Last
Saturday, something calling itself ‘Antivir*ouss
Sec*urity Pro’ (I have deliberately garbled that name, you can guess the real
words) appeared uninvited on my computer.
I have no idea how it got past my security filters – I suspect it somehow
piggy-backed on a software update. I’ll
try and research this further.
Anyway,
it immediately ran a ‘scan’, which reported 23 supposedly corrupt files which
it couldn’t fix. It then started to
report apparent invasions, attacks etc. which it also couldn’t fix. Finally, it effectively blocked my access to
the internet, by advising me that the site I was trying to access was suspect and
could damage my computer. This included
my home page, Wikipedia, and Google. If I
clicked the ‘continue anyway’ button, it got worse – I won’t scare you with the
details.
At every
step, I was told that I had to upgrade my protection, by giving them
money and card details.) Naturally I declined
to do this. I tried to uninstall it, but
it seemed to have craftily hidden itself away so as to make this impossible.
This thing is evil!
I called
my software support service, who were aware of this Trojan. I was advised that the only safe way to get
rid of it is to reset the computer to ‘factory
settings’. You have to make sure you
have a full external back-up of personal files before you do this, because you’ll have
to restore them, along with everything else that didn’t come with the computer
when you bought it. (I started at 2.45
today and have just finished.)
This is
obviously a seriously malicious bit of malware.
I don’t know how you can avoid it, but just thought I had to alert you
to its existence. If I find out any more
about it, I’ll let you know – please do the same.
As an update, my brilliant brother has provided the following guide to how deal with it if you do get it:
http://malwaretips.com/blogs/antivirus-security-pro-removal/
As an update, my brilliant brother has provided the following guide to how deal with it if you do get it:
http://malwaretips.com/blogs/antivirus-security-pro-removal/
Modesty, and a desire not to be sued if it screws everything up even more, requires me to point out that I didn't provide the guide - only the link to it.
ReplyDeleteI tried to check it out with my antivirus lot AVG only to find they had been hacked into by Palestinian freedom fighters and the website was down.
That's life.