Viruses,
Hoaxes and Scareware
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This page may help you avoid (or clear)
those nasty destructive programs.
See also Here for Basic
Security
There may be times when your
installed anti virus software is unable
to clear a virus and you need to tackle it even before Windows has
started.
A number of companies provide free software that is capable
of starting
your machine and cleaning it. Microsoft uses a 'bootable
Windows Defender
program'. Defender is like Security Essentials. See
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-gb/windows/what-is-windows-defender-offline
Other 'portable' anti virus software comes from Sophos, Spybot
Search
and
Destroy, AVG Rescue CD, Avira Rescue System, F-Secure Rescue CD and
Kaspersky
Rescue Disk
A little known program from
Microsoft will
check your machine for viruses. See https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/security/threat-protection/intelligence/safety-scanner-download
Helpful Guru Bob Rankin has just updated
his recommendations on free and paid AV programs
Leo Notenboom also has an excellent article about
removing PUPs (Potentially Unwanted Prograns) at https://askleo.com/remove-pups/
http://askbobrankin.com/update_free_antivirus_programs.html?awt_l=Orks6&awt_m=Jo13YRCAxuP6SL
I use Avast Free. So does Bob Rankin. Avast
2016
- a summary by him. But you have to be prepared to be pestered daily to
upgrade to the pro version. This applies to most other anti virus
software. After all there are riches to be found from this
problem!
My own version of this advice is in a
paragraph below
Malware protection
These days we would be very fortunate if we have never been affected by
Malware, or Adware. They can take various forms but are usually about
making money for the person spreading the software. We might have been
downloading a reputable program but inadvertently clicked on something
we didn't
want. We find that our searches are being sent to somewhere THEY want
you to go,
or they may promise to check your computer for viruses or because it is
slow.
Chances are they will find dozens of things wrong, then
suggest you pay for more software to get rid of the problems.
Don't go down
that route.
Immediately set about clearing THEIR software.
There are a number of tools to help with this in addition to
your anti-virus software
(which didn't stop the intrusion)
I always have the free versions of the following reputable programs in
readiness for such an event. If you wish to get them go to the links
here, rather than browsing for the programs. To be on the
safe side
it is a good thing to have a working Restore point before scanning with
these.
Of course EVERYONE is in the business to make money. The free
ones usually do a reasonable job but increasingly, these days, it will
be suggested that you buy their 'Pro' version that does even more.
The choice is up to you.
1.
www.malwarebytes.co.uk
to get to the setup, called MBAM.
2.
www.piriform.com/ccleaner/download
to get Ccleaner. It clears rubbish but also has an uninstaller and a
Register cleaner
3. https://toolslib.net/downloads/viewdownload/1-adwcleaner/
to get Adwcleaner. This is a powerful tool which will remove most nasty
intrusions that others miss.
4. I actually pay for the basic version of Iobit Malware, which keeps
on
improving the way it checks the PC. I have just installed the
update which revealed a text file which showed some of the
improvements:
What's new in IObit Malware Fighter 5:
+ Optimized IObit Anti-malware Engine - Scan much faster with lower
resource usage. Detect and remove more threats thoroughly for higher
security.
+ New Anti-Ransomware Engine - Protect your important files from
malicious attacks and illegal access by third-party programs.
+ New Download Protection - Scan your downloaded files to keep your PC
away from the malicious files.
+ New Camera Guard - Protect your camera from unauthorized use and
prevent malicious programs from spying on your privacy.
+ Enhanced Scan - Strengthen the scan for Rootkit to protect your PC in
all-round.
+ Optimized Surfing Protection and added Ads Removal - Protect your
browser from various online threats and remove more annoying ads for
safer and smoother surfing experience.
+ Optimized Plugin / Toolbar Cleaner - Monitor the activities of
Plugins / Toolbars in real-time for safer and cleaner PC.
+ Optimized Update Process - Update database and product version more
timely, stably and conveniently.
+ Brand New UI - Support high DPI displays & high resolution
screens for better experience.
+ Larger Database - Support removing more latest stubborn malware and
viruses.
