Wednesday, November 5, 2014

Malware, Viruses and Other Icky Subjects - Learn The Truth


 
There's a discussion on Chat this morning about malware and viruses. I'll copy the posts below, as they have good information. Hugely popular reputable sites like Amazon.com, Coupons.com, etc., do not put malware or viruses on your computer.
 
I had a bad experience on my personal computer with malware. When I tried to open a pdf file, I got a very real-looking pop up telling me I needed to update my Adobe.com software.  I knew I hadn't updated it in awhile, so I clicked it. BAD MISTAKE!!!! Immediately my computer changed its look, ads popped up everywhere, etc. I thought I had a virus, but our computer guy hurried over and told me I had opened a malware file. I can't stress enough that the pop up looked exactly like a real Adobe message. Anyway, it took an hour to get it cleaned off my computer and to install a better anti-malware program. I now ignore any pop up that tells me I have to update the terms of service or my password or my software or whatever. I never click any of them. Our computer guy told me there's no way to know how I got the malware; it could have been hours, days, weeks, even months ago. Malware can lie in wait on your computer to surprise you when you are on a legitimate website. It probably has nothing to do with the website you happen to be visiting. The malware I opened laid (lay? lain?) in wait until I tried to open a pdf file, which was its trigger to pop up and tell me I needed to update Adobe --- pretty tricky when you think about it. In reality, the pop-up is a trojan horse to make you click the terrible button that will release the malware in all its fury. It would be a mistake to blame this on Adobe. Bad people simply used the Adobe reputation and logo to make me think it's okay to click. The same is true of Coupons.com, RedPlum.com, Amazon.com, Yahoo.com, Groupon.com, Paypal.com, Swagbucks.com, etc. Malware creators will use those names/logos to trick you.
 
Here are the Chat posts; thanks ladies for your knowledge.
 
86529 Not Coupons.com (11/5/2014 5:30:05 AM):  To Frances: The virus you talk about didn't come from coupons.com If it did, half the computers in America would be affected since millions of people print coupons there. You got malware or a virus somewhere else and it popped up while you were on coupons.com The same thing happened to me but not with coupons.com. I was on amazon and a pop up told me I needed to update my adobe file to the latest version. I clicked on it and WHAM! Pop ups galore!! Ads everywhere!! It looked totally legit when the "adobe" pop up appeared, just like I'm sure the pop up you got on coupons.com looked legit. IT DIDN"T COME FROM COUPONS.COM. That's how malware works. You pick it up somewhere and it bides its time until a moment when you least expect it. It's like you catch a cold virus while out shopping, but you don't get your first sneeze until 3 days later while at the movies. You didn't get the cold at the movies but you associate it with that. Malware is horrible and you usually have to get someone professional to get it off your computer. But blame the right people, NOT COUPONS.COM. Malware is designed to look totally legit and it takes advantage of your trust in reputable sites to get you to click the bad link. Thousands of people visit coupons.com per hour and have printed coupons for years. If it was really planting viruses, it would have long ago self destructed. You got malware and no one will be able to tell you exactly when or how. That's what's so horrible about it. ,  Julie B, MI
86530 Julie is Right (11/5/2014 5:45:58 AM):  You got malware. It happened to me and it took a $75 repair to get it off. It comes from evil people sitting in their basements making up pop ups that look official and real. You trust the site, so you click it. Then all he11 breaks loose. It's also sneaky. The malware is designed to lie dormant until you're on a big-name site. That's when it will spring because you least expect it. The lesson is to distrust popups. Don't click them, no matter how legit they appear. ,  Joan J, IL

86546 Signs of Malware (11/5/2014 8:12:33 AM): 
1) Popup ads appear even when no browser is open.
2) Browser navigation gets redirected.
3) A security program you never installed pops up scary warnings.
4) Posts you didn't write appear on your social media pages.
5) A program holds your PC for ransom.
6) Suddenly you can't use common system tools.
7) Everything seems perfectly normal, because the malware is laying in wait.

Malware doesn't come from reputable sites (like coupons.com or smartsource.com or swagbucks.com or amazon.com). It sneaks in through an email or through clicking on an innocent looking pop up or who knows? Malware creators are smart and wicked. If you think you have malware, you will probably need a professional to clean up the mess, then install a good anti-malware program. But even those aren't fool-proof because bad people are working around the clock to come up with the next generation of viruses and malware. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news. ,  Barbara S, NC
 
 
One last note: If you have your security settings very high on your anti-virus program, it may warn you about any site that it considers advertising, including most sites on the internet that run ads. Coupons.com will leave a cookie on your computer to prevent you from printing more than 2 of a coupon. That's not spying or a danger to your computer.
 
           

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