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Archive for December, 2009

Internet Security 2010 is a rogue anti-spyware program

December 29th, 2009 by Blog Administrator, No Comments »

While at a client site we came across a new virus. It was called Internet Security 2010. This is a clever little one. I had some issues at first, but once I read the removal guide I was able to completely remove it. It disables outbound HTTP traffic, task manager and other items.

Internet Security 2010 is a rogue anti-spyware program that is installed through the use of malware. Once installed, Internet Security will be configured to start automatically when you login to Windows. It will then scan your computer and display numerous infections, but will not remove anything until you purchase the program. These infections, though, are all fake and are only being shown to trick you into thinking you are infected so that you then purchase the program. It goes without saying that you should definitely not purchase this program.  Source : http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/virus-removal/remove-internet-security-2010

 

Holiday Cheers And Try Not To Catch Any Malware This Season!

December 7th, 2009 by Blog Administrator, No Comments »

virus4Here at AndersonPC we see the amazing things that technology
can do for us as well as the miserable things that a malicious person can do
with that technology as they design and deploy virus, spyware, and malware.

We spend significant time
putting in measures to prevent and remove infections. Before I detail some of the worst ones we see
during the holidays, I thought I’d share the definitions of the three so it’s
clear.

Malware, short for malicious software, is software
designed to infiltrate or damage a computer system without the owner’s informed
consent. The expression is a general term used by computer professionals to
mean a variety of forms of hostile, intrusive, or annoying software or program
code. – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malware

A computer virus is a computer program that can copy
itself and infect a computer. The term “virus” is also commonly but
erroneously used to refer to other types of malware, adware, and spyware
programs that do not have the reproductive ability. A true virus can only
spread from one computer to another (in some form of executable code) when its
host is taken to the target computer; for instance because a user sent it over
a network or the Internet, or carried it on a removable medium such as a floppy
disk, CD, DVD, or USB drive. Viruses can increase their chances of spreading to
other computers by infecting files on a network file system or a file system
that is accessed by another computer. – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_virus

Spyware is a type of malware that is installed on computers
and collects information about users without their knowledge. The presence of
spyware is typically hidden from the user. Typically, spyware is secretly
installed on the user’s personal computer. Sometimes, however, spywares such as
keyloggers are installed by the owner of a shared, corporate, or public
computer on purpose in order to secretly monitor other users. – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spyware

Some of these scary infections become prolific during the holidays as predators use this time of year to spread their misery. A handy site to keep track of these bad boys is http://threatinfo.trendmicro.com/vinfo/default.asp You can see the latest Malware, Spyware, and Vulnerabilities that are spreading across the world.

One that can be a bear to remove is Windows Antivirus Pro comes in varying
names like Internet Antivirus Pro, and others.

virus1Windows
Antivirus Pro is a rogue anti-virus program and a ransomware that does not allow you
to run any programs on your computer. When Windows Antivirus Pro is installed it is configured to run every
time Windows starts. Once running it will automatically scan your computer and then list a variety of infections that you
cannot attempt to remove until you purchase the program. This program also acts
as ransomware because while it is running it will state that almost any program
you try to execute is an infection and not allow you to run it. This makes it
hard to run any legitimate anti-malware programs until you end the Windows
Antivirus Pro processes or purchase it.

virus1Be very careful of this one. ALT-F4 is your new best friend to close windows that are suspect without accidentally installing something.

There are so many virus and suspect programs to discuss I think the best bet is to follow the advice from my previous blog post at http://blog.andersonpc.com/2009/12/antivirus/ and work hard to steer clear or problem areas.
Just remember the majority of infections come from users clicking and
installing the malware or virus. Very
few can infect the PC without the user allowing it.