+ Better Compatibility - Enjoy full-round protection on latest Windows
10.
One thing I am not
so keen on is the constant nags to install even better versions of
their various tools !
5. As a final check, if I think something is amiss I run the program
Superantispyware. There is a free version of this, too.
I do not have any of these programs loaded at startup but do have
shortcuts on the desktop to them, in case I need them.
I also quite like the Iobit uninstaller (http://www.iobit.com/en/advanceduninstaller.php
) as it clears things from the register that are often left behind by
most un-installers.
One program that is spending a lot on publicity lately is Scanguard
A number of reputable writers say to stay clear of that one.
If you have had a number of friends say they have had unusual emails
from you, usually
trying to advertise something.
Chances are that your email address has been hacked,
It would certainly be a good idea to change your password.
If
your email is rejecting your password even though you are certain you
have
entered it right ? First, make sure that you don't have your
caps lock on ! Passwords are case sensitive. But if you really can't
get in
i is as well to get through to your email program provider and report
it, as it is possible someone has changed it so THEY can get into it.
That could be more serious.
Anti Virus Programs
It pays to shop
around as many are offering discounts
Of course one must also have an anti virus program.There are several
free ones, usually with paid versions offering more protection. Most
offer a free trial.
Most anti virus programs are now written to work with Windows, Apple
and
Android devices
For
Windows, the minimum should be what was called Microsoft Security
Essentials (or what is also called Windows Defender)
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-gb/windows/security-essentials-download
It is free and there is no paid version or Apple or Android
versions.
It is updated daily via the Windows Update system.
There are many other anti-virus programs vying for the top spot. Most
have free versions and free trials but usually also have paid for
versions,
which offer a wider range of protection.
AVG
McAfee
Kaspersky
http://www.kaspersky.co.uk/
Avira www.Avira.com
www.Bullguard.com
www.Avast.com.
If you cannot tackle the virus problems yourself.the Which report said
Carphone Warehouse did the best job and charged only £25 on
average.
Pcworld charged an average of £95 and missed more. When it
came to
which AV software that tested well they favoured Bullguard and
Microsoft Essentials (free). Personally I have been more impressed with
Avast
recently, although it bothers you to upgrade. The Comprehensive version
is £39 and the Premier one is £49. A little less if
you buy 2 or 3 year packages.
Despite all my efforts I managed to pick up a bothersome program which kept on interupting my even flow: I got a browser
hijacker on not just one but two of my PCs ! Next thing I knew my
Google Chrome was looking down the barrel of something call 'Roll
around'. The effect is that whatever site you browse to you see Roll
around adverts. And, worse than that it can lead you to sites that you
would prefer not to visit, some of which are reputed to do even worse
things to your computer.
I
found and uninstalled the program, then ran that
old favourite, Malwarebytes, which reported a few cases of Roll around,
which I quarantined. I even deleted the words from my registers. But
the adverts continued to appear alongside the contents of the pages I
had browsed for. I expected to find additional add-ons in the Settings
of my Google browser but there were none. I was beginning to run out of
ideas, so restored to a week before and that appears to have fixed it.
So, how did I contract this persistent infection ?
I
use a Microsoft program to string together
videos and pictures in a format that will play on the family DVD player
(via TV). Unfortunately, the videos I was using were from a camera and
were in the MP4 format. And that is one format that the program cannot
accept. So, my error was to download a free converter, so I could make
the, all into WMV (Windows Video) format. Such free programs are
notorious for including a 'payload' of that kind. And it did.
The
moral of this tale is to be careful what you download; and use Restore
as soon as you find that your browser is leading you astray.
This sort of thing is becoming all too common and they are becoming ever more difficult to rectify.
PASSWORD
CHANGE ?
There
have been frequesnt leaks of data including passwords and much more
besides People are frequently advised to change their passwords.
Certainly businesses and
people
who do on line banking or buy stuff should consider making a
change. One
company that provides and on-line password vault called
LASTPASS
is enabling people
to check whether the sites they use have been
compromised. There
are three versions of their
program from
Free to Enterprise.. 2017. Even Lastpass has now been hacked.
