Win32 Virus Removal

Posts Tagged ‘AntiSpyware’

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Each month there are more rogue applications that get loose on the Internet and Pro Antispyware 2009 is just the latest. Stopping these types of rogue applications is getting harder and harder and if you do not have a reliable malware protection and removal program the time has come to get one. Several years ago [...]

I was expecting some nice gifts and not being threatened with worm.win32.netsky on Christmas day morning. When I turned my computer on windows security alert boxes kept popping up to say that my computer had been hacked into and had a virus and another warned that it had been infected by worm.win32.netsky. My Internet Explorer [...]

One of the most challenging consequences of the internet?s wide world is the scourge of spyware in existence today. They operate by ?hijacking? an existing internet home page and redirecting the web traffic to a hijacked site. Once you land on the hijacked page, the spyware gets secretly download onto your computer. Spyware bypasses security settings to collect personal information and passwords, internet browsing behaviours, and change computer settings. It will also interfere with your ability to get online and install additional programs as well as cause current programs to malfunction. Programs are difficult to distinguish from one from another because they all have similar characteristics and effects on an infected computer.

The invention of spyware has spawned further internet crimes through a new wave of illegal parasites known as ?rogue? anti-spyware. Rogue anti-spyware preys on people who have been attacked by spyware and are trying to eliminate the parasitical program. Rogue anti-spyware poses as a legitimate anti-spyware, but operates in the same way as spyware. The computer, and its owner, have just fallen victim again.

One infamous rogue anti-spyware program is Malware Alarm. It installs itself onto your computer through a trojan worm known as ?Zlob?. Once installed, the rogue anti-spyware will attempt to persuade you to purchase the software through professional display ads on your browser. Zlob can infect and persuade through other computer applications. It most notorious for running false scans and reporting false infections, convincing people they need the program to purge the infected computer.

There are legitimate anti-spyware programs out there that are efficient and easy to use, such as Spyware Doctor, that will find even the smartest rogue anti-spyware. With Spyware Doctor you will be able to passwor protect your entire computer and your favorite websites. Spyware Doctor will identify spyware, spam emails and eliminate the threat before it infects your computer.

Spyware Doctor is an anti-spyware program that will give you the confidence and privacy that you need when conducting business. There is no need to worry about which anti-spyware programs are right for you. Spyware Doctor will ensure you will be able to once again relax and enjoy your time on the computer without the fear of infection or identity theft.

Each month there are more rogue applications that get loose on the Internet and Pro Antispyware 2009 is just the latest. Stopping these types of rogue applications is getting harder and harder and if you do not have a reliable malware protection and removal program the time has come to get one.

Several years ago when these rogue antispyware application first stared to appear on the Web they were fairly simple to uninstall manually, but now creators of these applications have gone out of their way to make them extremely difficult to remove. Most of the difficulties in removal of rogue antispyware stems from the trojans that these programs incorporate.

In most cases rogue antispyware like Pro Antispyware 2009 use trojans like Zlob to infect most computers. Though the Zlob trojan is only one of several hundred different trojans floating around the Internet, there are at least 32 different variants of Zlob alone. With so many different ways for these rogue programs to infect a computer it is no wonder many people are having a hard time keeping up.

Not only do the creators of these types of malware make it hard to keep up with all of things someone has to know to stay safe, they are also going out of their way to create marketing campaigns to further confuse people.

The most common scenario when someone gets infected with rogue antispyware like Pro Antispyware 2009 starts with popups telling the user that their computer is infected and they need to buy a fully version of the program to remove the threats. Most people know what types of protection software is installed on their computer, but some people do not, so many people buy into the scam.

Even if you find websites on the Internet that say that Pro Antispyware 2009 is a good program or that it has won awards, the fact is that this program is dangerous. The only thing this program was designed for was to con people out of money.

The reason there are so many rogue antispyware programs loose on the Internet is simple. Scammers have found a way to con people out of money and they really do not have to do much in the process. Not only are these programs an easy way for scammers to get money, it is very hard to catch these scammers because most of them work from countries that do not police the Internet to try to stop them. Easy money with no risk and some of the scammers that develop these programs are estimated to be making millions of dollars, no wonder the problem is growing faster and faster each year.

Because rogue antispyware is not going away anytime soon most consumers have two choices to protect themselves. They can either take the time to learn about all of the potential threats so they can protect their computers manually or they can find a reliable and fully guaranteed malware protection program.

