[RESOLVED] [2005] Virus Scanner?

[sheikh78]

Hi. I was wondering how to create some kind of antivirus program using Visual basic.net 2005? I know this is going to be a lot of work so if anybody has a link or information about 3rd party controls that can be used to help me in this project, could you please provide them? And I would also appreciate it if anybody could help in this project. Isn't a virus scanner pretty much a program that scans your whole computer for files with a certan extension? So how could I search for files with a certain extension on my computer? Thank you.

[jmcilhinney]

It's got nothing to do with extensions other than that the extension might indicate whether a file should be excluded from a scan or not. It has everything to do with testing the binary data of files to find familiar patterns that indicate the presence of something untoward. A .NET virus scanner would be very slow in comparison to native code I would think.

[Kasracer]

jmcilhinney is correct. Current virus scanners work by looking at all of the files on your system and testing for certain patterns in the binary data that would indicate a virus or worm.

No matter what the file extension, the file could still contain a virus. I could take a virus that's currently named as "myvirus.exe" and rename it to "Fluffy Kittens.txt". It won't execute now since its extension isn't one that can be executed but it still contains a virus.

[nothingofvalue]

"Imagination is more important than knowledge" - Albert Einstein, born on March 14th 1879.

Hey now

[sheikh78]

What? Oh I didn't know you even had that quote. I wasn't stealing it if thats what you are thinking. Great minds think alike?

[sheikh78]

Well might as well wait until I'm old enough to create something like an antivirus program.

[nothingofvalue]

No worries...it's not my quote to steal anyway. Just making a joke.

[Kasracer]

Well might as well wait until I'm old enough to create something like an antivirus program.

Why bother? With Vista finally incorporating appropriate security that OS X and *nix have been benefiting from, I don't see Anti-Virus and Spyware software selling very well in the near future.

There isn't even a need for it today as long as you're careful and don't allow others on your system.

[mpdeglau]

Why bother? With Vista finally incorporating appropriate security that OS X and *nix have been benefiting from, I don't see Anti-Virus and Spyware software selling very well in the near future.

There isn't even a need for it today as long as you're careful and don't allow others on your system.

Until they make banners that Flash and say you've won illegal there will always be a need for anti-virus and spyware programs. There are plenty of computer users out there, who if there is a virus they will manage to download it and send it to everyone they know.

[OMITT3D]

Until they make banners that Flash and say you've won illegal there will always be a need for anti-virus and spyware programs. There are plenty of computer users out there, who if there is a virus they will manage to download it and send it to everyone they know.

I disagree if you're dumb enough to get a virus get off the PC

[jmcilhinney]

To think that increased security in Windows will eradicate viruses is naive. With Windows so widespread and Microsoft such a target of so much angst there were alway soging to be plenty of people who wanted to create viruses and other malware. If security is beefed up in Windows then the script kiddies may have to bow out but those with nouse will still find a way. If Windows is harder to crack there will be those who will try harder and those who will move to other targets, so you may find that increased security in Windows will result in a larger number of viruses, et al., on other platforms. Having said that, Windows is likely to always be less secure than other platforms because of the fact that it attempts to be all things to all people. If Apple had sacrificed some of their control for more widespread appeal, e.g. hardware support, then you can bet that there would have been more security holes found in Mac OS and more viruses and malware written for it.

[jmcilhinney]

I disagree if you're dumb enough to get a virus get off the PC

Pure genius. I've had viral infections before. I removed them with the help of Norton Antivirus. Perhaps I should have just got my dumb ass off the PC instead. I use the Internet regularly and I do like to download things sometimes. If I don't have a virus scanner to warn me if such a file is infected then I am dumb.

[OMITT3D]

Pure genius. I've had viral infections before. I removed them with the help of Norton Antivirus. Perhaps I should have just got my dumb ass off the PC instead. I use the Internet regularly and I do like to download things sometimes. If I don't have a virus scanner to warn me if such a file is infected then I am dumb.

Couldn't have said it better myself.

[Kasracer]

To think that increased security in Windows will eradicate viruses is naive.

I never said it would eradicate viruses but with a security model similar to that of OS X and *nix operating systems, it will force the user to authenticate when they are installing software. Surfing on a website and then all of a sudden having a prompt ask you for authorization to run a piece of software FROM that site... well that should tip off most users into knowthing something is up and denying it.

Having said that, Windows is likely to always be less secure than other platforms because of the fact that it attempts to be all things to all people. If Apple had sacrificed some of their control for more widespread appeal, e.g. hardware support, then you can bet that there would have been more security holes found in Mac OS and more viruses and malware written for it.

This doesn't make sense. Because Apple is only available on Macintosh hardware has absoultely nothing to do with its security. The only thing Apple is doing right now to control their OS is require a chip on the macintosh hardware. That's it and believe me, a chip isn't going to create more security holes. Other than that, it's just as open as Windows in terms of development.

Apple currently runs on the same hardware as PCs do. x86 with standard nVidia or ATi graphics cards.

Apple's only "control" is the TMP chip present on Apple hardware. That's all.

Pure genius. I've had viral infections before. I removed them with the help of Norton Antivirus. Perhaps I should have just got my dumb ass off the PC instead. I use the Internet regularly and I do like to download things sometimes. If I don't have a virus scanner to warn me if such a file is infected then I am dumb.

I assume this was sarcastic. Unfortunately, I would have to agree with what you said as if it wasn't sarcastic. Anything someone downloads, they should know what they're downloading first and foremost. If you don't know what you're downloading or if you're download something from a shady website then of course something bad can and probably will happen.

Since the age of 8 (when I started using computers) till today (13 years later) I have only gotten infected with a virus once and that was because I downloaded about 200 viruses and worms onto a zip disk and unleashed it on an old windows 98 machine just to see what would happen. It's very easy to avoid infections: avoid websites that are shady, don't download something if you don't know what it is, and don't download illegal software. Those 3 steps have worked quite well for me.

I know most usually say to me how do I know if I've never been infected if I don't have anti-virus software installed onto my machine? Well, I used to have McAfee on one PC and Norton on another because they came with them. I currently have AVG on my computer but I never need to use it.

Anyway, this is completely off-topic and I vote this thread be closed.

[OMITT3D]

I assume this was sarcastic. Unfortunately, I would have to agree with what you said as if it wasn't sarcastic. Anything someone downloads, they should know what they're downloading first and foremost. If you don't know what you're downloading or if you're download something from a shady website then of course something bad can and probably will happen.

Since the age of 8 (when I started using computers) till today (13 years later) I have only gotten infected with a virus once and that was because I downloaded about 200 viruses and worms onto a zip disk and unleashed it on an old windows 98 machine just to see what would happen. It's very easy to avoid infections: avoid websites that are shady, don't download something if you don't know what it is, and don't download illegal software. Those 3 steps have worked quite well for me.

I know most usually say to me how do I know if I've never been infected if I don't have anti-virus software installed onto my machine? Well, I used to have McAfee on one PC and Norton on another because they came with them. I currently have AVG on my computer but I never need to use it.

Anyway, this is completely off-topic and I vote this thread be closed.

EDIT: And you can still download "illegal" files if you use torrents and not be a moron who uses Limwire or other trash like that.

EDIT: Just move it to chit chat not lock

[sheikh78]

Well we shoud move it to chitchat since my post has been answered. And when did you guys first start using the computer? I used the computer to play video games (not high graphics like we have today) at the age of 3 and 4. (MS Flight Simulator was a pretty good game).