You
are advised to open the program directly, rather than any other method
(such as an add on to your browser), to avoid problems. See a report HERE
If you are suspicious about a
particular
file and think it might contain
a virus you can forward it to
http://www.virustotal.com/
for
a thorough report
But to see what the UK government suggests see https://www.cyberaware.gov.uk/
As good geek Leo says ,
you don't
need a
new computer because you
have a
virus. Viruses, however sophisticated, are only software.
Your hard
ware is still intact. It may be old and slow (and that is
another reason
to get a new machine) See
http://askleo.com/one-reason-why-you-dont-need-a-new-computer/?awt_l=BNm.h&awt_m=Jbza9y998JdfbL
By the end of 2015 the Cryptolocker
scam had
been
cracked. But other versions of Ransomeware have appeared, such as
Wannacry and Petya (June 17) . If you wish to read the full
story of Petya please click
on the Sophos site HERE
Sophos also offers a free anti virus software (but insists that
you get rid of all your current anti malware programs)
And Sophos offers a free malware clearances tool which can be
downloaded from HERE
Ransomware
This has become the biggest money spinner on line. Malware infects your
PC (if you downloaded the
virus).
It then encrypts the data (such
as documents and spreadsheets)
and when you try to open them you get a demand for a large sum of money
to
get the key to open them. A company might be totally
dependent on these
files
and there is NOTHING anyone can do to break the encryption. If you have
backed
up the files to somewhere outside the machine (another machine, an
external
hard disk, a flash device or something like Dropbox, you may be able
to
restore them. But otherwise you are in a fix.
The average price is $300.
Malware is becoming common and sophisticated. A contact
got something by clicking on a link in an email from a friend.
This
had been sent to her by one of their friends (who should have known
better).
She found that Internet Explorer was not usable. Restore did
not help.
She managed to use Firefox to download fresh copies of AVG, Ccleaner
and
Malwarebytes (free). These appeared to clear many items but
the problems
continued. She finally ran Superantispyware twice and finally cleared
the
last bug. I advised to delete all previous restore points,
which would
have contained the infection. But it was a long job and she was
experienced.
Imagine trying to instruct a newbie to do all this via email.
Things
are weighted in the scammer's favour.
PEOPLE CONTINUE TO
LOSE MONEY.
Check your accounts, change your passwords and even
your credit
card.
It is imperative
that your computer is made
secure
against
these things.
See Help8 for
more details about Microsoft's
free offerings
If you come across
a scam/fraud, get as much
detail
as you can
and report
it to
http://www.actionfraud.org.uk/
I have just removed
the most difficult virus
I have
ever
tackled (in a friend's computer). It
was from antivira. The instructions are at
http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/virus-removal/remove-antivira-av
There are several steps to take, so print and follow the instructions
closely.
In particular not that when disabling it with the program
Rkill I found
it necessary to click on it several times, ignoring the warnings the
virus
continued to send. The reason that I consider it to be the most
difficult
is that it disabled Safe Mode, stopped every EXE file from running and
even
prevented boot of the XP disk from the drive, thus preventing an XP
repair.
The program constantly amends Internet Explorer so that it only visits
a
proxy site (and this must be altered (see the notes on the site above)
although
it didn't affect access to the net by Firefox. The total time
to remove
this virus was around four hours ! Alternative methods for
removal
can be found at
http://deletemalware.blogspot.com/2011/02/how-to-remove-antivira-av-uninstall.html
What is Trusteer
Rapport and do I
need it ? Trusteer is a company which specialises in software
to protect
banks (and you) from fraud. Many banks in the UK and USA
recommend
this software and it is even possible that it will have arrived on your
PC
just because you have done on-line banking. Rapport produces regular
reports
which may popup on your bottom line stating how many times it has
prevented
accesses to your PC which might compromise it. Although I
look at these
reports I fail to understand what they are preventing and am even
assured
by the report that the listing does not mean that your machine is
infected.
The software is trying to prevent accesses which might enable a crook
to
copy your bank details and password.
