With Halloween upon us, I figured it was a good time to talk about “Scareware”. How did it get it on your computer? If you haven’t heard of “scareware” before, it’s a form of rogue program that attempts to trick you into purchasing a fake anti-virus or other security programs by using pop-up alerts telling you that your computer is infected their program will handle the computer virus removal. These alerts usually pop-up on your screen while on the internet and they make it seem like you should urgently click on the pop-up to fix the problem. Unfortunately, clicking anywhere on these pop-ups can install a small software program on your pc that can open it up to more attacks.
If these alerts are not the normal messages you see with your current anti-virus and firewall programs then DON’T ClICK ANYTHING. It’s best to save your work, then press “Alt-F4″ to close those windows or pop-ups. If that doesn’t close the window, then press ctrl+alt+delete to go into the Task Manager and end your browser program to avoid having to click on the pop-ups or just restart your computer. If your task manager will not open, then your pc is most likely already infected. You should restart your computer in safemode and try to use your anti-virus program to scan your computer for infections.
Why is this Rogue Program bothering you?
Typically, this type of program gets installed on your pc from visiting a porn related website or an illegal file sharing site but any site could be infected. The best way to protect your computer, and to be certain that it is fully protected, is to follow these steps:
- Make sure your anti-virus is automatically update often and it runs regular scans of your computer.
- Install a good firewall program and make sure it stays active.
- Make sure to update other programs to block any possible security issues.
- Surf the net safely. Don’t click on boxes and windows that seem out of place.
- Log into your computer with a regular user account.
To expand on these steps:
Most anti-virus programs allow you to automatically update the virus definitions so make sure this option is selected and it should update your computer every morning when you turn it on.
Windows comes with a built in firewall program but it isn’t as robust as some of the other available firewalls and Microsoft is a target of many attacks so I would preferred to have another firewall to help protect my system.
Windows has security holes so make sure you have your pc set to automatically update windows and office so these holes get plugged as they are found or exploited. Microsoft products aren’t the only programs you should worry about though. You should also update your browsers, flash players, movie players, itunes and any other program that accesses the internet, just to be safe.
Sometimes we get in a hurry and just start clicking. Be very careful and pay attention to what you are clicking.
Most of us, when we buy a new computer, only set up one account on the pc to do everything. This account is an admin account so it can install programs, delete files and make system changes. If a virus gets control of your pc with this log in, then they have full rights to do as they please. It’s a VERY good idea to set up a user account to do your daily work from so that you have to log into your admin account to do installations and make other changes. It can be a bit of a hassle, but as least you stop “scareware” and other malware from infecting your pc.
Getting rid of “Scareware”
It isn’t easy to get rid of “scareware” and sometimes it’s hard to determine if it’s completely gone. If you’re having issues with the removal process, give our computer virus removal team a call and we can assist you.