Virus Removal Tools Tips and Tricks

iAntiVirus utility for Mac

noreply@blogger.com (venky) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 01:11:54 PST

If computer gets infected, a virus or worm will usually attempt to spread itself to your friends, family and associates by accessing your email contacts and networked PCs. The infection may also allow hackers to access files on your Mac, use it to launch attacks against other computers and websites or to send mass SPAM email.

PC Tools newest security application iAntiVirus. The software is used to protect Macs from viruses, spyware, keyloggers, and trojans intent on accessing files and personal information. The antivirus runs silently in the background, constantly monitoring the computer's system, and alerts users about attempted attacks. The application quartines detected viruses where users can view and restore items.

PC Tools iAntivirus guards against Mac only malware, including viruses, worms, trojans, spyware and adware. Unlike some Mac antivirus software, PC Tools iAntivirus doesn't cover Windows-based malware, which helps keep performance costs and system impact low but may not be the best bet choice in a mixed Mac/Windows environment PC Tools iAntivirus is free for home (and home office) use and currently supports Intel-based Macs running OS X 10.5
PC Tools iAntivirus features realtime protection, scheduled quick scans, and scheduled updates. Monitoring mode keeps iAntivirus working truly in the background, ideal for those who don't want to be disturbed by alerts or anyone trying to conserve laptop batteries.

PC Tools iAntivirus is currently in beta, supports Intel-based Mac OS X v10.5 only, and is free for home (or home office) use. Corporate users can purchase a license for approximately $30 which includes free 24/7 tech support.

First Look: Symantec's Norton AntiVirus 11

noreply@blogger.com (venky) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 08:42:03 PST

When you install NAV, it places a folder called "Symantec Solutions" in the Applications folder, which contains a number of manuals and four apps: Norton AntiVirus, Symantec Scheduler, LiveUpdate, and Symantec Uninstaller. A System Preference pane, Dashboard Widget, and menu item for controlling basic functions are also installed.

The NAV application acts as sort of a central gateway for the entire process, with a tabbed section for status and scanning, and another tab with the automatic protection details. The first pane contains details of when scans were performed, subscription expiry, blocked attacks, and more. The manual virus scans are controlled from here, with options for specific scanning of certain files or an overall, thorough scan of the hard drive, either of which can scan even compressed files. The quarantine section and viral definitions are also accessed through the NAV application.

Automatic Protection allows you to configure NAVs automated features, such as scanning and product updates, as well as viewing the vulnerability protection information

Symantec Scheduler, while integrated into the NAV application, is available as a standalone option, where users can enable new update schedules, or virus definition updates. Users can limit automatic updates to viral definitions, NAV, or LiveUpdate, or just simply download everything there is to get. LiveUpdate provides a simplistic interface to specific updates , and can open the Symantec scheduler.

NAV can scan files as they are downloaded or inserted in to the computer through other means. It will also scan Boot Camp volumes and files dragged in to the Mac OS from virtualization applications like Fusion and Parallels.

With behind-the-scenes virus scanning, and subtle warnings, Norton was rebuilt to better integrate with the Macintosh user experience. Check back soon for a full review of Norton AntiVirus 11 for Mac

Network and computer security threats solved by risk management

noreply@blogger.com (venky) — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 03:51:26 PDT

One of the recent most happening in network threats. Article by : John Pironti

In just the past few weeks, hackers stole data on the Pentagon's newest fighter jet, a hard drive containing top secret missile defense data was sold on eBay, while the state of Virginia's prescription monitoring program lost 8 million medical records from hackers (who are now demanding a $10 million ransom for it). And the list goes on.Is it that more network security threats and breaches are happening this year, or are more people becoming aware of these attacks?

It actually happens to be both. There's more regulation on data disclosure. Companies now have to step forward and report a data breach. So there's more knowledge out in the community.
Once California's Notice of Security Breach law came out, more people from other states wanted to know whether their information was protected. That concern paved the way for more data disclosure laws to be passed.
So the way that information is available now, plus the rise of customer-self-service applications, we're enabling customers to do more … over the Internet, and we haven't thought through all of the ways to protect ourselves on those applications.
Why are these applications creating more network security threats? Is it because they are new and information security professionals don't know how to secure them yet?

New technologies available, like Web 2.0, are a lot of the problem -- file-sharing programs especially.
There are a lot of people trying to search for sensitive files, and they find them in these file-sharing programs. It's no longer a single hacker after data, either. There are now organized factions that have a whole new level of access available to them.
Also, many end users are unaware of the impact of what they install on their computers.
Hackers have been getting people to download applications to get key stroke data. So whatever passwords people are putting down are getting recorded by these applications.
Then another part of the problem is that end users don't ask for help on how to secure themselves.

What are the biggest network security and computer security threats that are more prevalent this year than in any other?
The biggest problem -- in the last 18 years of my information security career -- is not going to be the newest attack. That's always going to be there -- that's what makes my job exciting. [Knowing] where my data [is] today -- the lack of data identification and classification -- is the biggest problem today.
In Smartphones and BlackBerry devices, for example, whenever you're emailing on that device, emails always get lost … When the security guys don't know where the data has gone, no one can secure it if they don't know where it is.
More this year than in other years, data usually ends up in areas that it wasn't ever supposed to be in the first place.
To write in a policy that your end users shouldn't transfer business-sensitive data on certain applications or devices isn't going to stop them from doing it. Policies are not enough. We need to back them up with guidelines, procedures, standards and sometimes technology.
If someone doesn't follow a policy, there should be consequence management that goes along with it … That may mean you'll have to pay fees, or you can't do certain tasks until you are in alignment with the policy … But ask yourself: How do I assist my populations? That may mean educating your users so that they comply.
Most people tend to react to a network security threat after it's too late rather than take the proper preventative measures to avoid these follies in the first place. What is it that enterprises don't count on happening or don't plan for?

We think of the worst-case scenarios, but we don't think of the high-probability and high-impact scenarios.
Take passwords, for example. We ask our users to come up with 10 to 15-character passwords that have to be changed every 30 to 60 days; that have to have numbers, letters and symbols; that can't be words in the dictionary; can't be the last three passwords that we've used, and then we say that [our end users] can't write those passwords down. That's ludicrous!
The truth of the matter is that most of us do write our passwords down on a sticky note and post it right onto our monitors.
Some people envision these Mission-Impossible-going-down-through-an-office-ceiling scenarios … when in reality all I have to do is dress as a cleaning person and walk into an office building over to somebody's monitor with a sticky note on it [to get someone's password and data].
The thing about security geeks is that they've solved the technological side but not the [end-user] side.
In your IT Security Track description you said that these "challenges all lead to the requirement for more intelligent threat-driven investments in information security." How might enterprises develop more intelligent threat-driven investments? What are the threat-driven investments that people aren't doing intelligently?

Threat and vulnerability analysis that's not technical. Talk about what's [a] really probable [threat] … But the more people are spending time looking at their processes, they say, "That's going to take a lot more time and effort than I can afford. Can't I just buy that box?" But that box doesn't have the right solution for that business's specific needs.
here's an antivirus (AV) lab that does testing on current tools, and they found that 40% of attacks are not being caught by the virus scanners. Because, for an antivirus company to turn a profit, they need to see thousands upon thousands of the same problem before they write a signature for it, because it takes a lot of time and effort to put one together. They have to cover a widespread [field of] security rather than a smaller one, which leaves many known issues wide open.
A lot of the smarter hackers are writing attacks that are specific to an organization and keeping it quiet. With cases like TJX and Hannaford, that's exactly what happened … These were attacks that were well-crafted.
In a tough economy, where many businesses are failing to make ends meet, what recommendations do you have to help enterprises stay on top of network security threats?