The
latest
scareware program
is introduced to users
by a screen that looks like a normal browser warning (IE,
Firefox,Chrome
etc) and even mimics Windows Security Essentials warning screen. It
suggests
that you download a program called Win7 AV to clear the viruses but, in
fact,
infects you further. Watch out for this clever one.
A friend who had a virus infection writes
"After cleaning my PC with AVG and Spybot, I also cleaned it with
Spyware
Terminator, Superantispyware and Malwarebytes (as you recommended) and
in
that order. Surprisingly Malwarebytes discovered
what the others didn't.
This illustrstrates that depending on a single virus remover,
even
one as popular as AVG, is not wise.
Like many people, I
get phone calls saying
that I
have a
problem on
my computer.
This is a scam, originating from call centres in India but
controlled
by people in the UK. They try to convince you that you have a virus by
suggesting
that you look at certain files. They then suggest to the gullible that
they
pay £90 to download a program (which is actually free) to
clear the
virus. Once hey have your card details they are home and dry
!
There is NO REASON
these days to be without
virus
protection !
http://www.microsoft.com/security/portal/
is the Microsoft centre for research into Malware. It gives great
detail
on new threats and methods of removal. Microsoft Adware
Removal Tool is
incorporated in later Microsoft programs but is still on the net.
Windows Defender, formerly known as Microsoft
AntiSpyware, is a software
product from Microsoft to prevent, remove and quarantine spyware in
Microsoft
Windows. It is included and enabled by default in Windows Vista and
Windows
7, and is available as a free download for Windows XP and Windows
Server
2003.
Microsoft Security Essentials provides basic
real-time
protection for your
home PC that guards against viruses, spyware, and other malicious
software.
It is a free download from Microsoft that is simple to install, easy to
use,
and always kept up to date so you can be assured your PC is protected
by
the latest technology. It is easy to tell if your PC is secure. When
yours
is green, your computer is OK If it is orange you need to
click it
and follow the instructions. It runs quietly and efficiently in the
background
so that you are free to use your Windows-based PC the way you want
without
interruptions or long computer wait times. See
http://www.microsoft.com/Security_Essentials/
Microsoft SpyNet is the network of Windows Defender
and Microsoft
Security Essentials users that help determine which programs are
classified
as spyware. The signatures created for any submitted programs by the
users
of the product are available to all users, displayed as a bar graph
that
shows the percentage of people who have allowed, blocked, or removed an
item.
This method of spyware classification allows rare, unknown, or new
spyware
to be categorized as most people choose to send their data.
A good article
discussing the merits of
Windows
Security is at
http://lifehacker.com/5401453/stop-paying-for-windows-security-microsofts-security-tools-are-good-enough.
It concludes that you don't need anything else and that includes the
Windows
own firewall (Advanced mode)
How
good is Microsoft Security Essentials
? Can I get rid of my other anti virus /anti adware programs
? See
Bob Rankin's write up at
http://askbobrankin.com/microsoft_security_essentials.html
If you installed Microsoft Windows
Defender on your PC it will be automatically turned off when you
install Security Essentials.
So,
you might as well delete it
What
is a Firewall ?
For
a
complete description of this essential
security element see
http://www.askbobrankin.com/do_i_need_a_firewall.html
Most people know that Windows has its own
Firewall.
Unfortunately it
is not completely effective (doesn't check outgoing calls) and it is
advisable
to add another such as Comodo
The
other famous
free firewall is Zone Alarm from
Zonelabs. Lately I have found that their newest version has selectively
caused
problems with (1) NTL e-mail collection (2) Avast anti virus updates
and
(3) Google Earth. So I gave it the heave-ho and used Sygate
for a while.
But I found that Sygate was letting everything through and I
have returned
to Zone Alarm.
If
you
have a
firewall.... and you SHOULD have...
do you know whether it actually stops your computer
accessing the
internet without your permission. There is a small program
called the
Leaktest from
http://www.grc.com/lt/leaktest.htm
that will check this. But your firewall may be doing this
outward bound
check. Certainly Zone Alarm does. So, if you use Leaktest,
the correct
result is that your firewall should BLOCK it when
it tries to access
the net.
