Imagine
this ....you turn on your computer and
log into Windows. You are very
excited that you finally bought a new computer, and
cannot wait to get online and began
surfing the web!
You open up
Internet Explorer and your heart is beating
fast with anticipation. There you are -
cruising along online, when a yellow triangle pops up on
your screen, warning you that your computer has been
infected by Spyware. "Oh my gosh," you say to yourself,
"I am not infected with a virus, my computer is brand
new!" You immediately click on the triangle to close the
alert.
As soon as you close the alert, you begin to get
numerous pop-ups and your computer suddenly freezes. You
reboot your computer thinking that there was some small
issue, which can be fixed with a fresh boot. When you
log back into Windows, you realize that regardless of
which icon you click on, none of your programs will
open, and your computer continues to freeze. You have
been unknowingly tricked into installing a fake, rogue
anti-virus program on your computer!
You have been introduced to fake
antivirus software!
Fake
anti-virus software can be disguised
as legitimate anti-virus software, requesting you
to download it to protect your system for a "small fee."
Many times people are fooled into buying anti-virus
software from non-reputable companies, only to
realize later (for example): that they paid $50.00 or more,
to download software that does not work; while
their credit card is showing additional unauthorized
charges from the "anti-virus company!"
The anti-virus company will not return
calls, has no phone number to call and no customer
support! As a matter of fact, the company has no real
anti-virus software, because they are SCAMMERS!
It is good to keep in mind that thieves
are now using rogue anti-virus programs to steal your
personal information and wreck havoc on your financial
well being, as well as selling your information to MORE
thieves!
Many
times, fake virus programs are actually a
"Trojan", which is a program that takes control of
your computer while remaining "hidden." Sometimes, the Trojan creates
"false positives," fooling you into thinking your computer
is infected, even though it is not. In
other cases, this software places malicious code into your
computer, causing many unwanted and possibly critical problems for
your computer.
Beware of
clicking on websites or ads that advertise "free virus
scanning." You will usually do your computer more harm,
than good.
1.) You will
see constant alerts that your system is infected, with
numerous pop-ups; including system stability issues.
2.)
You will get constant pop-ups, even when you are not on
the internet
3.)
Your computer becomes dramatically slower
4.) Your
desktop changes without your command, or your homepage
is changed or is re-directed to another site that
you did not choose.
-------------------------------------------------
Preventing infection on your
computer
1.) Use
Firefox instead of Internet Explorer!
2.) Use
a good anti-virus program, and make sure it is set to
update automatically (new definitions are released daily
in many cases as new viruses are released daily!)
3.) Always have a firewall enabled
on your computer, even if it is the Windows Firewall
4.) Never open an email unless you
are definitely sure that it is from a trusted source
(sometimes that trusted source may actually have a virus
on his/her PC, sending rogue emails!)
5.) NEVER click on any pop-up that
advertises anti-virus/spyware software.
6.) If
you get a virus alert on your screen ("You are
infected..") NEVER click it! Instead, press "Ctrl + Alt
+ Del" to view a list of the programs running. Find the
rogue program and click "End Task."
7.) DO
NOT use peer to peer file sharing programs such as
"Limewire", as this is a sure way to get infected;
especially if you are not savvy to network and computer
security.
Hopefully this article has
helped save many of you from hours of frustration,
and will prevent a trip to your local computer
store, or even to TekTime for repair!
Remember
that it takes effort and education to prevent becoming
infected, but an ounce of prevention is worth.... a
pound of cure.