 

 

Some helpful links:

http://www.microsoft.com/Security/portal/

http://threatinfo.trendmicro.com/vinfo/

http://home.mcafee.com/VirusInfo/Default.aspx

http://www.symantec.com/content/en/us/home_homeoffice/media/theme/parentresources/14550777_FOSG_final.pdf

Viruses and malware have such a huge negative effect on your productivity

December 2nd, 2009 by Blog Administrator, No Comments »

canwehelpWe are constantly dealing with issues related to spyware, viruses, and other malware due to unchecked Internet usage.  A lot of small businesses have no active Internet browsing policies, leaving a lot of ambiguity on what users can or cannot visit as work-appropriate sites.  There are a lot of great tips that I wanted to share with you all. Feel free to pass this post on to your employees and co-workers.  Your bottom line will thank you.

Please consider yourself warned: Viruses and malware have such a huge negative effect on your productivity, and have real costs associated with troubleshooting, rebuilding, or replacing computers.

5 ways you can get viruses, spyware, malware, etc. from visiting the Internet:  How to protect yourself with common sense, and some general tips to tighten up your overall Internet security plan:

1.  Peer to peer networking sites

  • Bit torrent, Kazaa, Limewire, and Sharezaa shouldn’t be used.
  • Loaded with viruses and misleading content.
  • Also, they have very little relevance in the business environment.

2.  Social Networking sites: Facebook and Myspace

  • Automated malware attacks hit Facebook and Myspace constantly.
  • Don’t blindly trust Facebook and Myspace as they are a great breeding ground for viruses and social engineering hacks.
  • Be wary of fake profiles that send you messages asking you to click on them to “view videos” which prompts you to install “special software” to view them.
  • There are Facebook applications that contain malware. Especially some that can tell you who has been visiting your profile.
  • Unknown links can either download a virus right away or say something like your video player Adobe Flash is out of date and needs to be updated and that’s when the virus downloads.

3.  Web browsing

  • Be careful about how far down a path you go, clicking on link after link
  • Don’t download “smileys” or special “emoticons”
  • A lot of websites have been set up by hackers to try to trick you to download things on your computer when you go to them
  • Depending on your browser settings things may get automatically downloaded or it may ask you to install an update or active x control or something like that
  • When possible, make sure you have the most updated web browser out there (not always possible when you have specific business software that needs an older browser like IE6 or 7)

4.  IM

  • Don’t click on links in an IM from someone you don’t know
  • If it is from a friend ask them if it is OK to open or try a different method to send it
  • Don’t open attachments unless you know who it’s from and you are expecting it
  • Don’t download applets when it asks you to view pictures, etc.

5.  Email

  • Don’t click on a link if you don’t know the sender and the email is unsolicited.
  • Don’t click on links from services you don’t recognize that want you to update your account info or verify membership or something.
  • Don’t click on a link if you know the sender but the message is strange.
  • Don’t open attachments unless you know who it’s from and you are expecting it
  • Never open .exe or .scr attachments. Typical attachments are doc, xls, pdf, jpg.

General tips and friendly reminders:

  • You have a lot of control over the safety and security of your computer
  • Most viruses and malware need your help in getting installed
  • Remember the “Trojan Horse” story?  That’s why some viruses are referred to as “Trojans.”
  • Don’t believe everything you see in pop-up windows, especially offers to:
    • Optimize your computer
    • Protect your computer
    • Your computer is infected and you need Win Anti Spyware to clean it
    • These things will always download malware into your computer that will make it unusable, steal your information, use your computer to send spam, etc.
    • Hitting “cancel” on some popup windows is not enough. Sometimes the way it is worded will install the program if you click cancel.
    • Close it using red X in the top left corner of the window or going to Windows task manager (Ctrl-alt-del and click “Task Manager).

If you are unsure how to control these dangers to your network or where to go from here, call AndersonPC right away. It is better to attempt to stop something before it gets into your computer than to have us try to remove it or have to rebuild your computer. The old saying “It’s better to be safe than sorry,” definitely should apply to computer usage, especially when you’re on the Internet.  There are many ways to stop these dangers at the door with filtering firewalls and the correct desktop protection.

Paul Anderson Biz Card

Paul Anderson, CEO
AndersonPC.com, Managed IT Service Provider