The guidance I [have to] give … [is to do] business process mapping: Understand how data goes from Point A to Point B … Then find your data. Once you find it, classify it; ask whether or not it needs to be more secure than other data … because not all data is created equal … Do this by [using] threat and vulnerability techniques.
Once that is complete, find where the high-probability and high-impact areas [are]. That's where you're going to spend your time.

The thing that keeps me awake at night is this conversation about compliance -- essentially giving enterprises checklists to go through … which is a paint-by-numbers approach to security, instead of doing security by risk assessment.
People think of security as a stopping point and not as a helping point -- that's why I've changed [the term] from "security" to "risk management."

Most companies are looking to cut costs. How can companies find a way to spend more on security?

In previous downturns, security was the first thing to go. [Information security is] risk management … so people would throw away risk.
In this economic downturn, security is the last thing to go because there's actually more cost tied to risk. It costs a company more to have an incident than it does to take the preventative measures to avoid it.

But in an economic downturn, people aren't putting more money into security … Security can drive value, if you're able to demonstrate it.
How can you demonstrate the need to put more money into security when a common complaint from network managers is that they can't convince upper management to listen to them? Pironti: The reality is that [network managers are] still talking about the technology instead of the human element.

They need to invest in being a business person, and get business skills so they can stop speaking geek and get CIOs and CFOs to understand how the technology aligns with their business processes.
Most of the senior leadership is concerned about profit, so you need to ask, "How will this security solution affect profit?" and explain yourself in those terms.
What do you think will be the biggest security-related trend or news coming out of Interop this year?
The one thing I think that all of the vendors are trying to do is to turn information security into a risk management conversation -- which is a good thing. Instead of assuming that what we [as vendors] know is best, we're going to look at what the businesses are doing to see how to secure their information accordingly.

Links for 2009-09-01 [del.icio.us]

Wed, 02 Sep 2009 00:00:00 PDT

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Avoiding Viruses and Spyware on computers

noreply@blogger.com (venky) — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 03:29:26 PDT

Install quality antivirus

Many computer users believe free antivirus applications, such as those included with an Internet service provider's bundled service offering, are sufficient to protect a computer from virus or spyware infection. However, such free anti-malware programs typically don't provide adequate protection from the ever-growing list of threats.
Instead, all Windows users should install professional, business-grade antivirus software on their PCs. Pro-grade antivirus programs update more frequently throughout the day (thereby providing timely protection against fast-emerging vulnerabilities), protect against a wider range of threats (such as rootkits), and enable additional protective features (such as custom scans).

Install real-time anti-spyware protection

Many computer users mistakenly believe that a single antivirus program with integrated spyware protection provides sufficient safeguards from adware and spyware. Others think free anti-spyware applications, combined with an antivirus utility, deliver capable protection from the skyrocketing number of spyware threats.
Unfortunately, that's just not the case. Most free anti-spyware programs do not provide real-time, or active, protection from adware, Trojan, and other spyware infections. While many free programs can detect spyware threats once they've infected a system, typically professional (or fully paid and licensed) anti-spyware programs are required to prevent infections and fully remove those infections already present.

Keep anti-malware applications current

Antivirus and anti-spyware programs require regular signature and database updates. Without these critical updates, anti-malware programs are unable to protect PCs from the latest threats.
In early 2009, antivirus provider AVG released statistics revealing that a lot of serious computer threats are secretive and fast-moving. Many of these infections are short-lived, but they're estimated to infect as many as 100,000 to 300,000 new Web sites a day.
Computer users must keep their antivirus and anti-spyware applications up to date. All Windows users must take measures to prevent license expiration, thereby ensuring that their anti-malware programs stay current and continue providing protection against the most recent threats. Those threats now spread with alarming speed, thanks to the popularity of such social media sites as Twitter, Facebook, and My Space.

Perform daily scans

Occasionally, virus and spyware threats escape sheer number and volume of potential and new outsmart security software. In other cases, users or spyware program to run.
Regardless of the infection source, enabling complete, layer of protection. These daily scans can be initially escape security software's attention.

Disable autorun

Many viruses work by attaching themselves to a drive and automatically installing themselves on any other media connected to the system. As a result, connecting any network drives, external hard disks, or even thumb drives to a system can result in the automatic propagation of such threats.
Computer users can disable the Windows autorun feature by following Microsoft's recommendations, which differ by operating system. Microsoft Knowledge Base articles 967715 and 967940 are frequently referenced for this purpose.

Disable image previews in Outlook

Simply receiving an infected Outlook e-mail message, one in which graphics code is used to enable the virus' execution, can result in a virus infection. Prevent against automatic infection by disabling image previews in Outlook.
By default, newer versions of Microsoft Outlook do not automatically display images. But if you or another user has changed the default security settings, you can switch them back (using Outlook 2007) by going to Tools | Trust Center, highlighting the Automatic Download option, and selecting Don't Download Pictures Automatically In HTML E-Mail Messages Or RSS.

Don't click on email links or attachments

It's a mantra most every Windows user has heard repeatedly: Don't click on email links or attachments. Yet users frequently fail to heed the warning.
Whether distracted, trustful of friends or colleagues they know, or simply fooled by a crafty email message, many users forget to be wary of links and attachments included within email messages, regardless of the source. Simply clicking on an email link or attachment can, within minutes, corrupt Windows, infect other machines, and destroy critical data.
Users should never click on email attachments without at least first scanning them for viruses using a business-class anti-malware application. As for clicking on links, users should access Web sites by opening a browser and manually navigating to the sites in question.

Surf smart

Many business-class anti-malware applications include browser plug-ins that help protect against infections, phishing attacks (in which pages purport to serve one function when in fact they financial, or other sensitive information), and similar exploits. Still others provide "link protection," links are checked against databases of known-bad pages.
Whenever possible, these preventive features should be deployed and enabled. Unless the normal Web browsing, users should leave them enabled. The same is true for automatic pop-are included in Internet Explorer 8, Google's toolbar, and other popular browser toolbars.

Use a hardware-based firewall

Technology professionals and others argue the benefits of software- versus hardware-based firewalls. Often, users encounter trouble trying to share printers, access network resources, and perform other tasks when deploying third-party software-based firewalls. As a result, I've seen many cases where firewalls have simply been disabled altogether.
But a reliable firewall is indispensable, as it protects computers from a wide variety of exploits, malicious network traffic, viruses, worms, and other vulnerabilities. Unfortunately, by itself, the software-based firewall included with Windows isn't sufficient to protect systems from the myriad robotic attacks affecting all Internet-connected systems. For this reason, all PCs connected to the Internet should be secured behind a capable hardware-based firewall.

Deploy DNS protection

Internet access introduces a wide variety of security risks. Among the most disconcerting may be drive-by infections, in which users only need to visit a compromised Web page to infect their own PCs (and potentially begin infecting those of customers, colleagues, and other staff).
Another worry is Web sites that distribute infected programs, applications, and Trojan files. Still another threat exists in the form of poisoned DNS attacks, whereby a compromised DNS server directs you to an unauthorized Web server. These compromised DNS servers are typically your ISP's systems, which usually translate friendly URLs such as yahoo.com to numeric IP addresses like 69.147.114.224.
Users can protect themselves from all these threats by changing the way their computers process DNS services. While a computer professional may be required to implement the switch, OpenDNS offers free DNS services to protect users against common phishing, spyware, and other Web-based hazards.

