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Here’s a combined hoax and malware. Let’s start from the beginning.
People have been posting notes on Facebook about something called “un named app”. It tells you to remove something from Facebook. It’s a hoax. Don’t believe what it says, don’t follow the instructions, and don’t pass it on.
Below are some quotes of the hoax:
ALERT >>>>> Has your facebook been running slow lately? Go to “Settings” and select “application settings”, change the dropdown box to “added to profile”. If you see one in there called “un named app” delete it… It’s an internal spybot. Pass it on
this is real.. i checked and found this app and deleted it… hopefully, my facebook will run better now.
Cannot believe how much quicker mine is running after doing this….
I don’t have this app on my Facebook account but if you do, don’t worry. It’s a normal part of Facebook and you shouldn’t delete it.
Now the second part of this hoax is a real trojan. If you go to Google and search for “facebook unnamed app” you’ll see quite a few results. Some of these results are fake antivirus programs.
A fake antivirus program is actually a trojan. It pretends to scan your PC and quietly installs malware in the background. It goes under the name of Security Tool, it has a fancy detection screen and everything. But it’s definitely bad.
The rule of thumb is that if a web page tells you that your PC might be infected, don’t trust it. Go and get your own antivirus program, not something that pops up on your screen (see here for a good free antivirus program).
There’s a lot to learn here. Basically, be careful who you trust. These days scammers have to trick you into installing malware and they’re good at it (it’s called social engineering).
Avast 5
Avast 5 is the latest version of a great (and free) antivirus program. It’s designed for Windows PCs and does a pretty good job. And did I mention it’s free? There’s no excuse not to have an antivirus program installed on any computer.
There’s also a paid version which extra features such as a personal firewall. I personally use and trust Trend Internet Security, but Avast would be my other choice (especially the paid version called Avast Internet Security).
The free version can be downloaded from here.
Some Personal Firewalls
A personal firewall is a program you install on your computer. It stops unknown programs talking to the internet. Why is this important?
Just say some malware gets installed on your computer. It wasn’t picked up by your antivirus program for whatever reason (maybe you don’t even have antivirus). It starts watching you type in your passwords and tries to send details to a criminal’s server. This actually happens every day to some people.
A personal firewall would detect that an unknown program is trying to send information to the internet and bring it to your attention. It blocks the program and asks you if you want to allow it to proceed.
It’s different to a normal firewall because it runs on your PC instead of on the network. And it doesn’t just keep people from hacking into your computer, it stops malware connecting out to the internet. So overall it’s a good thing to have, it’s just a bit more defence against online fraud.
Below are some new deals I’ve come across. I haven’t tried these programs and can’t comment on how well they work – I suggest you ask around.
ZoneAlarm Pro – this program has been around for many years. The Pro version, which usually costs USD39.95, will be free for today only (13th of October 2009). Go to their web site here.
Online Armor Premium – I haven’t heard of this product before but it’s legitimate. It usually costs $39.95 but it’s free to PayPal members, until the 19th of October 2009. Click here, then on the button to buy now, then proceed to pay with PayPal, it will be discounted to $0.
Windows also has a firewall built in but in my opinion it isn’t very good and it’s difficult to configure. And most antivirus packages, the kind that cost money, include a personal firewall.
Microsoft Security Essentials
Today Microsoft launched a new anti-virus program called Microsoft Security Essentials. People who have tested it are fairly happy with it, it’s certainly better than not having any anti-virus. And best of all it’s free. It works on Window XP, Windows Vista, and Windows 7.
Free download of Microsoft Security Essentials: http://www.microsoft.com/Security_essentials/
Now I’ve always said that paid anti-virus programs are generally better. I still believe this because you get more security features such as web page scanning, a personal firewall and fraud detection. And with all the online fraud and scams that happen every day you need all the security you can get and that costs money.
But sometimes you really can’t justify paying for anti-virus, like a computer you’re only going to use for a month. So this fits in nicely. Also keep in mind that there are several other good free anti-virus programs out there.
I’d also like to point out that sometimes internet security companies can be biased. Take Symantec as an example. On the same day that Microsoft launches a free anti-virus program Symantec started a campaign telling people that free anti-virus programs are bad. I see it as a clearly biased argument to protect their business. Marketing is always biased, it’s always best to get an independent opinion (Fraudo is not sponsored by any companies, the ads on the right are dynamic and I don’t get to choose them).
