Say I install WinXP SP2 in a PC without any firewall/antivirus protection and leave it permanently connected to the internet with a broadband connection. How long does it take for it to become infected? And eventually, what's the worse it can happen? Can the hard drive be eventually damaged permanently by some malware? Just curious to know how bad it can get when no protection is used.

Depends of the use..

To be honest with you if you know what you are doing and that you are not visiting any dirty website you shouldn't really have any problems..

If you download files and install crap, then yes, you have chances of fucking it up.

i think he meant by it self. no human interference (at least at his end)

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Originally posted by Supersonicdarky
i think he meant by it self. no human interference (at least at his end)

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computers get hit all the time by hacking progs, its just that the most basic firewall will block it. if its disabled, it could easily become a slave.

correct me if i'm wrong...

I had an always on win 2k computer connected to cable with no firewall at all for three years straight, no breaches. The real risk factor is the use. If you're going to use IE and have all sorts of client side scripting on by default, and download unsafe programs and files without virus checking them, it won't take you long. If you know what you're doing, you may never get bitten.

[I know, I know.]

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Originally posted by alegator
Say I install WinXP SP2 in a PC without any firewall/antivirus protection and leave it permanently connected to the internet with a broadband connection. How long does it take for it to become infected?

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Thanks everyone for their replies. I read that hackers run special scanners that scan many IP's per second to be able to intrude in systems. So, even if I don't use it at all, is it a high probability that a hacker might take control of my PC in such a situation? MY firewall frequently reports intrusion attempts, even with the PC not being used at all, so I wonder what those intrusion attempts might do without any firewall.

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Originally posted by alegator
Thanks everyone for their replies. I read that hackers run special scanners that scan many IP's per second to be able to intrude in systems. So, even if I don't use it at all, is it a high probability that a hacker might take control of my PC in such a situation? MY firewall frequently reports intrusion attempts, even with the PC not being used at all, so I wonder what those intrusion attempts might do without any firewall.

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I use XP SP2, and have no firewall.  In fact, I've never used a firewall.  I rarely, if ever have any issues.  Once in a while I'll get some spyware, but Spybot does away with it easily enough.  On a rare occasion I'll get a virus.  Usually just because 99% of the software on my machine is pirated, and the cracks and keygens sometimes are infected.  I've never had a serious issue though.

depends if it's behind a router too.(sorta a firewall) and sometimes hackers pick stuff up if u had a similar ip to a company when their scanning they might find you and say, "woo hoo free proxy" or something to that effect

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99% of the software on my machine is pirated

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in britain (or around the world i dont know) its an average of 40minutes for your computer to get hacked into, whenyou leave it connected to the internet, with no firewall or security devices on, or something like that.

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Originally posted by ICD
in britain (or around the world i dont know) its an average of 40minutes for your computer to get hacked into, whenyou leave it connected to the internet, with no firewall or security devices on, or something like that.

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Ok, so say my unprotected PC is hacked. What can a hacker do and not do? Can he only read my files, read all of them or just a certain directory, or also is he able to control my PC completely? (delete, format, change settings, etc etc)?

yeah i think so, or he could use it to connect to a premium rate phone line or something by installing something so you're paying £3.00 a minute, while your sleeping.

or something like that, im only very vague on it.

well if everyone bought linux,they would have to waste all their money no would they? i guess it depends on look, wether a webspider gets you or not.

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Originally posted by Phillip
I hate all these people that go out and buy Virus scanners, email scanners, firewalls, etc. Just a waste of money IMO.

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Well if you don't install sp2 it would be like 7 minutes (that was when MS blaster got me...) or 5 (the stupid virus that closed every window with the word virus in it...)
But with sp2 it is a bit safer....

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Originally posted by ICD
well if everyone bought linux,they

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actually, you can buy the CD's or DVD if you want, its optional.

in my world windows is free, beacause i know the right people

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Originally posted by ICD
actually, you can buy the CD's or DVD if you want, its optional.

in my world windows is free, beacause i know the right people

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As foaly said, at one point an unpatched XP or 2000 could be compromised in a matter of minutes by someone using a tool to scan the Blaster or Sasser ports, as these exploits were remotely available and could do some serious damage.

Basically, you could plant a file on the computer, set it to run at start up, set the computer to reboot (usually done by causing an "essential" system service to crash) and then you could use the program as you saw fit (if it was something like sub7 or whatever).

In certain machines, you could likely overclock the hardware and permanently damage it. Newer CPUs and Graphics cards would be most at risk.

Currently there aren't any widely-known exploits for Windows XP SP2 + Patches (and when there are, MS usually release patches quickish) so it'll take a lot longer for a PC to be exploited, if it's not in use.

The amount of viruses on a system is usually proportional to the users age (teenagers tend to use things like Limewire to download files, and have no idea that the really small download for the latest hit is actually a virus) and noobishness (even an older person is likely to click "Protect Yourself Now!" in an advertisement).

Ok.

Windows xp SP2 has its own built in firewall.
Protects you against most stuff. So most cases people use SP2 with its firewall(in fact is pretty good before sp2 i use to use sygate personal firewall. use to pick up intusions all the time after sp2 went on it picked up nothing. so 3months of testing i removed it and now only use windows xp with sp2. Built in firewall)


What can hacker do?

Well dial phone numbers charge them to you?(maybe not sure if that can be down via boardband /cable maybe just dial up as it uses your phoneline number. Boardbrand is ADSL uses different line not going out over same line as u make phone calls.)

Your machine can be come spam server sending out x amount of e-mails a minute. Which in return will get your ISP's mail server blacklist.(everything gets bounded back or straight to spam boxes).

Can also result in your internet getting turned of by your ISP. At least until you fix your issue or your told to switch to different ISP.

but generally nothing much to harm you lol. Can't damage your pc. can't really do anything just screw it up and send out thousands of emails all day long lol


If your using it. that would ean all your data, usernames and password can be stolen. banking details, paypal, cerdit card details all that rubbish,)