Mcafee Anti-Theft File Protection

noreply@blogger.com (venky) — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 03:30:53 PDT

McAfee Anti-Theft security provides easy-to-use
protection for your financial documents and
other important files at home or work against
thieves and hackers. It also allows you to keep
sensitive files private even if you share a PC.
Using powerful advanced technology, it lets
you secure files in password protected vaults.
McAfee Anti-Theft protection enables you to
securely transfer files using an USB drive. It
works with all major PC security software and
provides you with an additional layer of protection,
helping protect your privacy, your identity,
and your finances.

Easy to Use

McAfee Anti-Theft software is fast and easy to install and use, allowing you to quickly secure your files and focus on other activities.

Powerful Protection
Using advanced technology, McAfee helps
keep you a step ahead of ever-evolving
threats, helping ensure that you have the
best protection possible.

The Trusted Security Provider
McAfee has been the leading computer security
company for nearly 20 years. We are dedicated
to protecting you and your computer from
threats so you can get the most out of your PC
and the Internet without having to worry.

Simplified Security
You can easily secure your financial documents,
tax records and other important files in passwordprotected
”digital vaults.” You can reset your
password in case you forget it.

Product Features & Benefits
• Secure your files using strong file
encryption —256-bit Advanced Encryption
Standard (AES) technology protects your
personal documents and identity against
thieves and hackers
• Easily transfer and hide files—Move files
into a vault and keep them private even if
you share the computer with others
• Create multiple vaults on your PC and
USB drive—Set up as many secure areas as
you want, so every user can have their own
private space
• Password protect your vault—Create a
password for your vault and use the password
reset option if needed
• Extra protection—Provides an additional
layer of protection over your basic PC security
• Use with other computer security
software1— A great addition to your current
PC security software

Free Survey Software

noreply@blogger.com (venky) — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 06:58:01 PDT

Time, money and effort are important human resources. These are needed in
abundance, especially while conducting research through surveys.

The advent of survey software has helped save these valuable resources. It hardly takes any time to build, distribute and analyze the results of a survey. The costs of
communication, stationery and personnel are drastically cut down while using
survey software. However, survey software does not come entirely free.

With its matchless advantages, survey software is irresistible.

Even students who need to conduct surveys are tempted to use it. Non-profit organizations,too, need it urgently. But they might not have the funds to purchase it.
Companies who have funds might be skeptical to buy a new product and be unsure
of satisfactory results. To every problem, there is an answer. A large number of
vendors provide online surveys software
online. Every one of them provides a free trial pack and money back guarantee
after purchase. Users can try different packs and determine which one suits
their needs best before making final payment. Students can use it free of cost
for short assignments, without any obligation to subscribe.

Conficker virus on April

noreply@blogger.com (venky) — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 07:13:57 PDT

Conficker is a network worm that takes advantage of vulnerabilities in Windows to spread. Its removal is complicated by the fact that it blocks many known antivirus software and associated websites. BitDefender Labs has detected a new and more aggressive Downadup version. It spreads using a Windows RPC Server Service vulnerability and is called Win32.Worm.Downadup.Gen. The new version is more resilient to disinfection. Once the system is compromised, the worm disables Windows Update and blocks access to most of the anti-virus websites in order to hinder the user to disinfect his machine. BitDefender is the first to offer a free tool which disinfects all versions of Downadup. This domain is the first to serve a removal tool without being blocked by the e-threat. The worm itself is not new, it made its first appearance late November 2008, known under the names Conficker or Kido as well exploiting the vulnerability described in the Microsoft security bulletin MS08-067. After successful exploitation it used to install rogue security software on the infected machine.
Download and run the tools.
More Tools for Conflicer virus removal tools

video on Conficker virus infecting Computers

Windows XP with Login and logoff problem

noreply@blogger.com (venky) — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 05:58:25 PDT

Yesterday i came across this problem with one of the machine the problem was that the pc (which runs Windows XP with SP2) starts normally. The Windows splash screen appears correctly and then the login prompt correctly loads. You can then enter your user name and password like normal, but as soon as you try to login

you are IMMEDIATELY logged back out again. The desktop settings doesn’t even load. It moves immediately back to the login window where you can then enter your user name and password again. No matter how many times you try to login you always experience this immediate logout. Even if you try to login to the computer in safe mode you still experience the same problem. Event the administrtor account also can't be login.

Solution:The most common cause for this problem is virus. Antivirus on the system may not detect as it goes and change the windows login information.This problem can be fixer If you’re familiar with the Windows registry, this virus changes a few registry key values that makes it impossible to login to your computer. If you’re not familiar with the registry, don’t panic will explain how to fix this problem. Basically, the virus makes two very simple changes to your computer that render it useless. In order to fix the problem, you have to change these two things back to the way they were while your computer was working.

Boot the system using the Windows XP CD-ROM. In the first screen when the Setup begins, read the instructions press "R" (in the first screen) enter the Recovery
Console. Type-in the built-in Administrator password to enter the Console. You'll see the prompt reading C:\Windows (Or any other drive-letter where you've installed XP)

Type the following command and press Enter.
CD SYSTEM32
(If that does not work, try CHDIR SYSTEM32)
COPY USERINIT.EXE WSAUPDATER.EXE
Quit Recovery Console by typing EXIT and restart Windows.
You'll be able to login successfully as you've created the wsaupdater.exe file (now, a copy of userinit.exe)
Now, change the USERINIT value in the registry (see Phase II in this page) and change it accordingly.

Phase II - Fixing a registry entry which causes the Quick Launch issue (not retaining the settings)
Click Start, Run and type REGEDIT. Navigate to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft \ WindowsNT \ CurrentVersion \ Winlogon
In the right-pane, change the value of Userinit to "C:\WINDOWS\system32\userinit.exe,"
Type the above value exactly as given, including the comma - exclude the quotes. Also, change the path to userinit.exe appropriately if Windows is installed in a different drive.
Close Registry Editor and restart Windows. The Quick Launch settings should be retained now.

Symantec's Norton AntiVirus 11

noreply@blogger.com (venky) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 05:07:53 PST

Symantec’s antivirus program gets a new look and an improved scanning engine

Symantec. Norton AntiVirus (NAV) is the 800-pound gorilla of antivirus software, on both the Mac and the PC, and NAV 11 proves that reputation is well deserved. This version features a new, more straightforward interface, and a new Vulnerability Protection feature that scans files and images as you download them to ensure they aren’t packing viruses or malware. While it’s true that Macs are relatively free of viruses, NAV also scans for Windows viruses, of which there are plenty, which means your Mac won’t accidentally pass along dangerous files to your Windows-using friends.
Previous versions of NAV were notorious resource hogs, and version 11 addresses that flaw. Scanning my test Mac’s roughly 410,000 files (give or take a GIF here and there) had little to no impact on performance. Surfing the Web, checking e-mail, and listening to music with iTunes.

NAV took more than three and a half hours to complete the initial scan of my 170GB of data. This is something to keep in mind, since NAV 11 is configured, out of the box, to scan all volumes that you mount on your Mac, including disk images, iPods, Time Capsule volumes, and removable media. You can easily exclude volumes from autoscanning (a good idea for Time Machine disks) or disable this feature altogether. During my testing the scanning didn’t interfere with using the attached volume, nor did it report any false positives.

The Auto-Protect function constantly runs in the background, making sure that your Mac’s defenses are not breached. When NAV finds a virus (and it found all the test viruses on my system), an alert window appears in the lower left corner of your screen. NAV will repair any viruses it finds and alert you that it has done so. If it can’t repair the virus, it whisks that virus into Quarantine, a special folder on your hard drive, where it can’t harm your data. Once a file lands in NAV’s quarantine, a few things can happen: NAV can attempt to repair the file and remove it if possible; you can delete the file; or, if it was flagged erroneously, you can restore it to its original location.

