Shoutbox

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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Oh.. well.. I don't think that's possible.. I mean if you're not using the computer then you're not installing anything.. not surfing the web.. not connecting to anything.. unless someone tries to hack you and guesses your ip by true luck..

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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If you do exactly what you said and don't actively use the computer, especially if you also install all the updates after SP2 and/or configure it to update automatically -- it will almost certainly remain uncompromised forever.

While there seem to be a new "security updates" for Windows every week, historically there have been very few zero-user-interaction remote exploits -- exploits that allow the computer to be compromised simply by someone connecting to an open port and sending some data.  There certainly have been some, but you can count all those since Windows 95 on fingers of one hand. 

There could be more such vulnerabilities not yet discovered and having a firewall may protect you against those proactively, but between how rare they are and how quickly they tend to get fixed, if you keep your Windows up to date and disable unnecessary services, odds are good without a firewall as well.

There have been far more vulnerabilities that can only be exploited through some user action (such as viewing a malicious web site or image/movie file).  Firewalls and other security software may protect you if you make such blunders, but arguably, so can adequate degree of caution.

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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no, not really, agenst common belief, most hackers only focus on business, and profit worthy people, if you don't know them, and you don't make your self known to them, then they usualy won't try to "hack" you, (i say usualy, because it could happen, but not a high chance)

if you have a high speed connection, and smart internet surfing habits, then you can remain, spyware/virus/malware/hacker free indefinably

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.