Many of you will be aware of sites such as Antivirus 2008 and it’s many variations, PC Doc Pro and many other rogue software sites. A lot have also clicked the links to scan their computer only to find that their machine has hundreds of errors and then to repair them the user has to pay anything between $29.95 and in some cases as much as $90 for the program, only to find that it doesn’t actually do anything.

One such program is PC Doc Pro, which was installed on a clean installation of Windows Vista Ultimate. The system was scanned with PC Doc Pro and found no less than 572 problems, of which 31 were classed as ’severe’.

This product, along with many others like it, claims that it will repair these problems, frequently allowing users to clean around 50 and then being prompted to purchase the full version to fix the rest. In this instance, PC Doc Pro will cost you $29.99 for a 30 day license!

Proof? Click Here and watch the video created by Web of Trust, and do NOT fall victim to these rogue programs, they will only cause you more problems and you will not get a refund either.

Many users have traditional antivirus, antispyware and firewalls installed, but this type of rogueware cannot be detected as a threat, although there are tools available to remove this fake software and the malware embedded into it.

You can however, protect yourself by using the simple browser add-on for Internet Explorer and Firefox. To date it has approximately 900,000 downloads and provides safety ratings on 20 million websites.

Web of Trust rates sites on standards of trustworthiness, vendor reliability, privacy and child safety. Once installed as a small BHO, it will place a safety rating on search engine searches and also checks links in emails. This takes it further up the ladder aimed at improving online safety for all users.

It’s information is gained from a variety of anti-phishing groups, anti-spammers groups and also driven by community members who can rate a site based upon their own experiences.

You can read more about how this works and how to participate, or just download the add-on by clicking here.

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Technorati Tags: Fake Site Exposed, PC Doc Pro, Rogue Software, Free Tools, Free PC Security, Web of Trust, Rogueware, Protection, Malware,

e-card.exe is a link embedded in an email.

The email subject is: You’ve received a greeting card.

The body reads as follows:

Good day.
You have received an eCard

To pick up your eCard, choose from any of the following options:
Click on the following link (or copy & paste it into your web browser):

http://kkvto*****.be/e-card.exe

Your card will be aviailable for pick-up beginning for the next 30 days.
Please be sure to view your eCard before the days are up!

We hope you enjoy you eCard.

Thank You!
http://www.greetingcard.org

***************

Please remember that eCards are viewed online and not as downloadable exe files. Do NOT click the link and save the file, it contains a Win32.Trojan.

The following antivirus programs will remove this, each having their own definition file, so please UPDATE your antivirus

Arcavir……….….Trojan.Downloader.Agent.Aaky
AVAST! ……….…Win32:Agent-ABBH [Trj]
AVG ……………..SHeur.CCDK
BitDefender ……Trojan.Dropper.Delf.Crypt.K
CA (VET) ………..Win32/Bugnraw.DK trojan
ClamAV ……….…Trojan.Crypt-63
Dr.Web ……….….Trojan.MulDrop.18319
F-Prot……….…….W32/Dropper.YLQ
F-Secure ………..Trojan-Downloader:W32/Agent.HFP [Orion]
Fortinet……….….W32/Meredr!tr
Kaspersky.………Trojan-Downloader.Win32.Agent.aaky
Microsoft ……….TrojanDropper:Win32/Rooter.A
nProtect……….…Trojan.Dropper.Delf.Crypt.K
Sophos……….……Troj/Meredr-Gen
Symantec………...Trojan.Dropper
Trend Micro……..TROJ_NUWAR.JTZ
VirusBuster………Trojan.DR.FakeAlert.GE

If you do not use any of the above then scan online for free.