Norton AntiVirus's new user interface is straightforward and easy to use. Statistics let you see at a glance what the program has done.
Speaking of default settings, NAV’s defaults are a bit aggressive. The application automatically scans all attached volumes, as noted above, and it also scans compressed files (.sit, .zip, and so on). NAV actually decompresses and then recompresses files on the fly, which makes such scans slightly more resource intensive. If this default is unchecked, NAV will immediately scan the files when they’re uncompressed, so your Mac maintains its level of security

Macworld’s buying advice
Norton AntiVirus 11 is the obvious choice for protecting your Mac in a mixed Windows-Mac environment, and a great option for anyone who is looking for a “set it and forget it” antivirus program. Upgrading from previous versions is worth the price for the scanning improvements alone

Antivirus Software Review's

noreply@blogger.com (venky) — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 05:43:04 PST

McAfee updates their new antivirus software with a few bells and whistles making it a good antivirus competitor. McAfee VirusScan Plus 2009 comes in close behind Norton only because of a slightly slower scanning speed and slightly lower malware detection rate. But other than that, McAfee VirusScan Plus 2009 holds its own again this year with a solid antivirus model, good antispyware, and a bonus firewall that other antivirus applications simply don't offer.

While McAfee VirusScan Plus 2009 isn't perfect, it's still a bargain for those comfortable with McAfee's history of competent antivirus software. You'll find lots of the same features, just more streamlined and easier to use.

Editor's Overview
• Surf safety ratings
• Instant updates
• Solid antivirus
• Good antispyware
• PC cleanup
• Average antispam
• Firewall
What does McAfee VirusScan Plus 2009 do Right?

The user interface is clean, easy to understand, and easy to use. The basic tools are all located on the left side just like a website, while the system status is located on the right for easy identification. You can also switch between the advanced and basic modes easily for those that want more options.

Independent testing shows that McAfee VirusScan Plus 2009 comes in just on the heels of Norton when it comes to scanning and identification speeds. While McAfee is still far behind our top picks of BitDefender and Kaspersky, McAfee still does an adequate job with antivirus protection in general.

McAfee's firewall is also a welcome inclusion that should be standard in any antivirus software application.

Their antispam feature is equal to that of most other antivirus protection suites. McAfee supports Outlook, Thunderbird, Eudora, Netscape as well as POP3 and MAPI.

One of the most interesting inclusions this year is the instant update feature. McAfee tries to identify, update, and block potential threats before they even happen. While not perfect by any means, this is an ambitious leap forward from the 5 min or even 1 hour update method of previous versions. They certainly get an "A" for effort here.

Features
• Anti-virus
• Anti-spyware
• Firewall
• Web site safety ratings
• PC clean up
Is There a Downside to McAfee VirusScan Plus 2009?

McAfee's tech support could be much better. It's not bad, but they don't make it easy to get direct help. And there's still no online tutorial or manual like you get with most antivirus software.

If you ever need to uninstall McAfee, there's not an instant uninstall feature. You're required to go into your Add/Remove Programs feature to remove the software. This isn't a big hurdle for most people, but it's still one more hurdle to overcome that isn't necessary.

Conclusion

McAfee VirusScan Plus 2009 is a step in the right direction. McAfee's proven to be a company for the long haul, and this year's antivirus software is proof of that. With good antivirus protection, antispyware protection, and firewall, McAfee VirusScan Plus 2009 holds its own. They still lack in speed and some bonus features, but if you're a life-long McAfee user, you can't go wrong with this 2009 version.

System Requirements
• Microsoft Windows 2000 (32-bit) with Service Pack 4 (SP4) or higher,
• Windows XP (32-bit) with Service Pack 1 (SP1) or higher,
• Windows Vista (32- or 64-bit) and Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1) or higher
• 800 X 600 or higher resolution
• 256 MB RAM
• 75 MB of available free drive space
• Internet connection
• Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 or later
• Optional: Mozilla Firefox 1.5 or later
Supported Email Programs
• POP3 – Outlook Express, Outlook, Eudora, Netscape, IncrediMail and Thunderbird; Japanese only: Shuriken, Becky and PostPet
• MAPI – Outlook
• Web – MSN/Hotmail, or email account with POP3 access
Features
McAfee VirusScan 9.0 automatically downloads updated virus definitions from the Internet on a regular basis. Staying up to date will dramatically decrease any possibility that a virus will infect your computer. On Average, McAfee comes out with new virus definitions on a daily basis.
You will have to register and login to get updates making the process longer than it needs be.
Feature Set: Excellent
McAfee VirusScan offers a rich list of features. You can set VirusScan to scan your computer at a preprogrammed scheduled time. The program also scans for spyware and adware.
You can't add several tasks to the Scheduled Scan. It would be great to be able to scan all files once a month and only program files weekly or any other tasks you would like to set up.
McAfee has an Antivirus Emergency Response Team that continually monitors the worldwide virus activities to provide you with the utmost safety. The always-on protection guards against viruses, spyware and other Internet threats that may enter your PC via e-mail, instant message attachments, Internet downloads, and web browsing.
One of the newest features is also one of our favorites. It's the QuickScan feature, which basically narrows virus scans to the most vulnerable and frequently attacked parts of your computer. This makes scanning much faster, although we still recommend doing a full scan periodically. Another great feature that can save you some time is SiteAdvisor. This system automatically gives you a visual signal in your browser telling you if the link you are about to click on will send you to a malware site. This can significantly decrease your infection rate, if used properly.
Ease of Installation: Excellent
We didn't encounter any problems during the installation process. Recently, McAfee has simplified the setup process, making installation faster than it used to be. But don't get too excited, installation times will still vary depending on the computer.
Help/Support: Very Good
McAfee has plenty of help options, including documentation, email and phone support. We were disappointed with their email response time - it took 5 days to respond and they didn't answer all of our questions, hence the low rating.

Microsoft releasing emergency patch for perilous IE flaw

noreply@blogger.com (venky) — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 04:16:50 PST

Microsoft will release an emergency patch on Wednesday to fix a perilous software flaw allowing hackers to hijack Internet Explorer browsers and take over computers.

The US software giant said on Tuesday that in response to "the threat to customers" it immediately mobilized security engineering teams worldwide to deliver a software cure "in the unprecedented time of eight days."

According to researchers at software security firm Trend Micro, attacks based on the vulnerability in the world's most popular Web browser are spreading "like wildfire" with millions of computers already compromised.

Microsoft typically releases patches for its software on the second Tuesday of each month and rushing this fix to computer users out-of-cycle is testimony to the severe danger of the threat, according to Trend Micro.

"When the patch is released people should run, not walk, to get it installed," said Trend Micro advanced threat researcher Paul Ferguson.

"This vulnerability is being actively exploited by cyber-criminals and getting worse every day."

Trend Micro has identified about 10,000 websites that have been infected with malicious software that can be surreptitiously slipped into visitors' unprotected IE browsers to take advantage of the flaw.

A major Internet portal in Taiwan is among the legitimate websites unknowingly tainted with malicious software aimed at IE's weak spot, according to Ferguson.

Hackers can take control of infected computers, steal data, redirect browsers to dubious websites, and use machines for devious activities such as attacks on other networks, according to security specialists.

"What makes this so insidious is it takes advantage of a big gaping hole of IE, which has the largest install base of any browser on the market," Ferguson said.

IE is used on nearly three-quarters of the world's computers, according to industry statistics from November.

"At this time, we are aware only of attacks that attempt to use this vulnerability against Windows Internet Explorer 7," said Microsoft security response communications head Christopher Budd.

"Microsoft encourages customers to test and deploy this update as soon as possible. Microsoft's teams worked around the clock."

