MSN.com MSNBC.com Spreading Infections

Seeing some installations of fake anti-virus coming from both MSN.com and MSNBC.com this morning. I would avoid these sites at this time.

How to Avoid Fake Anti-virus - DON'T CLICK

So have you been one who has been presented with a window that tells you that your PC is full of malware including worms, trojans, and keyloggers, OH MY!

This happens sometimes when you web searches using Google and Yahoo. Other instances, you may browse to a web site and BAM! you get that same message about malware infestations on your PC.

This appears to be a message window but it is actually an Internet Explorer window. You should not click on any button or the X to close this window. In this specific case, the criminal attacker disabled the user from going to the Start Bar and right clicking on the IE window to close it. However, you can just bring up the Task Manager and under the Applications tab, close the Internet Explorer application from there. Any other clicking on this window will get your PC infected.

Stay safe out there and the weekend is almost upon us. Have a fabulous weekend!!

Holding Your Documents for Ransom

Well we've talked several times over the recent past of the evolution of the rogue anti-virus malware that has been working like a charm. It basically is malware that says your PC has malware and you need to buy their product to clean them. Well those behind these types of attacks have now started a nasty twist. It isn't the first time. This has been done in the past.

They take all your documents in the "My Documents" folder (default doc folder for Windows) and encrypts the files. And for a fee, say $50 they will let you have your documents back. Pretty nasty trick I'd say.

Some of the things we've talked about in the past to combat these is to keep your applications such as your Windows updates current as well as RealPlayer, WinZip, WinAmp, QuickTime, Adobe Reader and Flash, as well as iTunes. Keeping these up to date will not allow the criminal attacker the ability to run code remotely on your PC. Check back on some of my previous posts that help you keep you PC humming along.

Posting this on Sunday and my KU Jayhawks rolled into the Sweet 16 in this year's March Madness tourney. Good luck next weekend guys and lets keep it rolling! ROCK CHALK JAYHAWK!!!

More Scareware, Rogue Security Software

The folks over at Silent Noise indicated there is yet another version of the fake anti-virus that has been plaguing folks for many months now. This version isn't being recognized by anti-virus very well at all at this point. It is called AntispyKnight. Click here to read about Silent Noise's write-up on this new.

Great game today by the Kansas University Jayhawks. They beat those nasty KSU Wildcats. Stay safe and have a fabulous rest of the weekend.

Fake AV - Stubborn to Rid from Your PC

I've worked on a few of these fake AV's on friend's PC's. These run bogus scans and tells you that you have bunches of malware that is infecting your machine. It prevents you from going to websites to get cleaning software. Prevents your legitimate AV from updating. Turns your Automatic Updates off. Gives you the fake Microsoft Windows Security Shield and tells you that you need to activate whatever the current name of AV that is installed on your PC. Some give you fake BSOD (Blue Screen of Death). Popups take over your PC. Your browser is hijacked.

It goes by many different names. Total Protect 2009, eXPress Antivirus 2009, iSafe 2009 (Sounds like an Apple application), Antivirus 360, Perfect Defender 2009, and on and on and on. This is just some of the more recent fake AV's that have been plaguing PC's lately.

It's tough to remove this type of malware because it defends itself very well. The best thing is to not get the nasty stuff. The most common delivery method is social engineering. Tricking you into installing the malware yourself. Be wary of messages sent to you from friends on social networking sites like MySpace, FaceBook, etc. A very effective way of propagating itself is once it is installed on a PC, any user of these social networking sites sends messages to all the friends on you list trying to trick your friends into installing this malware.

Stay safe. My Kansas University Jayhawks rocked the Insight Bowl earlier tonight 42 to 21 against Minnesota. Hope you had a safe and happy New Year!

More and More Fake AV!

Just recently, Microsoft built in to its malware removal tool a lot of the fake AV's that have been infecting so many PC's. And now of course we find even more fake AV's seemingly going strong. Click here to read a posting from the Internet Storm Center. Seems that the way they are infecting PC's is through a very effective way of social engineering.

Play it smart, don't just randomly click on things, and patch your software applications like, Adobe, all your Microsoft applications, etc. I've written previous posts that talks about the Secunia Tool that helps you keep up to date.

Stay safe, and have a Happy New Year! Rock Chalk Jayhawk. Insight Bowl on December 31.

Antivirus 2009 Really Sucks

I have commented a few times about all the fake AV going around the Internet. It appears that it morphs and adds "enhancements" that defends itself well. Turning off Microsoft Automatic Updates, not allowing you to browse to sites that will help you clean your PC, etc.

Well I ran across another blog today written by Gary Warner. He has a nice detailed post going into the details of how the bad guys are taking advantage of Google searches to raise their ratings that when people click on these links, it infects your PC with fake AV.

Click here to learn more on how the bad guys take advantage of things we use everyday, Google, and use it to propagate their nasty malware. Hey Nancy, this may be how it got installed on your PC!

Stay safe, have a Merry Christmas and a happy and safe New Year!