Click here for Housecall

Click here for BitDefender

Related Posts:
eCard Virus / Postcard Alert
Have You Received a Postcard / eCard

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Technorati Tags: eCard Virus, e-card.exe virus, greeting card virus, Free Tools, Free PC Security, remove e-card.exe, e-card.exe, Virus Removal, Trojan,

Voice over Internet Protocol, also known as VoIP, is a rapidly growing technology which utilizes a local area network (LAN) and an internet service to make phone calls, rather than utilizing traditional phones. A major benefit of VoIP is the major savings on long-distance phone calls. Whether the call placement is to a local line or across the globe, the cost is the same because it is transferred over an internet medium.

If you are considering VoIP for a personal or office setting, it is critical to know of the potential threats which could compromise your new system. Measures must be taken to ensure maximum speed and security to your business communications. Due to the fast growing nature of VoIP solutions, many hackers and criminals are capitalizing on the weaknesses of the technology. Owners must take proper measures to prevent the following attacks: Vishing, denial of service, SIP vulnerabilities, and SPIT.

Vishing uses telephony to collect information such as account details and other private information. One instance involved the exploitation of PayPal. The scammers emailed the victims acting as PayPal and asked them to call a number and verify their credit card information by typing in their numbers. After the number was entered the scammers were free to siphon money from the victim’s account.

The most common threat to a VoIP system is the denial of service (DoS). This brings a data network to a complete shutdown, including all applications such as VoIP. A shutdown can cause massive slowdowns in productivity especially if the system takes a while to come back on. Security bugs can also affect VoIP usage. In one instance Core Security Technologies discovered a vulnerability which allowed hackers to create buffer overflows for a DoS attack.

SIP, or session initiation protocol, is a signaling protocol used for setting up and tearing down multimedia communication sessions such as voice or video telecommunications. The problem with this protocol is that it is relatively new and thus contains little inherent security with the ability to use text for encoding and extensions that create security holes. Some examples include registration hacking which reroutes calls and message tampering.

SPIT, or the voice incarnation of email and spam, represents ‘spam over internet telephony’. Although it is not a very popular movement it has great potential to be dangerous because there is no spam filter over a phone as there is for an email inbox.

Although these threats are very intriguing, one should not avoid the many advantages that come from VoIP technology. Any new and innovative product will have its first few bumps in the road before it is fine-tuned to the dangers of criminals and hackers. Given the proper security procedures and technology, all of these threats can be avoided.

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Technorati Tags: VoIP Threats, Technology, Communications, Free Tools, Free PC Security, Denial of Service (DoS), Voice over Internet Protocol, Vishing, Scams,

PCPitstop have changed the format of the Free PC Tune-up. It is now even easier to use and is a great one-stop site to visit and test your machines health, configuration and performance.

Previously, it would only work with Internet Explorer because the tests used ActiveX technology, but now it can also be used with Mozilla, Firefox, and Opera using a simple plug-in from Meadco who have developed Neptune, which allows the ActiveX to run in other browsers.

Neptune is a free download, although you are required to provide your name and email address prior to downloading. Neptune can be downloaded here: www.meadroid.com Please also read this page to ensure that you do not encounter any problems: www.pcpitstop.com

Neptune is a very small download of 140Kb and contains no spyware, adware or malware of any kind. Once installed you can perform the tests here: http://www.pcpitstop.com/neptune.asp Ensure that you bookmark the page for future tests.

Once you are on the page you will NOT be able to use the Browser Back button, you must right click and select Back, and this applies through the tests and results at the end. If you use your browsers back button you will be returned to the main page.

To start the tests click on Free PC Health Scan - Overdrive. If you have an account simply login, or you can sign up for an account or scroll down the page and run the tests anonymously.

The tests only take a few minutes and are 100% safe. You will be prompted to install the PC Pitstop Utility which you must accept to carry out the tests after which you will again have the opportunity to create an account which can be useful for comparison when used again.

If you wish to continue anonymously click on Don’t Create An Account, then click on ‘Let’s go!‘ and then sit back and let the tests run. It will check your PC’s Status, Installed Software, Malware Scan, Performance and Drive Health. It then carries out an Internet ping to calculate your download and upload speeds. When you reach the ‘Almost There!‘ page the information is optional.