Ferguson said the flaw is being taken advantage of in "multiple versions" of IE not just the most current.

Trend Micro urges IE users to heed precautionary advice from Microsoft, or avoid using the browsers, until the patches are applied.

"There is a working flaw circulating in the criminal underground," Ferguson said. "It opens the window of opportunity that much wider to take advantage and there has not been real protection against it."

The "exploit" is similar to one used recently to steal user names, passwords and other information from people playing online games in China, according to Trend Micro.

A Chinese computer security firm that had discovered attacks taking advantage of the IE flaw released details last week after evidently thinking Microsoft had fixed the problem with routinely released software patches.

"It spread like wildfire from there," Ferguson said. "I guess they were trying to be responsible and share what they knew about what was going on, but they were mistaken about it being patched."

Five Essentials of Maintaining a Healthy Computer

noreply@blogger.com (venky) — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 05:39:19 PST

Note: If your computer is already really slow or has been infected with viruses or adware, you will still find the steps below to be helpful.
The following maintenance essentials are listed in rough order of importance:
1. Firewall
2. Antivirus
3. Getting the latest security updates
4. Cleaning out adware and spyware
5. Extra credit: defragment your hard drive, block popups, and more

1. Firewall
What it is: A firewall is software that protects your computer from online attack. It is absolutely essential in this age of the Internet-centered computing experience. Without a firewall, malicious hackers could potentially track your online activities and exploit security vulnerabilities. Going online or surfing the net without a firewall is like waltzing through a wasp colony naked.
Recommendations: We really like ZoneAlarm (http://www.zonelabs.com). The Pro version is shareware, but the free version features superb online protection and is extremely easy to use. Customizable alerts tell you when suspicious activity is entering or leaving from your computer. There are also a bunch of other firewall applications available for download (see: CNET's listing of firewall software).
2. Antivirus
What it is: Antivirus software protects your computer from viruses, worms, trojan horses, and other bad code. A firewall will not protect you from inadvertently downloading a malicious virus online or through e-mail. That's where antivirus software steps in: it scans your computer and alerts you when it has found a rogue application.
Recommendations: Again, there's a lot of options. Norton Antivirus (http://www.symantec.com) offers a plethora of features, advanced scanning, and a neat "quarantine" option that will isolate viruses safely away from the rest of your computer. There are also some freeware antivirus choices. Regardless of what you choose, the antivirus software is only as good as your latest definition files. The definition files are released by the maker of the antivirus software and keep it updated of new, emerging viruses. In the case of Norton Antivirus, the built-in LiveUpdate feature makes automatically downloading the latest virus definition files painless. The advertised links on this page also usually contain a number of antivirus software options which may be helpful.
3. Getting the latest security updates
What it is: No program is perfect, and this is especially true of the Microsoft Windows operating systems and popular web browsers such as Internet Explorer. Every few weeks to months, a new security problem is discovered in Internet Explorer or Windows, and Microsoft then releases new software (usually called a fix or patch) to correct it. Neglecting to download the latest security updates could put your computer at risk to hackers and other villains.
Recommendations: Fortunately, Microsoft now makes obtaining the latest security updates easy: simply visit http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/. In Windows XP, you can also have Windows automatically download the latest updates: to do so, open your your Control Panels, open the System control panel, and click on the Automatic Updates tab. On a related note, keep in mind that security problems are not limited to Windows and web browsers; thus, you should check for updates for your other software from time to time as well, including your firewall and antivirus software.
4. Cleaning out adware and spyware
What it is: Almost as bad as viruses are adware and spyware. These programs, which are sometimes bundled with other software and sometimes install themselves on your computer without your explicit knowledge, can track the usage of your computer and display annoying windows and ads. They are a nuisance, hinder system performance, and can sometimes pose a security or privacy threat.
Recommendations: Our favorite programs are Spybot - Search & Destroy AdAware (http://www.lavasoft.de) . Features are very fast and thorough scanning and elimination of spyware/adware, and has a unique "immunize" feature for proactive protection. AdAware comes in free and shareware flavors; the free version has fully functional spyware/adware detection and elimination. Also, the advertised links on this page also point to adware/spyware removal software that might help. See also: CNET's listing of spyware/adware removers. As with antivirus software, be sure to update the definition/detection files to make sure you're keeping yourself safe from the latest threats.
5. Extra credit: defragment your hard drive, block popups, and more
What it is: There are a bunch of less essential measures to keep your computer in top shape. Advanced users will already be familiar with these, but all too often people are unaware of these simple steps. For example, defragmenting your hard drive regularly--once a week to once a month--will help to speed up file access and overall performance. Using a utility to scan your hard drive for problems is also recommended. Additionally, we highly recommend downloading a utility that will help stop pesky popup windows from websites.

Recommendations: All versions of Windows since Windows 95 have come with built-in tools to defragment and scan your hard drive for errors. You can access these tools by opening My Computer, right-clicking on the drive to defragment or scan (usually the C: drive), clicking on Properties in the menu that appears, and clicking on the Tools tab. Or, you can open your Start Menu, then click on Accessories, and finally System Tools. In addition, a number of third-party utilities can also do these tasks for you, such as Norton Utilities' Speed Disk and Disk Doctor. See also system utilities and optimizers and diagnostics on CNET. In more recent versions of Windows and many third-party utilities, you can schedule these maintenance tasks to run automatically at regular intervals.

Blocking popups is also easy, and a number of free applications will do it. We like the Google Toolbar best (http://toolbar.google.com) because it also comes with Google search features. Note, however, that the popup blocking functionality requires Internet Explorer 5.5 or above. More recent versions of Internet Explorer also feature built-in protection from popups.
There are also a whole bunch of other more advanced maintenance tips, but they are far from essential. Interested users may look into utilities that help maintain the Windows registry, for instance. However, the five suggestions explained above will be more than sufficient for almost all computer users.

And finally...use common sense!

Don't download software from disreputable sources or download programs that might contain spyware, adware, or viruses. Every once in a while (from once a week to once a month) scan your entire computer for adware/spyware and viruses to make sure your system is clean. Along with the tips given on this page, common sense is your best weapon in today's online world.

Cybercriminals syndicating Google Trends keywords to serve malware

noreply@blogger.com (venky) — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 06:55:13 PDT

According to a recent advisory issued by Webroot :

“For the first time, hackers are capitalizing on the top news stories from Google Trends Labs, which lists the day’s most frequently searched topics, which can include news of the Wall St. bail out or the presidential campaign,” said Paul Piccard, director of Threat Research, Webroot. “These highly relevant news stories and videos are being posted to the hackers’ fake blogs to increase the site’s Google search rankings.

These fraudulent blogs contain several video links about the news story for which the users were originally searching. Once a user clicks on one of the video links, they are prompted to download a video codec that downloads a rogue antispyware program designed to goad the user into purchasing an illegitimate program that may put their personal information and data at even greater risk. “

Let’s take a sample, and confirm the ongoing syndication of popular keywords in order to attract traffic to the several hundred malware serving blogs.

A random keyword “on fire” like gwen ifill wheelchair indicates that 55 minutes ago a malware serving blog has been successfully crawled and is now appearing within the first 10 results thanks to the high page rank of Windows Live Spaces. Upon clicking the link, the user is exposed to the typical ActiveX Object Error message that is attempting to trick them into installing TrojanDownloader:Win32/Zlob.AMV with 10 out of 36 AV scanners currently detecting it (27.78%).
Moreover, in order to ensure that their fake blogs will get crawled in the shortest time frame possible so that they can better abuse the momentum peak of the search query, they’re naturally taking advantage of the pre-registered blogs at popular blogging platforms which Google is crawling literally in real-time. Syndicating this particular keyword in order to serve malware is not an isolated event, with several hundred currently active blogs doing exactly the same as soon as Google Trends refreshes its hourly feed.

