Watch your downloads!

Rogue scanners go by many different names, including XP Antivirus 2008, XP Antivirus 2009, SpywareSheriff, SpyFalcon, and several dozen others. Looks familiar? This are stuffs that we often see on the internet that often times catches our attention. Rogue scanners, also known as scareware, are often advertised as a free antivirus download or free online scan. Once on the system, the rogue scanner typically displays false virus alerts, with instructions to buy the "full version" in order to remove the fictional infections. Wasting your hard-earned dollars on a bogus product isn't the only thing you need to worry about. There have been multiple reports from folks who fell for the scam only to end up with credit card charges much higher than expected - and often a series of fraudulent charges continue to appear on their statements.

With this, we should be very much carefull in downloading any software from the internet. If we will not be careful, we might end-up as another victim of this softwares. Here are some of the scanners that we should avoid. Hope this will be of help:

- Advance Antivirus - AdwarePunisher
- AdwareSheriff - AlphaCleaner
- AntiSpyCheck - AntiSpyware Expert
- AntiSpyware Soldier - AntiVermians
- Antivermins - AntiVirGear
- Antivirus Lab 2009 - Antivirus Master

source: antivirus.about.com

McAfee Avert Stinger

Yesterday, my brother asked for my help on how to handle the virus that was in one of their computer at school. He told me that someone might have uninstalled the AVG antivirus in the
said unit. With this, the computer became infected by a virus. At the moment that one of their staff informed him that he cannot open a folder of a student in drive D, my brother looked at the computer and found out that it is infected by a virus. He tried to remove it by installing an antivirus but the installation is being cancelled. He also tried to use some virus removal kit that we usually used but it was also a failure. He also tried using quick smash and other software to access the task manager hoping to stop the process that is causing the termination of installing an antivirus but again, it was a failure. Nothing seemed to have work on all the softwares that we have.

Upon hearing this, i scheduled a time for me to surf the internet for a possible solution. In searching for the right software, a came across with McAFEE Avert Stinger. It is a stand-alone utiliy that detects viruses. It is a tool used in dealing with infected systems. It is buid with the next generation scanning technology. Since i have other things to research, it was the only software that i manage to download. I really could not explain it but somehow, something inside me is telling me that its the utility that i am looking for.

Upon arriving home, i gave it to my brother. The following day, when i got home, my brother gave me a good news. The virus cleaner utility that i downloaded worked. He said that it detected the viruses that was in the system. With this, he was able to install AVG Free edition on the unit and the problem was solved.

The hardest part in dealing with systems that are infected by a virus is that you cannot install antivirus softwares to the system and cannot access the registry and the task manager as well. That is why it is an advantage if you have a stand-alone utility software that works like an antivirus software but i would just like to remind you that it is not intended to replace an antivirus software. It would still recommend that you install an AV program in your system and keep it updated.

Here is the link of the McAfee Avert Stinger: http://vil.nai.com/vil/stinger/

FireWall Challenge Rating

A firewall is an integrated collection of security implementation or measures created to prevent unauthorized electronic access to a networked computer system. It is a device builed to deny, allow, encrypt, decrypt all computer traffic between different security domains based upon a set of rules or criteria. To make it simpler, it is use to prevent network intrusion to private network. Also in what i have read, the best way to prevent trojans from infiltrating in your computer is to have a reliable firewall running in your computer system. Recently I have received an e-mail from a friend about a FireWall Challenge. The results quite surprised me.! Check it out for yourself.

here is the site:
http://www.matousec.com/projects/firewall-challenge/results.php

Color it Green

It was a cold morning, I went to school and attended our Management Information system(MIS) 2 class. That day was scheduled for the assigned reporters to deliver their respective topics. But because of some technical problems the reports where delayed so our professor decided to share something.
He gave us so many realizations that day. The first where more on the trend in the development of the information era. That because of the current advancements of technology, our world that is thought of as round is technically flat. This statement originated from the idea that because unlike before, people nowadays has equal access to limitless information. This means that anyone of us will find any information reachable, giving us the power to know what we want to and use these knowledge for the good of all. These ideas thrilled and motivated me more to listen closely to our professor. And i was stunned as a point came where he shared about our contribution to the environment. I came to realize that as IT practitioners. We must not let technology to continue in backfiring us with negative side effects. We must find ways to not just minimize but eliminate the negative effects that technology brought, bearing in mind that technology was developed for only good intentions. Maybe we do not have the capacity to deliver big solutions at this time but at least we are taking the first step. The green campus computing idea for me is great. It may be simple if we look at it, but if implemented, this campaign will give great results maybe not visible today but helpful for securing the future generations ahead of us.
As a support to this campaign, I scheduled my computer use at home and I encourage my friends and neighbors to do so as well.

Me + 5 = ?

When i was just a kid on my grade school days, I dreamed of becoming a soldier. Its good to imagine how someone would feel secured every time that I am near. It's like being a hero ot the one's in danger or threatened.
But sad to say, i am not a soldier material. Aside from physical limitations, i'm against violence. But its odd because as I think of myself 5 years from now, I see myself as a soldier. Yup, you read it right. A strong and skillful soldier, ready to bust anyone who does not give some respect to the word "peace". I guess your thinking it the wrong way this time. I never planned on harming somebody, or owning a gun. What I mean about a "soldier" is a Computer Security Administrator. I see myself giving some lessons to those virus developers and hackers and show them what security is. I will definitely develop my own antivirus software. I'll use every skill that i own and will learn in these coming years to enforce a barrier against unwanted data manipulation, deletion of critical files and other forms of computer hacking. Sooner or later, through my works, a day will come that hackers will get their hands of the keyboard, press the power button, leave their illegal acts and use their computer knowledge for the development of the society.

AVG 8.0 Free Edition

Just last month, I started using AVG 8.0 free edition, and all i can say is "Great!". This free antivirus is the best AV program that i'ved used. The greatest thing about this is it's "FREE".

It provides users with a real-time shield to prevent infection, antimalware, antivirus, and antispyware and email scanner wrapped up in one engine. The interface is easy to use compared with other AV programs. Unlike its older versions, it doesn't slows down the performance of your pc when it is scanning or running in the background. It is also quicker at start-up. It is also very easy on updates.

As far as my experience is concerned, it had caught more virus compared with other AV programs that i previouslu used. To really find out how effective AVG free edition is, Try it!, anyways,...its FREE.

Sowar and www.redtube.com

Have you encountered the problem wherein your default home page changed to "www.redtube.com" without your knowledge? This is caused by a certain virus that made changes in your system.

To delete the virus that caused this, just follow these steps.

1. Grab a copy or download Quicksmash Application and Trend Micro Hijackthis v2.0.2
2. Run your computer in safe mode.
3. Install the Hijackthis Application, then do a system scan.
4. Select all item that contains sowar.vbs as well as those that contains redtube.com.
5. Click the fix and check button, then close the application
6. Run Quicksmash and click the Smash button at the center.
7. After using Quicksmash, restart your computer.
8. Access your registry(type regedit in run). Press "ctrl f" then type sowar in the textbox.
9. If you found an item with sowar.vbs, delete the item(right click the item and choose delete). Continue looking for sowar in your registry until no trace of it is found.

For questions, please leave a comment or email me at jonard_chess@yahoo.com