You will then be presented with the results. Please watch the following video for further information:

Click Here to check your computer’s health.

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Technorati Tags: PCPitstop-Overdrive, Free Tune-up, Diagnostics, Free Tools, Free PC Security, Neptune Plug-in, PC Health Scan, Internet Explorer, Firefox, Opera, HowTo,

Update August 18th: Scroll down for easier alternative fix.

There is an email apparently from UPS going around with an attachment: invoice_8712.zip#670639117 which contains the Win32:Zbot Trojan.

Email reads:

‘Unfortunately we were not able to deliver postal package you sent on July (date varies) in time because the recipient’s address is not correct.
Please print out the invoice copy attached and collect the package at our office

Your UPS’

The invoice ‘copy’ is in a .zip file. Please do NOT open this attachment as you will be infected with the Zbot Trojan. If you receive one of these emails simply delete it.

This version comes with various .zip numbers and also variations of the Zbot Trojan. This is a High Risk Threat and can severely compromise your system security. Such risks may open illicit network connections, self-mutate, disable security software, modify system files, and install additional malware. These risks may also collect and transmit personally identifiable information.

Ensure that your antivirus is updated regularly, and it will catch it if you have realtime monitoring.

If you think you are infected, update your definition files, boot into Safe Mode and carry out a Full Scan.

Also click here to download SDFix and save the file to your desktop, then click here for detailed instructions on how to use. This will remove braviax.exe and burito.exe

There are also many other emails in circulation at the moment with .zip file attachments. Some are as Word Documents, Excel, etc. Treat with extreme caution and do NOT download or open the files as you will be infected.

Any email that you receive with a link or attachment that has come from a sender that you do not know, simply DELETE.

If you have inadvertently downloaded this file and need to remove it, update your antivirus and antispyware definitions and perform FULL scans with both and also use the SDFix mentioned above. At present, there are only about 5 AV programs that are picking this up.

You then need to open the Registry:
Type regedit into Run command, when reg editor open click on Edit, then click Find and enter this as it is, including brackets:
{3e7a1818-971b-793b-e1f6-3bbf372a733f}

Also tick Match whole string only then click Find Next.
Also use the search function in Windows to find and remove the following files:
ntos.exe
ups_invoice_978172.exe
ups_invoice_978172.zip
ups_invoice_978172.exe

Alternative Fix which is simpler:

An easier and quicker way to remove UPS virus, burito.exe, braviax.exe and more.

1. Download TrojanRemover from here
Install, update then follow the scanning instructions.

2. Download Malwarebytes from here
Install, update then follow the scanning instructions.

3. Download F-Prot Antivirus from here
Install and update and restart when requested.

In same cases you may not be able to download/update on the infected computer. Use a working PC, download onto a USB stick then move them onto the infected PC and just follow the instructions.

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© Free PC Security 2008

Technorati Tags: UPS Email Attachment, Security, Tojan Virus, Free Tools, Free PC Security, Win32:Zbot Trojan, AntiVirus, UPS Removal, SDFix, braviax.exe, burito.exe,

I have previously posted and article about Clipperz, but since then it has undergone many changes, offering an even better system.

Clipperz is an online password manager where you have total control. You access it through a Master Password (Passphrase) that YOU create, should you forget it then you have a real problem as you are the only one who knows it, it isn’t stored which also means that it cannot be retrieved.

All the information that you enter into the browser window is fully encrypted and secure. Also, this is the first web-based application that has no knowledge of the users or their data.

You can store pretty much anything from usernames and passwords, credit/debit card details, PIN numbers, software registration codes, personal notes and more. This gives you the ability to create ‘one click’ logins without having to physically type anything into the username / password fields. You simply launch the Clipperz bookmarklet, click the page that you will have previously saved with your login details and it will open the saved browser window and log you in….how easy is that?

For each site that you require login details simply create a New Card and store it within Clipperz.