Fake codec ZlobMalware campaigns have been taking advantage of pure SEO (search engine optimization), and mostly blackhat SEO techniques, during the entire 2008. The difference between the ongoing campaign and previous ones, is that the current approach has a higher probability of attracting generic search traffic since it’s relying on the world’s most popular search engine to tip them on what has the world been searching for during the past hour.
Dancho Danchev is an independent security consultant and cyber threats analyst, with extensive experience in open source intelligence gathering, malware and E-crime incident response. Dancho is also involved in business development, marketing research and competitive intelligence as an independent contractor. He's been an active security blogger since 2007, and maintains a popular security blog sharing real-time threats intelligence data with the rest of the community on a daily basis.

ANTISPAM

noreply@blogger.com (venky) — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 06:53:41 PDT

What is spam?SPAM is defined as unsolicited e-mail, often of a commercial nature, sent indiscriminately to multiple mailing lists, individuals, or newsgroups; junk e-mail. Only one out of every thousand people receiving these messages are interested in them. Since companies have no way of knowing who is interested in their message they send it to as many email addresses as they can get their hands on.
How does AntiSpam deal with spam?AntiSpam sorts your mail automatically and puts SPAM in a separate folder. This way, the 999 users who aren’t interested in the message don’t have to see it while the one person who is interested is welcome to browse through the folder.
Where do my incoming messages go?Incoming messages are automatically sorted into one of the following folders:
Inbox - your personal email messages Eaflets™ - messages of interest requested by the user Lists - lists the user has opted in to Possible Spam - periodically browse for personal messages mistook as spam Spam - unsolicited messages Spam ADV - unsolicited ads that identify themselves in the subject line Spam Mature - unsolicited adult content
How ANTI-SPAM worksThis page has fifty randomly generated email addresses (refresh and new ones will appear). At the bottom of the page is a link to this page again, essentially reloading it for programs to collect more fake email addresses. Email collecting programs (spam bots) will be sent into an infinite loop by following the link at the bottom of the page and will get more and more fake email addresses stuck in their databases
Antispam softwares are available like COMODO ANTISPAM , McAfee Total Protection for Small Business—Advanced,McAfee Total Protection Service

How to Detect Changes, Misconfigurations and Hijack Points in System Caused by Spyware, Virus or Human Errors

noreply@blogger.com (venky) — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 05:38:21 PST

RunScanner is the utilities that users may use it to detect change, misconfiguration and the hijack point of the system that caused by spyware, viruses or human error.
Now users can fix their system easily with the features that offers by RunScanner.
RunScanner come with 3 different modes (Beginner, Classic, and Expert) and each mode has their own purpose. The first is a fix of the invalid bitmap error that sometimes appeared for no reason, while the other two bugs deal with problems in analyses that the program carried out on different programs that were available and running on your system. All in all, this release of the software has been made much stronger by the bug fixes and that should come as very good news to people that already liked the previous version.
RunScanner is a freely downloadable Windows utility that will allow you to scan your system at any given point and come up with all of the different programs that are running on it. It is much better than the task manager because unlike the rather unhelpful screens in the processes tab of the task manager, RunScanner gives you extremely detailed information about all of the programs running so that you know exactly what they are. This can help a lot in your quest to remove unwanted spyware, malware, adware and autostart programs from your running programs list and free up a wealth of system resources to be used elsewhere.
Beginner - This is for novice users that want to do a scan and upload their results to a malware specialist forum. Classic - Classic scan mode with easy click and fix all. This mode only shows non whitelist items and its primary use is to remove malware. Expert - This is for advanced users, all startup tweaks, scanning, reporting, filtering and delete features are available. Before run the RunScanner, is better for users get to know what application, program or any other processes are running, so that users would not remove any wrong item from the system.

Malware removal abilities and misc
Powerful process killer. Kill multiple processes at once.
Kill and rename.
Kill and delete.
Delete at next reboot.
Analysis of loaded modules.
Regedit jump.
Explorer jump.

Download the Runscanner

Simple Fixes For Non-Technical PC Users

noreply@blogger.com (venky) — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 05:45:49 PST

A computer, like a car, needs maintenance to stop some problems occurring in the first place.

For instance, you wouldn’t wait until you’d run out of gas, oil or water before filling up again - you avoid the issue by topping up in plenty of time.

So why not maintain your PC in the same way? Why wait until it goes wrong, then call someone in to fix the problem, when you could so easily do a quick maintenance check regularly to avoid the problem and save money and avoid hassle.
In the maintenance section you'll discover:
§ The 2 vital things that you must do to keep your computer’s heart fit and healthy
§ What causes lots of problems inside your hard drive – and how to stop them before they cause any damage
§ The one imperative thing that everyone should do but hardly anyone does. Not doing this can cause major problems inside the computer
§ A far better way to clean the hard drive than with Windows Disk Cleanup.
§ How temperature can create havoc and how to monitor it easily without pressing even a single button

This ebook is a DIY no-brainer, offering simple PC fixes with a high chance of working, written in easy English for non-technical PC users who basically dislike their PC, know little about it, but just want it to work without spending a heap of money on labor.

Here you’ll find the same Simple Fixes that I’ve used professionally for several years, during my morning home-visits to fix sick computers.

My fixes successfully help about 7 or 8 out of every 10 computers I treat. So you’ll have a high chance of curing your Horror Box and bringing it back under your control. (The other two are usually workshop jobs, but that’s another story!)

My Simple Fixes are in clear, simple English for folk who know little about computers but have to use one. Conveniently presented as a sort of quick ‘glove box guide’ you’ll find the ebook consists of:
Quick PC Fixes (Some are almost as quick as opening or shutting a car door)
Easy PC Fixes (Some are about as easy as checking oil, water, tires and battery on your car)
Simple Computer Fixes (As opposed to more complicated, technical options)
Simple and Easy Care (Let’s prevent common problems appearing in the first place)

If your PC’s already having problems, find out:
How to eliminate spyware and other nasties that have invaded your hard drive
How to correct error messages and screen problems
How to recover from the Blue Screen of Death
How to get into Safe Mode and back up your files in case your problem is extremely serious
What common “Stop Errors” and Error Messages mean to help solve them and get on with life
Simple fixes for frozen programs or systems
How to stop your PC from “Spontaneous Rebooting”
Simple Fixes if you have no sound
Simple Fixes for internet connection problems
What to do if a program won’t work
Why you should NEVER, EVER use an online registry scanner
What to do when your PC is running soooo sllloooowwwwllllyyy…
How to save technician-time (and your money!) if your PC makes strange beeps, moaning, whirring or clicking sounds
Trouble-shooting disk drives, the hard drive, your keyboard, monitor, mouse, printer, USB drive...and more...
You’ll find Simple Fixes for all these. And many more besides.

All are clearly laid out so you can apply them step-by-step. Go here to get SIMPLE FIXES

Spybot Search & Destroy detects and removes spyware

noreply@blogger.com (venky) — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 06:57:10 PDT

Spybot - Search & Destroy detects and removes spyware, a relatively new kind of threat not yet covered by common anti-virus applications. Spyware silently tracks your surfing behaviour to create a marketing profile for you that is transmitted without your knowledge to the compilers and sold to advertising companies. If you see new toolbars in your Internet Explorer that you haven't intentionally installed, if your browser crashes inexplicably, or if your home page has been "hijacked" (or changed without your knowledge), your computer is most probably infected with spyware. Even if you don't see the symptoms, your computer may be infected, because more and more spyware is emerging. Spybot-S&D is free, so there's no harm giving it a try to see if something has invaded your computer.