It
really is
about time all ISP's woke up to their
responsibility to protect their customers from
malware. A friend
has been seriously
inconvenienced in this respect and, after getting a second new
machine
in under a year, this one has become infected with a Trojan, probably
as
a result of being inundated with popups shortly after he got on the
net.
His Norton has said there is no problem but there clearly is
and he
is now completely off the air. It really is not fair of Tiscali to let
him
down like this and it is costing him dear in cash and worry.
There
is no good reason why an ISP should let through 1) viruses 2) Spyware
3)
Popups 4) Spam. Mine doesn't and there is no excuse.
Once again
I suggest that anyone who is bothered by these things despite heeding
all
the warnings and installing all the requisite protection they should CHANGE
THEIR ISP.
Good
alternatives to AVG
are Antivir, and Avast!
from www.avast.com,
At one stage the US Government suggested we don't use Internet Explorer
(!!!)
to browse the net as it was so full of holes! Alternatives are Opera
and
the latest favourite Firefox, free from Mozilla. See the link
at the
top of the page on Web surfing.
It is the one I use
in preference to Internet Explorer. Unfortunately even these Browsers
are
vulnerable.
Lately
I have
found that people are getting infected
by simply clicking on a website or clicking on a message which has
appeared
on their screen. It says click here to do ...(various
things).
Whether you click Yes or No you still get infected.
My advice
would be to go off line immediately, even if you have to pull the plug
out
of the wall or the modem. Keeping your PC clean of viruses is
important,
not only for you but for the rest of the Internet system. Your
PC
may be among those being hijacked to send the emails and spam! Such
PC's
are termed 'zombies'. As well as proliferating the problems the method
is
used to prevent the rogues being traced. .
It is now possible for any idiot hacker to get hold of
"Phishing" software, which
will 'spoof' you bank's
heading and lead you to click on a link aimed at getting your account
details.
So, think before your click links in email messages, even if
those email
messages are from friends, family or companies. This is especially true
for
links in email messages from Amazon, AOL, eBay, PayPal, your bank, your
credit
card company, or any other company you normally do business with. If
any
web site, financial company, or commercial entity sends you an email
asking
you to click on a hyperlink in that email to update your account
information,
DO NOT CLICK ON THAT LINK. This only applies to hyperlinks in email
messages
and web pages, not addresses you manually key in to your browser's
address
bar. So,to be really safe, if you need to access your account
information
at Amazon, AOL, eBay, PayPal, your bank or financial institution, your
credit
card company etc and manually enter the address.
Software
is also
available to view and hear you
through your webcam, so be sure you are properly dressed !
SIMPLE
SECURITY RULES
:
(1) NEVER download an attachment to an e-mail (even
from a know address)
if you are unsure what it is. Infected attachments most commonly end in
Pif,
Scr, Exe, Com and lately may be Zip(ped- compressed versions )of these
(2) Keep your email and web browser programs up-to-date; get the latest
updates
from Microsoft from
Http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com
.
(3) Get and keep up-to-date an anti virus program.
(4) Install a Firewall program.
(5) Occasionally run an up-to-date anti Spyware program.
(6) If an e-mail says "Pass this warning on", don't bother, it will be
a
hoax.
(7) If you are suddenly invited to 'click here', win cash or take an IQ
test,
don't. Go off line and get back on again.
See below for free
programs that can help.
(8) If you use music file sharing software, expect to get virus
infections.
(9) If you get a spam email then DO NOT CLICK ON ANY LINK in it, even
one
which say you can unsubscribe with it. It is possible that
the link
will lead to a website which will send you a VIRUS ! This is
called
V-SPAM
If
you
want to
know how to avoid viruses look
at the following page
http://uk.trendmicro-europe.com/ It
is also the home of the Housecall free virus checker.
A
general site
for virus information is
www.f-secure.com
And PLEASE check with
them that the scary message you are forwarding is not a hoax.
