open it etc. So is that good or not good? Im not sure what you mean with the lock admin/owner account with password protection here. I can't assume you mean that windows 10 password right?


Thanks.

 

@Drew1, if you set a admin/owner password software can't install automatically. This is why I tell users to make a password protected admin/owner account and make a limited user account to prevent un-authorized installs. This is your first line of Defense that people always and always forget to do and this is how they Virus/Malware infections. Chrome issues would be something you have to direct to Chrome support for that unfortunately since this site can't access Chrome support. If your not sure which account your using then aka by your using the Admin/owner account by default - to password protect it you had to do this from the first time it was setup and if you didn't do this or late then your using the Admin/Owner account which more or less permits any install with/without your permission. And if your not still sure then I recommend you get a book of the O/S your using and read on how to set a password protected account. As to the Browser install that is harder to tell other then Plugin Addon install that is different and is controlled through the Browser. And at that point it's up to the User to verify the Plugin is valid or not. But if there is a Admin/Owner password protected and your not using it for daily activity then when a software tries to install it will come up with the Admin/owner login/pswd to install. At this point then you will know if this was something the User is installing or malware is trying to install-that's how you know at that point. But as anything you should get a book or go online and read up on how to set Admin/Owner password protected account on Windows 10 and creating a limited User account that can be deleted and recreated if problems happen. This will be the first line of defense if one fails to do this and keep using Admin/Owner account then expected malware/virus infections to reach you.