For the past couple of years there has been a new threat introduced to your computer that anti virus software does not as of yet remove. This software is developed to track your movements on the Internet, create statistics of what you do on your computer, or even worse, actually hijack your web connections to direct you to pages that you did not ask for. These types of Malware are called Spyware, Browser Hijackers, and Dialers. Malware is the generic category of any programs that perform a detrimental effect on your computer without your knowledge or permission. Other more notorious types of Malware are viruses, trojans, worms, and backdoors. For more information on these types of malware and how to remove them you can view this tutorial: How to remove a Trojan, Virus, Worms, or other Malware.

Before we define Spyware, Hijackers and Dialers it is important to understand another type of program called Adware. Adware are programs that are usually free, otherwise known as Freeware, that have advertisements built into the software. That means when you run the software, it will pull down advertisements from the Internet and display them somewhere in the software. Most of these types of software allow you to register the software, by paying some fee, in order to remove the ads.

Spyware, on the other hand, are pieces of software that are advertised as Freeware or Adware but that install in your computer, generally without your knowledge, other programs that run in the background collecting data about what web sites you go to, your personal information, the games you play, the software you use, etc, all without your permission. The software will then send this information back to the creator's servers where it is collected.

There are many different types of Spyware and I have described a few types below.

Adware Networks
Ad networks are companies that pay software developers and web sites money for allowing their ads to be shown when people use their software or visit their sites. These ads are generally in the form of popups and present you with some sort of advertisement. The problem with these networks is that they place cookies on your computer each time you open an ad served by the particular network. This allows the advertising network to track your movements across the Internet by reading the information contained in the cookies every time you connect to a site that they are on. Networks that employ this method are ones like Double Click, Value Click, Gain, and Radiate.
Backdoor Santas
These are programs that you download off the Internet and contain valid uses. They do though, collect statistics of your computer use, the sites you go to, the type of hardware, etc and transmit this information back to their servers. They generally do not work with adware networks. Programs of this type are Comet Cursor, Alexa, Hotbar, and Cuteftp.
Stalking Horses
These types of spyware are generally bundled into many popular programs and often, but not always, are presented in the installation as desirable additions to the main software, the trojan horse, that you are installing. Example programs of this type are EZula's TopText, Cydoor, Onflow, and Webhancer.
Trojan Horse.
These types of software are usually very popular downloads and are free downloads. They almost always contain at least one Stalking Horse and software for ad-serving networks. Many times you are given the option to install these stalking horses or ad-serving program, but they are sometimes hidden in the fine print of the Trojan Horses License Agreement. In some situations, if you choose not to install the Spyware, you will not be able to use main program or Trojan Horse. Examples of programs that are Trojan Horses are KaZaA Media Desktop, Grokster, and Morpheus .
There are other types of malicious software that can be installed on your computer. They are described as follows.
Browser Hijackers
Software that tends to Hijack your browsers web connections to do their own purposes. They will change your homepage to another homepage no matter how many times you change it or you can do a search in Google, but instead of getting the results back from Google, your search request is actually hijacked and sent to another search engine.
Dialers
Software that gets installed on your computer that has the ability to make phone calls from your computer, if you have a modem, without your knowledge. These programs will connect to other computers, through your phone line, which are usually porn sites. These numbers are pay per call though, so you get charged for the amount of time your computer is connected to it
It is also important to note, that practically all Spyware and Hijackers tend to target Internet Explorer and not other browsers such as Netscape or Mozilla Firefox. If you are not against switching your browser, then you can switch to an alternate Web Browser and immediately greatly reduce your risk of infecting your computer with one of these programs. If you are willing to switch browsers, I would recommend Mozilla Firefox.
Why do people make these programs?

The simple answer? To make money.

A big trend during the Internet boom was to provide free software to downloaders. Why would they offer it for free? It is because these programs would gather statistics about the users activities on the Internet or on their computer, what hardware they have, what software they use, etc. Then they would sell this information to third-party organizations without your knowledge. This type of information gathering via a piece of software without knowledge is called Spyware.

Hijackers are another newer breed of software that literally takes over control of certain operations of your web browser. By doing this they can redirect browsers to sites of their choice where they may gain a commission for the user going there or to increase traffic to their site generating higher ad revenue. Even worse, these Hijackers can redirect search results from their own search engines to you, when you do a search on a popular search engine like Google.

Dialers make their money by having your computer connect to numbers where you get charged exorbitant fees while you are connected.

How do you get Spyware, Hijackers, and Dialers?

The most common method of being infected is to not have the proper security settings in your browser. Internet Explorer is generally targeted the most by Spyware/Hijackers and unless you have the browser's security settings configured properly, you will have a good chance of getting infected with something. We will discuss later methods of securing your browser.

Spyware can also be installed via programs downloaded off of the Internet, through cookies when you connect to a site, or from site popups that ask you to install something. The programs downloaded off the Internet are generally free downloads, as they know that the revenue from the information gathering will offset the cost of giving it for free. A lot of times, you can read the privacy policy of a piece of software before you download it. It will sometimes note that software will be installed on your computer than gathers information about your activities and sends it back to them. It is your choice at this point if the usefulness of the software outweighs your loss of privacy.

Certain Internet advertising companies such as Valueclick or DoubleClick will install cookies on your computer every time you load one of their advertising banners. These cookies, which are small files that store information from a web site between visits, allow them to see what sites you go to and what you do on these sites. Though cookies can be used to gather information about you, they are also used for valid reasons when visiting many sites. Therefore disabling cookies, could cause loss of functionality to sites you may frequent.

You can also get spyware from a popup that you see at a web site asking if you would like to install their greatest and latest piece of software. Use extreme caution when accepting these types of offers.

Hijackers and Dialers, on the other hands, are almost always installed by going to a site where you will see a popup displayed saying that you must have this new piece of software that only they can provide to you. The most common popup scams are:

When they say you have a security hole and to click here to fix it.
Software that makes you able to connect to sites faster.
You have open ports on your computer! Click on the ad to download a utility to fix it.
Ads that say they can make your computer run faster.
It is not unheard of for these programs to even install themselves just by reading an email, though proper security updates and patches can minimize if not eliminate this risk.

Though, these programs can install themselves on your computer via these methods, that does not mean you should panic and throw your computer out. It does mean, though, that you should pay attention to what you click on and read the fine print. Even more important, you should add a Spyware checker and Removal software, like Spybot, into your routine for protecting your computer like you already do with virus scanning.

How do I know if I have Spyware or a Hijacker on my Computer?

There are only two ways of knowing if this type of software is installed on your computer.

The first way is if you notice your web browser behaving strange. Some common symptoms are :

Your home page changes on its own.
You can not change settings in your browser.
Your search results seem strange.
You have toolbars on your web browser that you did not install.
You are getting a lot more popups.
Your browser suddenly starts crashing.
If you have any of these symptoms then you most likely have a some sort of Spyware or Hijacker installed on your computer.

The second way of detecting spyware is to use a Spyware removal program routinely and let it search through your computer and optionally remove any spyware if it finds them. It is sad, but with how bad these programs have become, running Spyware Checkers routinely as you do a anti virus program is really a requirement these days.

Antivirus 2008 : rogue anti-spyware program

noreply@blogger.com (venky) — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 05:40:18 PST

Antivirus 2008, also known as Antivirus2008, Antivirus 2008 Pro, is a rogue anti-spyware program that uses false spyware results to lure you to purchase its full version. Antivirus 2008 is usually promoted via a ZLOB/MediaAccess Codec installer found on adult websites. You can also install it manually on the rogue website antivirus-scanner.com. Antivirus 2008 may use its system scanner to display false positives which work as an incentive to make unsuspecting users purchase Antivirus 2008's commercial version.