Many of them are, (see
list below). You can also check
for hoaxes on www.vmyths.com.
See also
www.getvirushelp.com/.
Another
nice
explanation is at
http://www.securityfocus.com/columnists/220
What
to do if you get a virus
infection
Obviously,
if you have an anti virus program you
should do a full scan. However, no anti virus software is
completely
effective and many are out of date, so you should also run another anti
virus
program from the net e.g.
http://housecall.trendmicro.com
When
I
get a
request about a problem that I suspect
is a virus I immediately search the Internet for the main word e.g.
"Sober"
or "Bagle". Inevitably I am led to helpful 'Forums' or Anti virus
companies
that are having to deal with similar problems. If you get problems,
such
as regular unwanted pop-ups I suggest that you do a search of the
Internet
in this way and look for links to sites that appear to be dealing with
the
problem. You may find a simple cleaner : There are a number of small
programs
that will clear groups of viruses and there are also tools issued by
anti
virus companies to clear specific viruses: see their sites e.g.
For Bugbear get a fix from
http://securityresponse.symantec.com/avcenter/FxBgbear.exe
For a tiny virus cleaner for Bagle, Bugbear, Netsky, Sasser,
Bispy,
Zafi, download the remover vcleaner.exe from
www.grisoft.com.
Avast also do an
effective free anti virus program.
Network Associates (Mcafee) provide another excellent 750k
program
(Stinger) which will
check your machine for 30 recent
viruses. Download it from
http://vil.nai.com/vil/stinger.
Windows ME and XP users, when clearing viruses,
should temporarily turn off Restore (go Start, Help, and
search for
Turn off system restore). If you do not do this you
are in danger
of re-infection and your anti virus software will also continue to
report
an infection. Turning it off (see XP Help) will clear all previous
restore
points, so make sure you restore RESTORE after you
have cleaned up.
Often
the
problems are caused by, not one
but, a number of 'foreign' files in the computer and one technique to
get
rid of these things invariably involves downloading a program called
Hijackthis from
www.download.com.
When run on your
computer this program shows a list of the programs (good and bad) that
are
running in the background so a forum expert can advise which are the
nasty
ones and how to get rid of them. They usually also advise the running
of
the latest versions of programs such as Ad-aware and Spybot and
external
virus checkers such as the one offered by Housecall (see above). But
the
Hijackthis log will mean very little to the average computer user and
has
to be analysed by an expert.
**************
Dialers or Dialers.
Recently I have been
called on to disable a number of these programs. It is difficult to
know
how they arrive on people's computers but they can have rather
unpleasant
results. One of them constantly contacted a pornography site and others
have
been know to dial very expensive premium numbers without the knowledge
of
the person using the computer. In two cases the person had responded to
a
pop-up, which had invited them to take an IQ test. This connected them
to
a premium number which remained connected even after the test was
completed.
Dialers can cost a great deal of money in phone bills and this is not
discovered
until your next bill arrives. I have heard that the
IQ test person,
Neils Jalbo in Denmark, is STILL doing it and
has recently ripped
off one person for £60. Rogue dialers cannot affect people on
Broadband
.
A
friend got a
virus as a result of downloading
an attachment to a very official
looking email purporting to
be an update from Microsoft.
So watch out
! Microsoft NEVER send out updates. You either
have to go and beg
for them or your machine may be scheduled to automatically update. The
symptoms
of the virus were an error message about memory problems and a disabled
anti
virus program (which prompted the memory error at Startup). This was
followed
by over 90 emails, mainly bounced from non existent addresses and a few
which
told him he had the virus (Worm Swen A). I cleaned
it by downloading
www.housecall.antivirus.com
then installed an up to date anti virus program and did a second
scan.
Msblast
is a common worm (virus)
It doesn't affect Windows 95, 98 or ME but can hit Windows XP.