You can save all of your encrypted data to your hard drive or a usb flash which creates a ‘read-only’ version which is fully portable. There is a compact version for Firefox and Opera which can be used in the sidebar for ease of use, see screenshots here

Clipperz is completely anonymous, there is no need to supply any personal information, simply create your account with a username and Passphrase.

There is also an open source Community Edition which allows you to run it from your own server if you prefer rather than using the service provided by the developers.

Start here by Registering
User Guide Click Here
Watch the videos Here

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© Free PC Security 2008

Technorati Tags: Clipperz Password Manager, Security, Technology, Free Tools, Free PC Security, HowTo, Anonymous, Password Security

Many users have Windows Updates set to Automatic and are finding that there are updates ready to be installed, when they install them they then get another round of updates ready to install. This is a problem with the Microsoft Updates and not the users machines.

I have turned OFF Automatic Updates as when I checked the update site the available updates ready for download were 0Kb in size and 0 minutes to download.

If users have this problem right click My Computer, select Properties then click the Automatic Updates tab and Turn OFF Automatic Updates.

Then proceed to Windows Update and select ‘Custom’ then click the ‘+’ beside each update. If it shows: Download size: 0 KB , 0 minutes then tick ‘Don’t show this update again’

For Zone Alarm users many have lost their internet connection.

Microsoft rolled out an automatic update to all of their users. Unfortunately, this cut off Internet access for anyone on Windows XP or Windows 2000 using the ZoneAlarm firewall. This is the most widely used firewall in the world, and is also included in other security products sold by ZoneAlarm.

For the methods to fix this problem Click Here

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© Free PC Security 2008

Technorati Tags: Windows Update Problems, ZoneAlarm Problems, Connection Problems, Technology, Free PC Security, HowTo, Windows,

This compact and neat little tool is brought to you by the Piriform, the vendors of CCleaner and Recuva, also free programs.

With many defragmenting programs you defrag the whole drive, but with this one you have the power to defrag specific files or folders as well as the complete hard drive if you want to. When you have done that on one drive you can also do the same on another drive

Being small and compact it will also run from a usb flash drive, no need to install it on each machine to run it.

Firstly, it will analyze the target drive, Defraggler then lists all the fragmented files on the drive. By selecting one or several it will highlight their location on your target drive which allows you to visually see the location of files on the drive.

Then you can either defrag the whole drive or from the ‘File list’ tab select which files you want to defrag as it will show you the fragments, the file size and the file path.

In the Advanced Settings you can also select Defrag Freespace, Check Drive for Errors or Defrag Freespace allowing fragmentation.

There are many defrag tools to use, but for ease of use, portability and simplicity this one works very well.

This is a freeware program for both private and commercial use and will work on all Windows OS from 2000 onwards: Windows 2000, 2003, XP and Vista and also includes 64-bit support as well as supporting both NTFS and FAT32 file systems.

The Setup file is 503Kb, making it very compact and being portable is a great bonus.

Watch the video, simple to install and use:

Free Program Download Click Here

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© Free PC Security 2008

Technorati Tags: Defraggler, FreeTools, Defrag Files, Technology, Free PC Security, HowTo, FreeDefrag, Windows 2000/2003/XP/Vista, Defraggler Tutorial

Avast Anti-Virus is gaining popularity as it is free, powerful and will automatically update itself for both the definition files and the program. Once the program is set up it will run itself, monitoring in realtime and will warn you of any known incoming threats that may compromise your system.

These videos will show you how to configure Avast and then how to complete a manual scan, although for most of the time the Resident Shield offers superb protection. With the updates for the virus database and the program set to Automatic it will update both every 4 hours so it is always up-to-date with the latest definition files.

You can of course change this if you so wish by right clicking the Avast icon in your system tray and selecting Program Settings, then click on Update (Basic) then click the Details button and enter a new time value in minutes for updates then click OK twice to exit the Program Settings.

Avast Configuration:

Manual Scanning with Avast:

Related Post:
Avast Anti-Virus 4 Free Home Edition
Sandboxie - The Ultimate Threat Protection
Test Your Anti-Virus With Eicar

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Technorati Tags: Avast AntiVirus Setup and Manual Scanning, Configuration, PCSecurity, Technology, Free PC Security, HowTo, Resident Shield, Windows 95/98/Me/NT/2000/XP/Vista, Avast Tutorial

As many of you will be aware, I normally only ever write an article about Freeware Programs and tools, but I am making an exception here, as this little program will give you more safety and security while surfing than any other piece of software, be it free or paid for and it is very affordable.

Let me point out that I am not an affiliate or using a cloaked link, I came across this program and decided to give it a try. I was so impressed with it and what it has to offer that I requested permission to write an article.

Sandboxie, quite simply is an amazing program that will banish all forms of malware from infecting your computer. This is one program that you simply cannot afford to miss out as it keeps your computer free from the daily onslaught of malware.

With normal surfing information is loaded from your hard drive and then through your browser where information is then written back to your computer, if it’s a malicious site then you will also have malware written to your drive, as well as registry entries being changed, programs being hijacked, BHO’s added etc. We all know the effects that a single piece of malware can have, to the point of searching for removal programs or at worst, losing vital documents, photo’s and even carrying out a format to start again.

Sandboxie creates a ‘virtual area’ in which you can run your browser, email reader, instant messengers and programs in complete safety. The information is loaded from your hard drive into the sandbox environment, from there the read/write operations are carried out within the sandbox environment and never back to your computer.

You can download programs, email attachments etc in total safety as each is still contained within the sandboxed environment. You can open atachments, run programs and scan for malware and if malware free you can then ‘recover’ them from inside the virtual safe area and save them to your computer quite safely. Should you find malware it is safely contained, and when you terminate programs, browsers, email readers etc within the sandbox, these disappear, as they appear to have never existed because they were in the ‘virtual’ area created by Sandboxie.

I did a normal day of surfing with my normal protection, when completed I ran CCleaner and removed 53.8MB of junk. I then did a similar day of surfing using Sandboxie, again I ran CCleaner and removed…..0.14MB of junk, and this was purely because I had been using Notepad and Yahoo Messenger outside the sandbox environment. Effectively, your surfing history gets wiped out when closing the sandbox, as it only existed within a virtual area and not on your hard drive.

What cost for such safety? You can use this program free for 30 days, and it remains free, but at the end of 30 days you will get a ‘nag’ window requesting that you license the program.

Try it for free, what have you got to lose? No spyware, adware, trojans or any other malicious content will download to your computer without YOU recovering it.

Now, for a lifetime license this will cost you $30 US Dollars, €20 Euros, £15.25 UK pounds, for other currency conversion rates click here to convert. The license will also allow you to run Sandboxie on any number of computers that you own for personal use and also allows you to open more than one sandbox at a time. So you could have one open for surfing, one for testing a new program, one for email and so on.

To be honest, this is remarkably good value and for those that purchase anti-virus, anti-malware programs with annual fees this is a much cheaper option with only ONE Lifetime payment, no annual fees whatsoever.

For the many who use any kind of security programs, it means less time scanning and weeding out the junk files and malware as it does not exist unless you specifically ‘recover’ it from the sandbox to your hard drive.

Clearing Sandbox contents when exiting program:

Download Sandboxie here: Scroll down the download page for further instructions for Win2000 and Vista 64-bit.

Sandboxie will run on the following:
Windows 2000, XP, 2003, Vista (32-bit)

Help & FAQ Click Here
Forum Click Here

Known Conflicts Click Here

Supported Languages: English, Chinese (Simplified), Finnish, German, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese (Brasil) and Turkish.

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© Free PC Security 2008

Technorati Tags: Sandboxie, Installation, PCSecurity, Technology, Free PC Security, HowTo, Safe-Surfing, Malware Free, Windows 2000, XP, 2003, Vista (32-bit), Sandboxie - Ulimate Malware Protection, Sandboxie Tutorial