Hello Again Readers,

So many people have come to me when I tell them they’re infected and said something like, “Oh, I thought that was normal!” Well I’m here today to tell you some of the signs that you’re infected with some sort of malware. By no means is this a complete list, but I tried to pick out some of the more common ones. If you`d like to discuss this further, feel free to e-mail me and we can talk.

So the first one is that most variations of the Smitfraud infection install something that tells you that you’re infected. The fake antivirus post from Dec 29, 2008 is part of it. Those programs that say you’re infected are the most obvious.

Another obvious sign is when your desktop background changes to something like this:

Random shortcut icons like that look like virus or spyware removal programs also get added to your desktop. These icons are actually shortcuts to infected web pages that download more malware so your poor computer gets even more infected.

Tied in with this are random spam messages that pop up when you’re doing nothing. As seen below:

Please don’t click “Ok” it will only harm your computer. It may look real, but consult a professional.

Another key thing to notice is that when you type in something into your address bar, you end up going somewhere else or instead of the web page you want coming up, you get a search of the words you put in. This is a good indication an infection corrupted your host file. To view or fix this you could find the hidden file in your Windows system folders but it`s a bit of a pain if you don’t know what you’re doing.

An example is let`s say you type in www.hotmail.com. Trend Micro shows an image of a fake Hotmail page:

It’s a bit blurred but if you look carefully the page in the address bar is no longer “http://login.live.com/login.srf?wa=wsignin1.0&rpsnv=10&ct=1231879587&rver=5.5.4177.0&wp=MBI&wreply=http:%2F%2Fmail.live.com%2Fdefault.aspx%3Fn%3D1568145402&id=64855″ but instead something totally unrelated. Most people don`t even check to ensure that the address in the address bar is the same one they typed in once the page loads. Let this be a lesson to you, DOUBLE CHECK!

My next question to you is, if you look in the region of your address bar up at the top of this window, do you have a bunch of toolbars there? If so, uninstall them. If you can’t uninstall them, it’s an infection. Plain and simple. Also, when you’re installing software and it asks you to install something totally unrelated like the “Ask toolbar”, uncheck the box! They get annoying, take up a lot of space and memory, and are just plain useless. A common one that has been getting installed on users computers is called “Mirar” (Seen below) as described by Symantec, this toolbar needs to be manually installed and is a pain to remove.

Finally, a topic of consideration is when you think to yourself “Oh boy is my computer running slow!” This is a good indication that you have something else lurking in the background. Also, most computers have a little LED light on the front of the case that show when the hard drive is in use. If you`re not doing anything and that LED is going nuts, there`s a good chance something is going on in the background you can`t see.

So be safe, have a good antivirus program running, and remember to practice your safe surfing tips!

malware annoying, antivirus, Apple, common sense, danger, malware, Phishing, spyware, tips, Trend Micro

Hello readers!

Happy 2009! I get a lot of questions about these “safe surfing” practices I often refer to. Therefore I thought I’d start off the new year with the following article explaining what exactly I’m talking about. I’m going to assume that most people are using a version of a Microsoft’s Windows operating system for the majority of these, however when there is something that applies to other operating systems, I’ll be sure to mention it.

Safe Surfing Tip #1: Applies to Apple and Microsoft
Always buy your operating system!

The first and foremost reason for this is that companies like Microsoft and Apple constantly provide software updates and patches that are vital to your protection as a user of their software. These major companies put lots of money into taking care of their customers. It may not always seem like it, but they do. Everytime there is a loophole, the programmers are hard at work to fix it. If you choose to use a cracked version, you are A: (In most countries) Doing something illegal and B: Are missing out on critical updates to prevent malware and other types of attacks.

Safe Surfing Tip #2: (Applies mainly to Microsoft products, but more and more to Apple as well)
Always buy and regularly update your antivirus software!

Same sort of theory applies to this tip. If you don’t buy the software and use a cracked version or nothing at all, you are subjected to not having the updates and proper proactive protection needed when surfing the internet.

Also, choose one program and stick with that. No need for more. They just get in each other’s way. I’m not going to recommend one over the other, there have been many comparisons that can be found online if you’re willing to do the research.

Safe Surfing Tip #3: (Applies to all users of antivirus software)
Just because you have antivirus software, doesn’t mean you won’t get infected.