It is
not received via email but through a weakness in XP's armour. You are
unlikely
to get it if you have a Firewall active or if you
have downloaded
the latest XP patches. It is not destructive in that it does
not delete
files but may cause your machine to 'boot' over and over again, which
makes
it difficult to remove. In order to remove this virus please search
your
PC for msblast.exe (usually found in system32
folder) Delete it. Then
Click Start and select Run, Type msconfig & click OK. Select
the start-up
tab. Disable msblast. Reboot machine and enable your firewall
and
anti-virus software. As an added precaution, perform the next 2 steps:
Disable
Client for Microsoft Networks ; Disable File and Printer Sharing. Once
you
have done the above, get a Patch from an Anti Virus program supplier
such
as
http://securityresponse.symantec.com
If you are unable to get on-line, then the file is small
enough to download
from another PC on to a floppy disc, to install on your PC at a later
time.
Definitions :
Adware : Uses a similar technique to Spyware but is
usually a market research tool. May result in popup adverts.
Virus : The generally used term for malicious
programs which infect computers.
Zombie : A PC that has been infected with a program
that enables a hacker to distribute Malware (or Spam) without
you knowing.
Botnet
: The name given to the thousands of PCs infected by Trojans
and turned into Zombies without their owner's knowledge
Dialers
or Dialers are programs which dial premium numbers
from your computer without your knowledge.
Key
logger : A program which makes a record of
what you type. This is then accessed by someone who can find
things like your banking password or other confidential information
such as a Visa Number. Particularly dangerous and obnoxious
Malware.
The generic term for all viruses and harmful spyware
Phishing : Emails which appear to be from a bank and
asking you to confirm your account number and password
Spam
: Unsolicited advertising.
Spoofing This is where a link on a site is not what
it
appears to be but leads you to a different site.
Spyware : Programs or 'Cookies' which send
information back to
the 'owner' regarding your surfing habits. Often used for
marketing purposes.
Trojans : A dangerous program masquerading as
something harmless
and which allows the perpetrator to remotely control or view your
computer, usually sending out spam, viruses or phishing mail
Worms : Viruses which arrive mainly as email
attachments and
use your email contacts to spread the infection to others.
They do not require action on your part to replicate. They
may be harmless but can rapidly overwhelm an office network.
One
very silly
'virus',
which may show up on your
computer is Clickme. This shows as an icon on your desktop
which, when
clicked, moves to a different place. Not damaging but very annoying and
difficult
to remove as, like many of these programs, it is working in the
background
and you cannot remove a file which is in use. It is
often necessary
to start your machine in "Safe
Mode" in order
to do anything about it.
Excel
and Word
macro vulnerabilities discovered
! What's new about that ? ! Microsoft is encouraging users
of their
Office suite to download patches that will fix a problem discovered in
both
Word and Excel. Affected Windows versions include: Excel and Word 2000
and
2002, Microsoft Office XP. Get the details and patches from
Microsoft.
A
friend asked
me to speed up his Word
program, which had slowed suddenly. Printing took
for ever. I
didn't suspect a virus as he had PCCillin and Norton on the machine.
But
they were out of date and a virus is what it turned out to be.
I never
thought that a virus would just affect one program but it did.
IMPORTANT
: To prevent
accidental re-infection with a virus you should delete infected mail
from
your Inbox and your Deleted folder. I
suggest the following
method. First make sure that your e-mail Display Panel is OFF. Then
right
click and Delete all suspected emails (with attachments).
When
you have cleared a virus always restart
your computer because it is very likely to still be in
memory
***************
HOAXES.
Almost as bad as viruses and Spam for blocking
up the system are hoaxes. They almost all have dire warnings
and advise
you to pass the message on to everyone you know.
A
site which lists Internet hoaxes and myths is
www.vmyths.com.
They are pleased to receive any hoaxes so that
they can track
the occurrence of these. You should forward them to
HoaxFYI@vmyths.com
Also see
www.snopes.com
Please
don't delete the file Jdbgmgr.exe, even
if some e-mail tells you to. It
is a
HOAX. The file relates to Windows Java Debug
Manager. And
it is quite normal for the file to show a small
teddy bear icon by
the side of it. If you have already deleted the file you can get it
back
by going to the Microsoft knowledgebase article Q322993 for
instructions
how to restore your system:
http://support.microsoft.com/
But
your PC wont collapse if you don't. HOWEVER,
if you
receive an email with an attachment called
Jdbgmgr.exe you
should not (of course) download it
and run it because some
crafty soul has confused the whole issue by using it to disguise a
virus
! On my XP machine the file Properties shows the genuine one
to be
dated May 2002 and is 15,120 bytes, though hovering over the file says
14.7k.
