Need Ideas To Help Another Using OS 10 w/Safari

[sandybeach]

This will be rather long so may make for good winter reading  !

I have temporarily taken over MOD & ADMIN duties of a phpBB board after
the elderly, widowed lady who usually does it came down w/ an infected machine. The board is under SPAM assault BUT that's another story/post!

I thought she used WIN PC so I offered to help clean up her machine knowing most needed items/links etc.

Sadly, I have no experience w/ Macs AT ALL so am way out of my depth but, as is my nature, I still want to help!

I think I need to supply some links to free (if possible) real time A/V (preferably w/out "cloud" requirement as I still have more than a few concerns
about this bandwagon especially after cloud hosted malwares/ ZA etc.).

Additionally similar links for on demand scanners/removers & possibly free firewall suitable for Macs.

Thankfully, she's on cable w/ no wireless anything which must help.

From her E-Mail:

"What happened to my computer? It is very, very slow and sometimes refuses
to do what I ask, until I hound it for awhile. And my mouse is acting very
strangely ( that may well be just a mouse problem ). Again I know nothing
about computer stuff anymore, but I have wondered if I have the stuff you
use malware, or adware or whatever it is called. Sorry to sound so very
stupid!

I use a cable hook up. Nothing wireless. I have OS 10.6.8, use Safari as
my Browser."

Further:
"In answer to your computer security questions. I use nothing. I don't use
my firewall and haven't used any antivirus in years ( got tired of paying
for it ).   I am paranoid about downloading any free stuff, mostly due to my
lack of knowledge, rather than paranoia."

I need suggestions on how to instruct her to clean/repair any damage & then to protect her going forward.

This board has so many famous/infamous
folks on it,     I'm sure some have Macs so know the routines needed.

Please help me to help her!! 

Thanks, Sandy 

[Bugbatter]

Sophos has some good info on Mac malware as well as a free AV for Macs (At least it was free last time I checked).
http://www.sophos.com/en-us/products/free-tools/sophos-antivirus-for-mac-home-edition/features.aspx

They also have a Mac forum here: http://openforum.sophos.com/t5/MacTalk/ct-p/FTT_MAC

I'd start at Sophos, but perhaps other members of this forum will have more info to add below.

Good luck! Let us know how it goes.

[sandybeach]

I will surely try those links you've so kindly provided & see what kind of course I can recommend to her (by E-Mail as her little netbook is all she dares to use just now!!).

Sorry to have been slow replying but the night I posted from my desktop, I found the XP laptop
had had its' Avira disabled and  could not get active Guard to open (more correctly , it would open & immediately close according to serv.msc  & event viewer). Attempt at updating showed 50mb download coming over "speedy" cable at 5-7 kps until it froze.!!! Figured to go at that first!

Rather than the full un&re-install, I downloaded the 50mgs on desktop & transferred to laptop which after the update seems fine. Scanning now just in case.

I'll be pleased to get back to you when I know more!    Sandy

[sandybeach]

Sorry to take so long in returning to tell of the final resolution, but I only last night received, BY SNAIL MAIL, her reply to several of my e-mails to her.

I heard from another poster that she'd been in hospital for about a week so delay not unreasonable.

Having included the link for the A/V for her to download, I also included instructions on how to clear her browser cache & retained cookies incl. the one that had here banned from her own board!!

Her letter indicates that having no luck in clearing browser of cookies & cache, she decided to not attempt the A/V cleaning and instead sent it off to the local repair shop for a reformat.

Her letter further indicated she was resigning from the board admin duties, and fearing further attacks on her machine as well as her 3 e-mail accounts, she's killed all three and is not divulging her new one to any on the board for fear that the spam bots will get it.

Anyway, I have now become defacto admin and have either had some modest success at beating them back or they're taking extended X-Mas vacations... .  Thanks for the help here as always!!   Sandy