Malicious Software Tip

Conficker has acquired more than its share of coverage as probably the most important malware in the last year, but this next week will see a whole lot more. The latest variant of the worm, Conficker.C, is programmed to do something on April 1.

We all know to keep your computer Antivirus Software updated with Windows Update and set your computer to receive security & critical "Updates" Also, Spyware/Malware protection. But here's a few security measures you can do:

"One of the many ways that your system can get infected in the first place is from the usual suspects: e-mail attachments, rogue links in e-mails or on malicious websites and from downloading files from P2P networks such as Limewire and KaZaa, but a most recent exploit seems to be where many folks are getting infected.

The popularity of online video and especially YouTube has created a new trick for malware writers to get into your system. If you click on a link that presents itself as a video, but when you go to play the video you get an alert stating that you need to update your “Flash Player” or you need a new ‘codec’, the chances are real good that it’s a trick.

If you routinely view online video and you are suddenly told you need something new to view online videos, especially from a no-name website, be suspicious.

If a message comes up saying you need a new version of the Flash Player, don’t accept the file that the website offers as an update. Instead, go to http://get.adobe.com/flashplayer to install the latest version of the free video player, then go back and try viewing the video again.

If the same message comes up with a prompt to download an updated Flash Player, you will know it’s a scam for sure.

In the same respects, if you get a message telling you that you need a new ‘codec’ to view a video, the safe response is to take a pass until someone technical you trust can see if you’re video playback software is really that old."

Posted by Ken of Data Doctors on March 26, 2009

If these tips helped you, or if I helped you elsewhere, please help me to continue to fight malware by making a donation. Also, for me to donate to the authors of the tools we used to remove malware. Just click the PayPal Donation Button below:

Cookies Tips

What is a cookie?

A cookie is a little round or square thing - usually made with flour, sugar, eggs and stuff. They're really good. I used to gorge on them until I got a little chunky (no pun intended!). They will make you chunky too; if you eat too many of them. There are chocolate chip cookies (my favorite), oatmeal cookies (the health food of cookies) - Oh wait! You meant a computer "cookie". Sorry!

A cookie, in computer terms, is a small text (txt) file that a web page on another machine writes to your personal machine's disk to store various bits of information. Cookies have earned a undeservedly bad reputation. Cookies cannot cause your computer harm because they are nothing but text files. Most cookies are used by sites to keep count of "unique" visitors, to provide services to visitors, to save user settings, etc. Normally, a cookie can only be read by the site that placed it on your computer. Cookies are never spyware because the term "ware" indicates a program.

There are such things as "tracking cookies" where sites working together track your movement from one of their sites to another, but no cookie can track your movements across the Internet. Cookies, unlike spyware, can be quickly and easily deleted by clicking Tools / Internet Options on the Internet Explorer toolbar and clicking the "Delete Cookies" button. And use ATF Cleaner by Atribune.

Spyware Tips

Watch out for those sneaky pop-up advertisements that look like a real window! I hate them. For just a second there, I see the window and it looks like a typical Windows error message. It says, "This computer may be infected with Spyware! Click below to scan." And it looks like a real dialog box, but it isn't. It's spam an annoying pop-up ad on the Internet. That will infected your computer. Do not be fooled! Do a Control, Alt, Delete which will bring up the task manager and you can end that process this way. Then do a Quick Scan with Malwarebytes to be on the safe side.

If you are offered to download or purchase any Spyware or Malware cleaning programs by way of pop-up advertising please DO NOT accept these invitations. These types of programs usually try to trick you into using them and are associated with malware themselves.


Let's talk a little about how such programs get onto your computer. An invitation to download them can arrive via spam. Or you could get a pop-up offering them. Either way, they should be refused. Remember what Mom said about accepting candy from strangers. The same rule applies here.

I'm not very high on Spybot or Ad-Aware by Lavasoft any longer, not because there is something wrong with the program. It just does not seem to be able to detect all the new variations of spyware (The bad guys constantly try out new ways to fool spyware programs.) If you're looking for a free solution, it's hard to beat Malwarebytes. I've found no anti-spyware which works better than Malwarebytes

If these tips helped you, or if I helped you elsewhere, please help me to continue to fight malware by making a donation. Also, for me to donate to the authors of the tools we used to remove malware. Just click the PayPal Donation Button below: