Member Avatar for Techno22

I use Windows Security Essentials but it let me down badly yesterday when a Trojan Downloader (TrojanDownloader:Java/OpenConnection.J) got by and played havoc with the system.
Also let through other severe viruses.
How can I stop this happening again?
How can I close that open connection?
Thanks.

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Short summary and the big fix: running Windows Vista makes this hard to secure — Microsoft stopped issuing security updates for Vista on April 11, 2017, so running modern web-facing software or depending only on an on‑device AV is risky. The only long‑term remedy is to move the machine to a supported OS (or replace it). (support.microsoft.com)

Immediate containment (do these first)

  • Disconnect the laptop from the Internet / local network (unplug Ethernet, turn off Wi‑Fi) and stop using it for banking or password changes.
  • To find and close the exact outbound connection, run a connection viewer on a clean machine or the infected one (if you must): tcpview.exe (Sysinternals) shows process → remote address and can close established connections; alternatively use netstat -ano to map PID → process and then stop the process (taskkill /PID <pid> /F). Preserve screenshots/logs for later. For incident‑handling guidance, isolate first, then investigate. (csrc.nist.gov)

How to clean safely

  • Create and boot the machine from trusted rescue media (offline scans): examples are Kaspersky Rescue Disk or Microsoft Defender Offline — these run outside Windows and can detect/remediate boot‑sector/rootkit‑style threats. Update the rescue definitions before scanning (create on a different, clean PC). Back up only personal documents (avoid backing up .exe and scripts). If cleanup is uncertain, expect to wipe and do a clean OS reinstall. After cleanup, change all important passwords from a known‑clean device and enable MFA. (kaspersky.com)

Specific note about the Trojan you named

  • TrojanDownloaders that contain “Java” in their name often arrive via an out‑of‑date Java browser plugin or JNLP/WebStart. If you don’t need Java in the browser, uninstall or disable the Java plugin (or restrict it to a single, trusted browser). CERT/US‑CERT advisories historically recommend disabling Java applets when not required. (kb.cert.org)

Practical wrap: AV vendors mentioned in the thread (Avast, ESET, Kaspersky) are reasonable choices, but no AV can fully mitigate an unsupported OS. Priority order: isolate → offline scan / rescue media → backup important files (clean only) → wipe/reinstall or upgrade OS → restore and harden (least privilege, automatic updates, remove unneeded plugins, regular backups). As , and noted, good AV helps — but on Vista the OS support gap is the real problem.

Recommended Answers

All 8 Replies

Member Avatar for Tofayel

I am using Avast and I am highly satisfied with it.

Member Avatar for Techno22

Thanks.
I used Avast for a few years until Microsoft Security Essentials came along.
Never had any problems with Avast.
Strongly considering going back to it, although I think that Security Essentials
would be considered a superior product by a lot of users.

Member Avatar for dimsums

Nothing on the market can bulletproof a system, I work with lots of workstations using various AV software, ESET is a good one but cost a bit to purchase, Avast by far has the best features and speed, one of the best feature is the Boot-time scan. other than that, most are good to use, except those that comes in a yellow box or red box....

Member Avatar for Techno22

Will look into that.
Appreciate having your views.
Many thanks.

Member Avatar for Raion

My suggestion is Kaspersky.... it has never let me down, and believe me i have used my laptop in the harshest of environments....

I use Kaspersky 6.0

Member Avatar for Techno22

Many thanks.
It enjoys a very good reputation and I think that it is well worth a try.

Member Avatar for caperjack

except those that comes in a yellow box or red box....

i think for clarity,and newbies to computer security they should be named ,Norton and McAfee

Member Avatar for Techno22

Thanks caperjack.
Always appreciate having your comments.
Best wishes.

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