Is it enough to format a computer/phone for erase a malware/virus?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Noob of the Maths
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Format
AI Thread Summary
Infecting a computer or smartphone with malware can lead to serious security issues, including real-time content viewing on other devices. Simply formatting the device may not be sufficient to eliminate the infection, as some malware can hide in areas inaccessible to users, such as through rootkits that conceal directories. Effective removal often requires specialized software, especially for persistent viruses that replicate themselves. For computers, using a read-only boot or rescue disk is recommended for cleaning, while smartphones present additional challenges due to limited access to memory and the inability to remove storage for inspection. Changing the IP address or using a VPN is not a reliable solution for malware removal, as the infected system must be offline to effectively clean it.
Noob of the Maths
Messages
52
Reaction score
6
I have a question about a infecting computer or smartphone:

If was infected and the contents can be viewed in real time in other equipment... its enough to format for clean the computer/smartphone? or the "ip" needs to be change or is required use a VPN?

How its infected this kind of virus/malware? i don't know about this kind of tracking and if its possible erase completely, i have a issue with a computer years ago by this, maybe i infected opening a email or image...
 
Computer science news on Phys.org
It's sometimes very difficult to root out malware from a machine. One well-known virus would launch 3 copies of itself and each time you deleted a copy the other two would detect it and relaunch before you could get to them. It took a specially written program to get rid of the infection.

There are areas of every computer where viruses can be stashed where an end-user can't get to them. Sometimes a Rootkit is installed which can hide certain directories from view and from deletion. The only way you might know something is amiss is in a mismatch of total file sizes vs available disk space. Sony did this some years ago and was roundly castigated by the public.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sony_BMG_copy_protection_rootkit_scandal
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Likes sysprog and Lnewqban
Noob of the Maths said:
If was infected and the contents can be viewed in real time in other equipment... its enough to format for clean the computer/smartphone? or the "ip" needs to be change or is required use a VPN?
Mentioning network stuff makes me suspicious that you want to do this remotely, what makes the answer a definitive 'no'. As long as the infected system running (and you won't have network access if it's not running) it's difficult to clean up even with a local antivirus software. Any remote filesystem operation is just futile.

On computers it is advised that any 'formatting' or 'cleaning' to be done by a read only boot/rescue disk.

Phones are really tricky, since by default you don't have access to all the memory: also, you can't remove the 'HDD' from the phone to be wiped or inspected on a different device. Also, there are no alternative boot devices.
 
  • Like
Likes Noob of the Maths
jedishrfu said:
It's sometimes very difficult to root out malware from a machine. One well-known virus would launch 3 copies of itself and each time you deleted a copy the other two would detect it and relaunch before you could get to them. It took a specially written program to get rid of the infection.

There are areas of every computer where viruses can be stashed where an end-user can't get to them. Sometimes a Rootkit is installed which can hide certain directories from view and from deletion. The only way you might know something is amiss is in a mismatch of total file sizes vs available disk space. Sony did this some years ago and was roundly castigated by the public.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sony_BMG_copy_protection_rootkit_scandalhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sony_BMG_copy_protection_rootkit_scandal
Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sony_BMG_copy_protection_rootkit_scandal
 
I came across a video regarding the use of AI/ML to work through complex datasets to determine complicated protein structures. It is a promising and beneficial use of AI/ML. AlphaFold - The Most Useful Thing AI Has Ever Done https://www.ebi.ac.uk/training/online/courses/alphafold/an-introductory-guide-to-its-strengths-and-limitations/what-is-alphafold/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AlphaFold https://deepmind.google/about/ Edit/update: The AlphaFold article in Nature John Jumper...
Interesting article about an AI writing scandal at Sports Illustrated: https://www.cnn.com/2023/11/29/opinions/sports-illustrated-ai-controversy-leitch/index.html I hadn't heard about it in real-time, which is probably indicative about how far SI has fallen*. In short, the article discusses how SI was caught using AI and worse fake reporter photos/profiles to write game summaries. Game summaries are the short articles that summarize last night's Phillies game. They are so formulaic that...
Back
Top