AntiVirus 2008 may also display other third-party ads and, according to its EULA, AntiVirus 2008 has adware terms added. Do not click on any link provided by Antivirus 2008. Once you click on the link provided, you'll be redirected to Antivirus 2008's website (antivirus2008.com) to download and purchase Antivirus 2008's rogue anti-spyware program. Antivirus 2008 has the ability to recreate itself after reboot and its "System scan" messages may continue pop up on your task manager.

How can I get rid of Antivirus 2008?
The most common spyware removal tactic is to uninstall Antivirus 2008 by using the "Add/Remove Programs" utility. However, as there may still be hidden Antivirus 2008 files, it's possible that Antivirus 2008 will reappear after reboot. Follow the Antivirus 2008 detection and removal methods below. Antivirus 2008 removal

Removing Spyware and Malware Virus

noreply@blogger.com (venky) — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 01:03:33 PDT

Do you know what is virus ?
A program or piece of code that is loaded onto your computer without your knowledge and runs against your wishes. Viruses can also replicate themselves. All computer viruses are manmade. A simple virus that can make a copy of itself over and over again is relatively easy to produce. Even such a simple virus is dangerous because it will quickly use all available memory and bring the system to a halt. An even more dangerous type of virus is one capable of transmitting itself across networks and bypassing security systems.
VIRUS can be defined as
V = VITAL
I = Information
R = Research
U= Under
S = Siege

***** If you use the internet, " There is over 90% chance your computer is infected with spyware" - Source CNN

Removing Spyware and Malware Virus

Spyware is a general term used to describe software that performs certain behaviours such as advertising, collecting personal information, or changing the configuration of your computer,Spyware is often associated with software that displays advertisements (called adware) or software that tracks personal or sensitive information. spyware make changes to your computer that can be annoying and can cause your computer slow down or crash.

If your system is infected with Virus, Antivirus Software Like Norton , Mcafee , Microsoft security tools are unable to discover it , The system performance degrades without your knowledge, wondering what went wrong with your computer . you get alerts saying system infected with virus.The Antivirus software are unable to cure them , System is very slow,losing your patience .

Now days most system are infected with Spywares and Malware Virus , which gets downloaded from internet without user notice . you may be struggling to fix the problem by searching most websites , Most website demand money for fix , But I have fix to those problems where you don’t need to spend any money or format your system or loose any data from the system

If your system is responding very slow , It is none other than Spyware virus .
If you follow these steps you can definitely get rid of this problem , it is a 100% fix to your computer .

First you need to get this software downloaded from here SPYWAREFIX
Save this file on the C DRive with file name spywarefix,the software is in EXE file fromat , Double click on the file , a blue screen window opens , press Q and a folder will be created in the C Drive Note : folder should below the C drive . spywarefix folder contains these files

Reboot your computer in Safe Mode (before the Windows icon appears, tap the F8 key continually)
Look for the folder spywarefix on the C Drive
Double-click SmitfraudFix.exe

Select 1 and hit Enter to create a report of the infected files. The report can be found at the root of the system drive, usually at C:\rapport.txt
Select 2 and hit Enter to delete infect files.
You will be prompted: Do you want to clean the registry ? answer Y (yes) and hit Enter in order to remove the Desktop background and clean registry keys associated with the infection.

The tool will now check if wininet.dll is infected. You may be prompted to replace the infected file (if found): Replace infected file ? answer Y (yes) and hit Enter to restore a clean file.
A reboot may be needed to finish the cleaning process. The report can be found at the root of the system drive, usually at C:\rapport.txt

Reboot the system in Normal Mode,Enjoy your work withVirus FREE

Note : The above will work on removing VirusBurst, VirusRescue, SpyFalcon, SpywareQuake, SpyAxe, MalwareWipe, Pest Trap, WinHound, AntiVirusGold, SpywareSheriff, SpySheriff, and several others

13 Ways to Protect Your System

noreply@blogger.com (venky) — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 04:22:36 PDT

Follow these simple, common-sense precautions to reduce your exposure and protect your system.
1. Do not open e-mail attachments from an unknown, suspicious, or untrustworthy source. If you're not familiar with the sender, do not open, download, or execute any files or e-mail attachments.
2. Do not open an e-mail attachment unless you know what it is, even if it appears to come from a friend or someone you know. Some viruses replicate themselves and spread via e-mail. Stay on the safe side and confirm that the attachment was sent from a trusted source before you open it.
3. Do not open any e-mail attachments if the subject line is questionable. If you feel that the attachment may be important to you, always save the file to your hard drive before you open it.
4. Delete chain e-mails and other spam from your inbox. It's best not to forward or reply to messages like these. Unsolicited, intrusive mail clogs up networks, may contain annoying or offensive content, and may result in security and privacy risks.
5. Exercise caution when downloading files from the Internet. Make sure that the Web site is legitimate and reputable. Verify that an anti-virus program has checked the files on the download site. If you have any doubts, don't download the file at all. If you download software from the Internet, be especially vigilant of free software, which often carries adware or other potentially unwanted content along with it. Always read the privacy policies and end-user license agreements (EULAs) for software you install, regardless of the source. Be especially wary of screensavers, games, browser add-ons, peer-to-peer (P2P) clients, and any downloads claiming to be “cracked” or free versions of expensive applications, such as Adobe® PhotoShop® or Microsoft® Office. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
6. Avoid downloads from non-Web sources altogether. The chances of downloading infected software from Usenet groups, IRC channels, instant messaging clients, or P2P is very high. Links to Web sites seen in IRC and instant messaging also frequently point to infected downloads. Avoid obtaining your software from these sources.
7. Update your anti-virus software often. Threats are on the increase, and they are constantly evolving. Hundreds of viruses are discovered each month. To make sure that you are protected against the newest breed of threats, update your anti-virus software frequently. That means downloading the latest virus signature files and the most current version of the scanning engine.
8. Back up your files frequently. If a virus infects your files, at least you can replace them with your back-up copy. It's a good idea to store your backup files (on CDs or flash drives) in another secure physical location away from your computer.
9. Update your operating system, Web browser, and e-mail program on a regular basis. For example, you can get Microsoft® security updates for Microsoft® Windows® and Microsoft® Explorer at http://www.microsoft.com/security.
10. Vigilance is the best defense against phishing scams. “Phishing” describes scams that attempt to acquire confidential information such as credit card numbers, personal identity data, and passwords by sending out e-mails that look like they come from real companies or trusted individuals. If you happen to receive an e-mail message announcing that your account will be closed, that you need to confirm an order, or that you need to verify your billing information, do not reply to the e-mail or click on any links. If you want to find out whether the e-mail is legitimate, you can contact the company or individual directly by calling or writing to them.
11. Do not open messages or click on links from unknown users in your instant messaging program. Instant messaging can be a vehicle for transmitting viruses and other malicious code, and it’s another means of initiating phishing scams.
12. Use a personal firewall. A hardware firewall that sits between your DSL router or cable modem will protect you from inbound attacks. It’s a must for broadband connections. A software firewall runs on your PC and can protect you from both inbound and outbound attacks.
13. Check your accounts and credit reports regularly. Identity thieves can begin using your personal information to open accounts, purchase goods, and make your life miserable within minutes of obtaining that data. Check your bank account and credit card statements frequently. That way, if you discover that your personal information has been compromised, you can alert credit companies and banks immediately, so they can close your accounts.

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