Antivirus Comparison
There is an organisation called AV-Comparatives that tests antivirus programs and compares their performance. They’re independent from the antivirus vendors making their tests more useful. So it’s good to look through the results and see which antivirus programs are working better than others. Below are their top 7 programs, in no specific order:
Mac OS X Now Comes with Antivirus
Some people make the assumption that Macs can’t get malware, that it’s somehow a Windows-only problem. Unfortunately that’s not the case, any computer can get malware such as viruses and trojans (read here for some examples). And there are some companies that already make antivirus software for Macs.
Further evidence of the need for antivirus software on Macs is given by Apple themselves. They’ve made their own antivirus software for the latest version of OS X (called Snow Leopard). This built-in antivirus software is very limited at the moment:
- It can only scan files downloaded from a small number of programs (so it doesn’t scan “everything”), and
- At the moment it can only detect 2 trojans
If you’re a Mac user you can read more here. My point is that you should do everything possible to protect your computer from malware, scams, etc. Assuming that your computer is somehow superior and invulnerable just doesn’t cut it.
Malware Doctor Is Fake
There is another fake anti-virus product called Malware Doctor. It pretends to scan your PC then tries to trick you into paying them money.
When Malware Doctor first starts up it pretends to scan your PC for viruses and other malware. Then it tells you it found a few things that shouldn’t be there.
It then says that you’re using an unregistered version of Malware Doctor and that you need to pay for the full version to remove the malware.
It’s a scam, if you see Malware Doctor on your PC you need to take action to clean your PC.
How does Malware Doctor appear on your PC?
There are viruses that spend their life downloading malware (viruses, trojans, etc) and installing them on your PC. So if you have Malware Doctor on your PC it means you have more malware that keeps installing it. A big problem.
How do you get rid of it?
There’s a procedure here. If this is too technical for you then you’ll need to get your PC serviced.
Always have a good anti-virus product on your PC that prevents all this malware from installing in the first place. It’s easier to prevent malware than it is to fix.
Fake Anti-Virus
There are many fake anti-virus products out there, they try to convince you there’s something wrong with your PC or Mac then either ask you for money to fix it or install real viruses.
This new one’s the kind that asks you for money, it’s called System Security. It begins when you download the program believing it’s a new anti-virus product. It’s designed for Windows PCs.
When you install it, it pretends to scan your PC, then informs you it found a whole lot of malware on your PC including viruses, adware and spyware. This part is meant to scare and shock you.
Then it does something truly evil, it stops you doing anything on your PC until you “activate” the anti-virus. And by activate they mean pay them money. So at this stage the only thing you can do with your PC is go to the scammer’s website (which looks nice and professional), hand over your credit card details, and they’ll supposedly make your PC work again.
If you happen to download and install this fake product and it blocks your PC from working, don’t give them your credit card details or otherwise pay for it to be unlocked. You will be able to boot your PC in Safe Mode – ask for a PC technician to help you with this if necessary. You’ll then be able to remove the fake anti-virus.
This highlights the importance of using a good anti-virus product, one that’s known and respected in the IT industry. I generally try not to recommend one product over another but below are some of the trusted anti-virus companies available today:
- Trend Micro
- Symantec / Norton
- McAfee
- F-Secure
- AVG
There are many more and the market’s always changing. Feel free to write about your preferred products in the comments below. These days you can buy them online or walk into a computer store and buy one.
AVG LinkScanner
AVG has been making anti-virus products for years, they’re a trusted company. They’ve now made one of their products free, and it would be useful for many of you. It’s called AVG LinkScanner.
It’s a plugin for FireFox and Internet Explorer. It checks every web page you load, and if it’s a known dangerous site it stops it from loading, protecting you before any malware gets a chance to run.
This is very useful if:
- Your main web browser is FireFox or Internet Explorer, and
- You use Windows, and
- You haven’t invested in a good anti-virus package.
It’s a fact that a lot of malware (including viruses, spyware, adware, etc) installs itself when you visit a hacked page. Most of the time you won’t know it’s happening – it’s important to install something that helps protect you.
Download it for free from: http://linkscanner.avg.com/
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