Showing posts with label virus. Show all posts
Showing posts with label virus. Show all posts

Tuesday, 23 June 2015

Remove viruses easily

Step 1 - Downloading & Install
There are two excellent and FREE computer virus removal programs we use. Download and install these programs to your desktop.
* Malwarebytes
* CCleaner
You should not have to pay for these - there is no need to upgrade from the free version that is offered.
Step 2 - Safe Mode
Reboot your computer into safe mode.
For most Windows based systems, you can use F8 to access the Safe Mode menu when you reboot.
How: Go to the start button, select restart. Once the computer/laptop turns off and back on, immediately hit the F8 key over and over again even if the computer starts beeping at you keep pushing the F8 key. It should bring up the menu to ask you if you would like to boot into safe mode.
If this does not work, you can always do a hard reboot - pull power while your computer is on. If you are using a laptop, make sure you pull power and the battery while it is on. This should force you to the Safe Mode menu.
Step 3 - Run Programs & Reboot
Once in Safe Mode, run Malwarebytes and CCleaner. One right after another. If one program doesn't catch the virus, the other program will.
After both programs run in safe mode, reboot your computer and your virus should be removed. It is really that simple - 3 steps!
Now we recommend you remove these programs once your virus is gone. You will always need to download the newest version from the website if you get a virus again.
*Bonus - Free Anti-Virus Program
You can use AVG for a free anti-virus program to hopefully stop you from downloading another virus in the future. It is extremely important you keep your anti-virus program updated often as thousands of new viruses are created each day.
*Tip
You can always create a Guest user account and that will not allow a virus to download on your computer without your permission.
You are the best defense against a virus. Spam emails will not harm you as long as you do not open the link in the emails. Keep your anti-virus software updated often as thousands of new viruses are released daily. Once you have removed your virus with this process, we recommend you delete your virus removal programs and download new ones if you ever need to use this process again.

Friday, 11 July 2014

The Top 3 Operating System Computer Viruses

If you own a computer or have used one, you know that dangerous viruses or malware is out there to affect the operation of your operating system. A virus is an application that corrupts your files, terminates your hard drive, spies on you, or can permit someone on the other side of the Earth to control your system. Because there are many types of viruses lurking on the Internet, it will not take long before you fall prey to a virus attack. Everyone fears malware infection, but not everyone thinks of learning anything about them.
There has been a lot of research to find out the different types of computer viruses and similar security extortions in order to determine how they are programmed, how they normally damage your system, and how they spread. The significance of computer security has doubled in the previous years as people develop new methods to exploit various loopholes. It is now essential to keep your antivirus software up to date in addition to using exposure management. Although there are many viruses around, there are 3 computer viruses to look out for these days.
Here are 3 top operating system viruses that may threaten your computer:
Shamoon
This is the greatest threat to every person with a Windows computer. It is a Trojan virus which mainly attacks operating systems running Windows computers. At this time, recent attacks have been directed at businesses, but it has been known to spread to personal computers as well. It is proposed that the virus look for a certain data or file which is then forwarded to the creator. The virus covers its trails by overwriting files to cripple the operating system. It can also spread to other networks very easily
Ransomware
This one is particularly tricky because it can look very legitimate to the average user. A message is displayed in the screen which appears genuine. It says you must pay or you will not be permitted to operate your computer again. This is usually a virus and a scam. The developer hopes you will be scared and pay the counterfeit fine. Microsoft offers excellent advice on how to deal with the situation when you come across ransomware.
Email Viruses
Finally, public networks continue to be targeted as people increasingly open accounts. Facebook has the highest number of users hence you should always be watchful of scams related to this service. One of the newest viruses deceiving users is an email notifying you that a friend has added a new photo of you. Through clicking the attached zip file, you download a virus. The email seems legitimate because it uses a Facebook template. Facebook will almost never send an attachment through mail.
These 3 viruses are the biggest threats to most computer users right now. This changes pretty regularly, so it's important to have up-to-date information on the greatest viral threats. If you want to learn about the many different types of computer viruses, check out typesofcomputerviruses.net.

