Can viruses really steal ID information?

[Broken Arrow]

Yes they can.

However it's not as prevalent as everyone makes it out to be. Honestly, I really wouldn't worry about it - at all...

Well, I have to respectfully disagree....

Infections are fairly common. It would be even more so if there isn't a wide-spread adoption of security measures. If you think about it, even Microsoft have various measure in place by default, and that's not something they started out doing.

The only difference is the level of damage being done. Except for phishing scams, data compromise among personal users are fairly uncommon in my opinion. But I think that has to do with what hackers are generally after, and they're after your computer and bandwidth more than your personal data....

The other thing about that computer focus is that a personal user is much less likely to notice. For example, processes running in the background generating DDoS attacks, spam ads, or spreading more infections isn't going to seem more than just the net being slower than usual again. So, if we can't see the attack taking place, especially if we ourselves are not being targeted, then we don't think of it as a big deal....

Of course, perhaps I am also overly-cautious. I've been accused of that before as well. But I'd rather prepare for the worst than hope for the best.

[sweeps]

I really wouldn't worry about it - at all...

Hahaha

[GrimJack]

Yes they can.

However it's not as prevalent as everyone makes it out to be. Honestly, I really wouldn't worry about it - at all...

Either you run a bank of zomby computers or your computer is zombified - I can't imagine that anyone would have computer intercourse without using protection!

[chewie8himup]

I would never dream of not being properly protected! It would be crazy to do such a thing.

I have CYberdefender loaded onto my computer and I know it has blocked some nasty viruses a few times. I'm so glad I know I've got all my bases covered. It's very good to know I'm safe.

[wraddylan]

Yes Dear,

Its a very risky.

[GirlyChick]

Yes they can and it is VERY scary. Protect your identity.

Seriously

[goldentraders]

Trojan a kind of virus in disguise... It pretends to be harmless it may act as a download-friendly file, then once you download it, the worms will reproduce until your computer sucks...

* Never talk to strangers as you should never accept files from anyone you don't know
* When downloading files off the Internet, be sure it's from a reputable site.
* Never run or even peek at files you receive through your email program from people you don't know. If there's no response you might need to delete it or else...
* Install a Virus Detection program -- you can find a free one called Inoculate.
* Set yourself up a regular time to update the virus scans, and do it -- if we don't keep our computers up-to-date on the latest technologies, then we are leaving ourselves vulnerable. With over 200 new viruses being reported each month, tomorrow is not the time to update...but TODAY.
* One more important step is to backup your important files regularly.
Better safe than sorry!

[sandyandry]

I think if you put your SSN into pc then the ID can be stolen. My recommendation is that you never put your SSN into your computer. It is a nine digit number that should only be 'stored' in your head.

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Budget worksheet

[Brad VanGuard]

I think a virus can do anything it wants if it's been engineered right.

[Broken Arrow]

Not to intentionally scare anyone further, but there are also website-based attacks. A popular example of this is called MPack. It's a malware that is designed for application-specific attacks via PHP exploits. What does that mean?

Basically, by simply visiting a website that is compromised by MPack, you may already be infected.

Mpack specifically targets Windows, Internet Explorer, and to a lesser extent, Firefox browsers. However, because of its modular design, its range is theoretically limitless. For now though, it appears to be confined to Windows and PHP.

On top of that, customers of MPack (yes, customers!) will also receive a free one year's worth of support for each and every purchase (yes, customer support! ).

For better or worse, MPack has been around since 2007(!) and is fairly well-documented. But the point is, and let me emphasize this again: Do not go to websites you think is suspicious! As Mpack illustrates, simply visiting a website is enough to get you infected.