Drive-by Malware
Sorry you haven'’t heard from me in a bit, but it'’s that crazy time of the year that seems like it will never come, and then when it does, it just flies by! I hope some of you got some fun toys for Christmas, and you'’re ready to enjoy them.
One of the biggest problems I have been running into lately with people and their computer systems has been web sites installing malware on their computer. What generally will happen is that the user is surfing, and then they go to a site they see in a listing such as msn, google or yahoo. When they arrive at the site, sometimes they will see something that looks like a site, but not what they were looking for. Sometimes, the page appears to be blank, but will load a script, and then proceed to install bad software on your computer, as in viruses in the form of Trojan horses. This can be a real problem, as once a Trojan has been installed it can be very hard to get rid of. It will reside in your registry and place itself so that if you try to delete it, it will merely copy itself back into where it wants to be. Microsoft has itself addressed this issue, as it is a vulnerability in all Windows, right back to Windows 98, and there is as yet no official patch. Antivirus companies are recognizing this as a virus, and are updating, so be sure to download your newest files for your antivirus program. Thankfully, there are more experts out there than just Microsoft, and they have weighed in with a quick and dirty patch to tide us over until the boys from Redmond can release the official fix. Install this program now. Do NOT wait. This problem is growing every day, and will only get worse before it gets better.
So what do you do if you are already infected? Seeking assistance from a professional is the only advice I can recommend for now. Getting rid of this Trojan can be very difficult, and is beyond the scope of this short article. So how can you prevent this sort of thing from happening again in the future? Have some sort of spyware prevention running, as in Spybot -– Search and Destroy'’s Tea Timer, or Microsoft'’s Antispyware Beta.
A small helpful program is called Spyware Blaster, a listing of known sites with potential malware attached, which will prevent your computer from surfing there. It is updated regularly, but is in no way a replacement for any of the other programs mentioned previously.
Until next time, safe surfing, and stay tuned for updates to this situation!
Links referred to in this post:
http://www.grc.com/sn/notes-020.htm
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/advisory/912840.mspx
http://www.safer-networking.org/en/index.html
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/software/default.mspx
http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareblaster.html
One of the biggest problems I have been running into lately with people and their computer systems has been web sites installing malware on their computer. What generally will happen is that the user is surfing, and then they go to a site they see in a listing such as msn, google or yahoo. When they arrive at the site, sometimes they will see something that looks like a site, but not what they were looking for. Sometimes, the page appears to be blank, but will load a script, and then proceed to install bad software on your computer, as in viruses in the form of Trojan horses. This can be a real problem, as once a Trojan has been installed it can be very hard to get rid of. It will reside in your registry and place itself so that if you try to delete it, it will merely copy itself back into where it wants to be. Microsoft has itself addressed this issue, as it is a vulnerability in all Windows, right back to Windows 98, and there is as yet no official patch. Antivirus companies are recognizing this as a virus, and are updating, so be sure to download your newest files for your antivirus program. Thankfully, there are more experts out there than just Microsoft, and they have weighed in with a quick and dirty patch to tide us over until the boys from Redmond can release the official fix. Install this program now. Do NOT wait. This problem is growing every day, and will only get worse before it gets better.
So what do you do if you are already infected? Seeking assistance from a professional is the only advice I can recommend for now. Getting rid of this Trojan can be very difficult, and is beyond the scope of this short article. So how can you prevent this sort of thing from happening again in the future? Have some sort of spyware prevention running, as in Spybot -– Search and Destroy'’s Tea Timer, or Microsoft'’s Antispyware Beta.
A small helpful program is called Spyware Blaster, a listing of known sites with potential malware attached, which will prevent your computer from surfing there. It is updated regularly, but is in no way a replacement for any of the other programs mentioned previously.
Until next time, safe surfing, and stay tuned for updates to this situation!
Links referred to in this post:
http://www.grc.com/sn/notes-020.htm
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/advisory/912840.mspx
http://www.safer-networking.org/en/index.html
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/software/default.mspx
http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareblaster.html
hey, download.com's 4 top spyware killers are Ad-Aware, Webroot Spy Sweeper, Spybot and Spyware Doctor, and I noticed that it tells you in the reviews that they do not block or find the latest spyware because the program relies on a definition file... Are there any that you know of that are more recently updated, because I have had this program called "180search Assistant" and I cannot get rid of it, it's not much of a bother, but i would like to eventually get rid of it. I have had it for a VERY long time.
ReplyDeleteTry using Microsoft Antispyware Beta, and let me know how that works. I see that the 180 is a nasty little program. I'll look into it a little more, but let me know if you get it fixed.
ReplyDeletehey i downloaded norton antivirus off of EMule. it ridded my system of the viruses!
ReplyDeletecheck out this program. D/L it and tell me how much you like it. I have been using it for about a year and I wouldnt want to work with out it, i have my desktop clear of all programs (hide them) and just use the dock. Try it!
http://www.download.com/Aqua-Dock/3000-2341_4-10277932.html?tag=lst-0-1
;) Update!
-John
Um, Sorry John, but I can't support stealing software. I'm glad that your system is free of viruses, but I'm sure there is a free tool out there that would've removed the virus. The especially bad part of running stolen software is the fact that it will not upgrade itself for you eventually, while the free ones often will. If you wish to advocate the use of paid software, this is fine, but I will not tolerate postings supporting piracy. Thanks for your future compliance!
ReplyDelete