Similar
is the Sulfnbk.exe
hoax. Please
note that your computer SHOULD have the program Sulfnbk.exe, which is a
Long
File name utility (it stands for Set Up Long File Name Backup)
So,
you should NOT remove it. But, no more panic notes about it
please
!
Typical
Hoax Names
Before
circulating these (and blocking up the web)
please check with www.snopes.com.
Some
may be real threats. Most are not.
Anti perspirants cause breast cancer.
No.
Cough
CPR.
The
suggestion that coughing could help in case of a heart attack.
See
http://www.snopes.com/medical/homecure/coughcpr.asp
Reversed
pin
number at
your ATM calls the police (new Dec 06)
Olympic
Torch burns your hard disk
WTC
(World
Trade
Center) Survivor
Dial
9 in
response to
an offer of a holiday and finish up with a huge bill.
jdbgmgr.exe
and
Sulfnbk below. Asks you to delete a normal file which, of course, you
find because it is a correct file !
Cancer
chain
letter
Perfume
hoax
Money
Transfer hoax
Life
is
beautiful hoax
Microsoft
piracy letter
!0000
email
address
trick prevents spam
Applebees
Gift
Certificate Gift Certificate hoax
Good
Times
Cell
Phone
hoax
Your
screen
name hoax
Microsoft
E-Mail
Tracking System hoax
Sulfnbk.exe.
This hoax
urges you to look for and delete the perfectly innocent Microsoft
program called Sulfnbk.exe. Naturally you find it and think you are
infected. You are NOT ! Sulfnbk.exe is a normal (but rather
unimportant) program
Be
My
Valentine
Virtual
Card
for You
Cancer
chain
letter
Money
Transfer From
Nigeria
Wobbler
virus
Perrin.exe
Don't
Lick
Envelopes
urban legend
Internet
Flower For You
Cracker
Barrel Gift
Certificate
Don't
Delete
Iwon.com
chain letter
Lotus
Notes
virus
Petroleum
Trust Fund
Luck
chain
letter
DeafSupport
e-mail
Budweiser
Frogs
All
Seeing
Eye Virus
Bill
602P
My
New Pics
Girl
Thing
RH
Power
chain letter
Infected
Bananas
HIV
needles
WIN
A HOLIDAY
Klingerman
Virus
Deutsche
Telekom
warning
Yahoo!
Service Systems
Overload
Zlatko
Virus
Internet
Flower
Cola-Cola
Old
Navy
chain letter
Barbie
chain
letter
Victoria's
Secret Gift
Certificate chain letter
Win
a Nokia
Riddle
chain
letter
Neiman-Marcus
Cookie
chain letter
Ericsson
WAP
Give-Away
AOL
IM chain
letter
Good
Times
Hotmail
Account
Gas
Out chain
letter
Newell
Company chain
letter
Touched
By An
Angel>PBR
virus
El
Poco virus
Free
Diet Coke
How
to Give a
Cat a
Colonic
Kentucky
Fried Chicken
chain letter
Drew
Kennedy
virus
Hacker's
List
chain
letter
PDS
(Parcel
Delivery
Service). This WAS a scam but has been closed down
Backup
methods
:
Other
possibilities include
- A
memory module Flash Drive) to push into a USB socket. Upwards
of 32Gb
- An
additional hard drive - internal or external (via USB)
£50 -
£100.
- 4.5Gb
DVD
Writers built into most PCs
- 4.7Gb
(or
more if it is dual layer) Re-writeable DVD Disks from 30p.>See
DVD
Writers
- To
make a
compressed backup of your hard disk use Norton Ghost. This is a utility
for fast and safe system upgrading, backup, and recovery.
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