The first statement I get when someone comes to me with a virus issue is “but I have antivirus software!”

The main reasons that the virus got through the protection are as follows:
1) You disabled it
2) The “allow” button was clicked one-too many times
3) You allowed some program like Limewire through to download illegal music and downloaded something you thought was music, but was really a virus!

Well either those or you got tricked into opening a “male enhancement” attatchment because it was sent by a spoofed address that you thought was someone you knew.

Safe Surfing Tip #4: (Applies to everyone)
If you should be paying for something but you’re not, there’s always a chance you’re not getting what you expect.

This applies for many things, the main one being those users of torrents and P2P sharing programs. Like I mentioned in my little Limewire rant above, often files thrown into the mix of mp3s are malicious files that are mistakenly downloaded onto the system and run, thus hitting your system pretty hard with a wide variety of infections. This applies even more with software programs and keygens. Countless times I’ll check the browsing history of an infected computer and I’ll see search history for a keygen.

I’ll also mention one thing here I really can’t stand and that is people searching for pornography. In both real life and the virtual world, it’s a great way to catch a little more than a cold. I’ll leave it at that.

Safe Surfing Tip #5: (Applies to All)
When in doubt, don’t do it.

This is a common tip you hear in all walks of life. Unless you’ve got some neuropsychological issues, instinct is your friend. That gut feeling you get when you’re going somewhere you’re not supposed to be is telling you something. Listen to it.

These are just a few of the ways to stay safe when browsing the internet. Remember common sense is a lost art. Learn to use it!

General antivirus, Apple, common sense, danger, Mac, malware, microsoft, PC, Phishing, safe surfing, spam, spyware, tips, virus

Hello again readers,

I apologize for not having anything posted sooner.  For those who are going to be shopping this holiday season, watch out for things that look too good to be true.  TrendMicro just released their top ten things to watch out for this holiday season. The full article can be found here but here’s a shortened version of it as well as some other details.

10. Bargain Hunter Scams – If the price seems way too low, check to see if the store is an authorized retailer, they may not be selling you the real product.

9. Fake Charity Sites – From hurricanes to terrorist sieges, everyone is wanting money for something.  Ensure charities you are donating to are authorized non profit charities, and not some random website. (Some site still look good so be careful as explained later in this article, I still prefer to give cash or pay in person)

8. Fake Greeting Cards – Ensure the messages from e-cards look real and don’t contain gibberish, sometimes they may come a friend or relative but contain malicious code that could be harmful to your computer.

7. Malicious Advertisements – Those annoying pop ups may start looking appealing when holiday shopping, but careful not be lured to sites that look real but are actually not.

6. Malicious Search Results – When typing something like “holiday shopping” into a search engine, one might come up with some website that can be harmful to your system.  Use something like McAfee Site Advisor to give you a better idea as to what is good and what isn’t (though results are not always 100% accurate, it’s still better than nothing).

5. Compromised High Traffic Websites – Attackers during the holiday season try to focus their attacks on sites that shoppers go to and insert malicious code that can download things to your system.  Keep your Antivirus program up to date!

4. Mining Personal Data – Bogus Gift Card Promos – Surveys that say they are going to give some awesome prizes can look legitimate but can get you to put in your credit card numbers saying they’ll give you money when they’re actually doing the opposite.

3. e-Commerce Phishing – eBay is the most phished website as it is was listed the most visited in 2007.  Amazon is also among the top.

2. Bogus Courier Receipts Delivering Trojan Viruses – Emails that say you have an undelivered package and requesting money when you don’t recall buying anything is a good sign showing that it’s a fake.  Use your best judgment!

1. Shopping Invoices for Ghost Transactions – Ensure e-mails saying you have a receipt in the attachment to a purchase you made are from the site you purchased it from.  Don’t open the attachment, most retailers as far as I know make the receipts available once you log in securely to their websites.  They don’t send them in attachments.

Well now you know the top ten.  Some common e-mails people mistake for being legitimate look something like this. Then they ask for personal information like this.

Some of the common e-mails are spoofed from McDonalds, Walmart, and, a personal favourite, some random old lady that passed away left you her fortune and you have to pay money to get it. What an idea!

Well I hope after reading this you will practice safe shopping, remember a good antivirus program helps, but nothing beats your common sense!

Phishing danger, internet, Phishing, scam, shopping