PC Locked by Ransomware - How to Remove Latvijas Policijas Virus

Latvijas Policijas virus description:
Latvijas Policijas virus is a dangerous and horrific ransomware that can lock the targeted computer for no reason. It is designed by cyber criminals to lurk into your compromised PC via exploiting system holes and other channels. Once installed, it will change your system settings and delete your important registry files. Terminate your several programs and block Internet access. Commonly, it will pretend to be the local government and then send you the bogus notification.
It claims that you have violated the law, such as visit prohibited and unauthorized websites, download adult-oriented and illegal materials and contents, etc. You are asked to pay a certain amount of fine within 48 to 72 hours in order to unlock your PC and restore your data. However, it is a total scam and they won't keep their promise. The only way is to find a surefire way to remove Latvijas Policijas virus promptly and fully from your PC.
How can you delete Latvijas Policijas virus manually from your compromised PC?
Follow the instructions to delete Latvijas Policijas virus as quickly as you can.
Step 1: If this ransomware blocks you into Safe Mode with Networking, you can try to start your computer into Safe Mode with Command Prompt by pressing F8 key many times. And then press Enter to proceed.
Step 2: Once the Command Prompt appears, type "explorer" and then hit Enter key to proceed.
Step 3: Then Windows Explorer will show up browse to:
Windows XP: C:\windows\system32\restore\rstrui.exe and press Enter.
Windows Vista/7: C:\windows\system32\rstrui.exe and press Enter.
Step 4: You can go to Start menu and launch Run, and then type regedit into the Run box and click OK to open Registry Editor.
Step 5: In the registry editor window, you should navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WindowsNT\Current Verson\Winlogon\
Step 6: In the right side of the window locate "Shell", right click on it. And then click on Modify.
Step 7: Find Shell in the right hand panel and then change its value into Explorer.exe by right clicking it if the value is different.
Step 8: Save the changes and then restart your PC normally.
Automatic removal:
In fact, it is not advised to get rid of Latvijas Policijas virus manually if you have difficulty in editing files and registry entries. Any mistake may result in irreparable PC damage. Why not use an automatic removal tool to remove this ransomware with a few clicks of the mouse. It can deeply scan your Windows PC, detect and remove the threat from roots. Keep in mind that you should keep it updated on a regular basis.

Wednesday, 9 July 2014

Beware CryptoLocker Virus!

I typically don't like to put out a warning every time a new virus rears its ugly head. I worry that by issuing a warning about specific computer viruses that it creates the perception that people should only worry about viruses we talk about it - instead of being constantly on the alert.
The sad reality is that hundreds of viruses and variants of existing viruses are flung onto the Internet every single day. So, raising an alert about one particular virus seems silly in some respects. However, in this case, I think that reminding people of the need to be ever vigilant by talking about this particular piece of nasty is worthwhile.
I spent much of my Thanksgiving weekend recovering about 50,000 files that were damaged by one single infection of the virus generally called CryptoLocker. Here's what it does. First, it applies strong encryption to any documents (Word, Excel, PDF, etc) it can find on the host computer or any network shares. This encryption essentially makes the files unreadable (unless you have the decryption code). Second, the virus posts a ransom message asking for $300 on the user's computer! It's simply a 21st century shake-down.
Apparently, if you pay the $300 (through untraceable online payment methods) they will decrypt your files and make them accessible to you again. Sometimes, though, the decryption doesn't work - they didn't spend as much time developing the decryption component as they did the encryption part. Scary huh?
You can't decrypt the files on your own. Your only option, if you don't want to pay the ransom, is to restore your files from backup (which is what I did for this particular client).
How did they get the virus? It's hard to tell but it appears this one can come from various sources. It could have been from an attachment on an e-mail, or from an infected website, or maybe it was dropped by another virus.
But, you say, it couldn't happen to you because you have antivirus installed. Right? Wrong! The major antivirus software vendors don't seem to be able to catch this virus before it does its damage. Now, that's scary! The good news is that there is a way to block the virus by making a configuration change on your network. If you're a client of ours, we've already done that for you. If not, contact me and I'll tell you how.
The bottom line? It's always education and awareness. People need to be suspicious of unexpected file attachments. They need to understand that banks, couriers nor Microsoft will e-mail you asking for credentials or information. It's common sense. If you aren't sure about a website or an e-mail, then pick up the phone and call. Be suspicious. A little bit of paranoia can save you a lot of headaches and lost time.

Wednesday, 2 July 2014

Computer Viruses: All You Need to Know

A virus could be a sort of malware that, once dead, replicates by inserting copies of itself (possibly modified) into different laptop programs, data files, or the boot sector of the exhausting drive; once this replication succeeds, the affected parts are then "infected".
We all apprehend laptop viruses and other forms of malware that will cause issues starting from irritating to ruinous. Some malware replicates itself till it fills up all offered area on your drive, turning your laptop into a brick. Other forms corrupt information on your machine or create your laptop unstable. Many can even decide to use your e-mail programs to distribute the malicious code to everybody in your contacts list. And there is invariably the likelihood a cracker a malicious hacker that can use malware to induce remote access to your laptop.
No one desires to have a laptop infected with a nasty virus. That is why it is very vital to practice safe computing habits and to put in reliable anti-virus software system. You'll avoid most malware simply by being attentive and staying far from many common traps. If your anti-virus software system is up so far, you will be in pretty fine condition.
But not so often, viruses get past our defenses. Perhaps our anti-virus software system is out of date or is compromised by a very clever little bit of code. At times we tend to click on a link inadvertently and activate a virus. Or somebody else used our laptop and downloaded some malware by mistake.
How does one understand if your laptop has been hit by a virus? If your anti-virus software system is powerful and updated, you will probably receive a message because the application scans your laptop. That makes detection of a virus easy. What if your software system is out of date or the virus has managed to switch off the anti-virus program? There are signs that can tell you if a virus is present on your computer.
A virus is a program that spreads by first infecting files or the system areas of a pc or network router's disc drive then creating copies of itself. Some viruses are not damaging, others could harm information files, and a few could destroy files. Viruses were easily spread when people shared portable devices and email messages.
Unlike worms, viruses typically need some variety of user action (e.g., opening email attachment or visiting a malicious internet page) to unfold.