We have stressed the importance of anti-virus protection for your PC since the first days of our blog. Even before there was a blog or a JumpstartMyPC.com I talked with friends and family about securing their computer via a program like avast! Now, I want to bring a new message to all of those who take the time to read our articles. “Know your anti-virus program and be careful what you click.”
Friday I got a call from a client whose computer was suffering from a virus attack and, of course, he needed his PC right away. I am not complaining or mocking him, as I know how important it is to have a functional, virus free computer at all times. I arrived on the scene to investigate and found one of the worst attacks I had ever seen. The computer could be powered up, but that was about it. A few seconds after booting up, the pop ups began. Window after window of warnings and seemingly helpful “virus removal” options filled the screen. The problem was, many of these “helpful” windows were actually the virus.
You see, my client’s PC had somehow contracted the “Antivirus System Pro” virus. Antivirus System Pro is described as “a rogue anti-spyware that uses false scan results, fake security alerts, and Internet Explorer hijacking in order to have you purchase this program. It is because of these actions that we classify Antivirus System Pro as a rogue anti-spyware program. When installed, Antivirus System pro will be configured to start automatically when you log into Windows. Once running it will scan your computer and display numerous infections that do not actually exist. Furthermore, it will state it will not remove these infections unless you first purchase the program. This method of stating there are infections, but not removing it until you purchase it, is just another tactic to have you purchase the software.” (taken from bleepingcomputer.com)
Don't be Fooled - Antivirus System Pro Dashboard
This program would not allow the user or I to do anything except follow the prompts to a screen where we could pay them for the solution. The solution was a total scam and totally unnecessary. After some research and the help of an article by Grinler on bleepingcomputer.com I had the solution. It only took a few minutes to get past the virus and begin repairing the damage done. The next question for the owner of this PC is “how did this happen?” I wish I knew, but I am pretty sure it all started with one pop-up window. This pop-up window probably notified the user about a “potentially dangerous” attack and asked if they wanted to protect their computer by quarantining the program. One click later, the new virus was taking over and locking the system down to keep the user from correcting the problem
The moral to this story is “be careful what you click.” This user did exactly what most people (including myself) probably would have done. They clicked the button to remove the threat. The problem was, this button looked different from their anti-virus program, which unfortunately had expired just prior to this disaster. So, what could anyone in this situation do to avoid the problem. Here are some recommendations:
1) Keep your anti-virus program up to date and paid up (should you elect to go with a paid application). Don’t forget there are great, FREE applications like avast!
2) Know your anti-virus program. Every pop-up and warning from an anti-virus program will contain the name of the program. If you have Norton ant-virus but see a popup from another program, it is probably a scam.
3) Layer your security. In our article “No Security Program is 100% Effective” we covered the importance of using multiple programs to create a strong, reliable defense against malware and viruses. There are free programs for all of these “layers” and all you have to invest is your time.
Don’t waste a moment. Check your computer today and make sure that you are protected. Spending a few minutes of your time now will avoid a repair bill and/or the cost of a new PC in the future. And remember, you can pass this message on to friends and family by clicking on ShareThis below.
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