If you are looking for solutions to removing Pro Antispyware 2009 or similar types of programs the best way to remove it is with a 100% guaranteed malware removal program.

To scan your pc for free and find out if you have

I was expecting some nice gifts and not being threatened with worm.win32.netsky on Christmas day morning. When I turned my computer on windows security alert boxes kept popping up to say that my computer had been hacked into and had a virus and another warned that it had been infected by worm.win32.netsky. My Internet Explorer was constantly opening and trying to take me to spyware removal download sites.

There were 3 new icons on my desktop ‘privacy protector’, ‘Error Cleaner’ and ’spyware & malware protection’. I had definitely not downloaded them so I reasoned that they could only be part of the problem that I was having. They started scanning by themselves, one told me that I had 161 spyware problems and another 243. Worm.win32.netsky was at the top of both lists and lower down were references to credit card hacking. My desktop turned dark red and a warning bar appeared telling me to click on it to protect my computer.

At first I was worried then logic took over. My virus and spyware software, which comes with my broadband service, updated the day before and when I ran a check it came up with nothing. I had vaguely heard of worm.win32.netsky and did not think that it was so new that a virus scan would not pick up on it. I figured that the whole attack was to panic me into buying one of the products. I am stubborn and if I buy spyware protection it would not be through those methods.

I did a Google search for worm.win32.netsky and found a long list of sites. Most of the sites described it as part of the netsky family of email worms that comes to your computer as an email attachment. When you click on the attachment the worm activates then installs itself on your computer and propagates. It harvests email addresses stored on your computer and spreads further by sending itself to them. One or more spyware removal downloads were recommended, but I still did not believe that the computer was infected by anything more than bullying sales methods.

I finally found a forum where a member had described exactly the same thing happening to him. Apparently Worm.Win32.Netsky is a scam, fake malicious software called Smitfraud, an anti-spyware program trojan, engineered by Internet hackers. A fraudulent way to get you to buy spyware removal software. He was pointed in the direction of SmitFraudFix v2.274 and the fix worked for him. I downloaded it and used it and thought that it had worked.

The next day the warnings and desktop icons reappeared. I quickly ran Smitfraudfix again and then I restored my computer to 14 days before the problem appeared. So far so good, the fix and restore seem to have worked. SmitFraudFix v2.274 which apparently only works with Windows XP or 2000 was a free download so the whole thing cost me nothing but time and anxiety. Just to make sure I got a free download of Spyware Doctor from Google and ran it to make sure that my computer was clear and deleted cookies with it.

One of the sites that my IE insisted on going to was selling XP Antivirus. If you do a search for XP Antivirus you will find claims that it is a corrupt anti spyware application that will try to trick you into buying it by falsifying error reports. Do not even think about buying it. XP Antivirus will not remove spyware it will not do anything useful, just scam you out of money.

Where did the problem come from? I am not sure. I had not opened any email attachments for months and would only open attachments if I were expecting them. I downloaded some ebooks and software the day before but had not opened them at that point. I always check downloaded files with a virus scan before I unzip them anyway.

Another possibility is that I visited a dodgy site and the rogue anti spyware program leached onto my computer. In fact when I thought about my surfing the night before it is the most probable explanation. No I do not make a habit of visiting dodgy sites! I was checking my article directory stats and towards the top of a long list of incoming links was a domain that I did not recognize. Out of curiosity I clicked on the link and was taken to a porn site. I did not stick around long enough to see if or why there was a link to my directory, but I will have to do a search to see if any of the articles have links to that site and delete them if they have.

I recall that several years ago when I ran a magazine I checked a link from an advertisement that a subscriber had wanted me to publish. That was a porn site and a virus attacked my computer immediately afterwards. I got rid of the virus and needless to say I did not accept the ad. As I check the links with the articles submitted to my directory I cannot be as careful as I would like to be.

They say that curiosity killed the cat; well it only inconvenienced and annoyed this one. The whole thing is fraudulent and a scam. I am really glad that I did not get caught out but no doubt many others will. Fortunately I always do a search if I am unsure of anything or want to find out about something. The best and most honest answers or information usually comes from forums, not the sites with reviews and links to the products.

Of course worm.win32.netsky might really have been a worm from the netsky family then I really would have had a bigger problem to deal with. I thought that my broadband virus and spyware software would look after my computer but I will now look for something better. I really cannot understand the mentality of the malicious people who manufacture worms and viruses, or the scamsters who try to trick you out of your money.