Geek Choice Blog » Malware

Android has a malware scare!

Joseph Ruthaford — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 14:15:37 +0000

It has been reported that Google pulled 21 free apps from the Android Market. It seems that the apps are malware that are getting root access to the user’s device, gathering a wide range of available data, and also downloading more code to it without the user even knowing of the download.
Google has removed the apps once notified by the Android Police bloggers. The most unfortunate thing is that the applications in question have already been downloaded by at least five hundred thousand Android users.

The major problem is that they are actually basic replicas of popular free apps already out on the Android market. The apps in question however are all pirated versions of the games and utilities. The way it works is that once the item is downloaded it roots your device using a method like rageagainsttthecage, and then what it will do is use an Android executable file to take the users and devices data. The final part is it leaves your phone open for more malware code to be downloaded.

I have found the list of all the apps that have the malicious code that has been created by an entity called Myournet.

• Falling Down
• Super Guitar Solo
• Super History Eraser
• Photo Editor
• Super Ringtone Maker
• Super Sex Positions
• Hot Sexy Videos
• Chess
• 下坠滚球_Falldown
• Hilton Sex Sound
• Screaming Sexy Japanese Girls
• Falling Ball Dodge
• Scientific Calculator
• Dice Roller
• 躲避弹球
• Advanced Currency Converter
• APP Uninstaller
• 几何战机_PewPew
• Funny Paint
• Spider Man
• 蜘蛛侠

Mac OS X has a Trojan floating around!

Joseph Ruthaford — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 14:29:48 +0000

A lot of the reason we see people buying Mac’s over PC’s is not just because of its ease of use but also because it has been virus free for the most part. Well now that might start to change as there are reports out there that a backdoor Trojan is floating around. The Trojan is a variant of a well known remote access Trojan *RAT*, it is known in Windows as the darkComet. It has come to be known on the MAC as the Blackhole RAT. The problem that can happen with Mac users is the Black Hole name is already being used by legitimate application that will increase security on your Mac. It helps you get rid of sensitive information like recently used file lists, data that is on the clipboard and much more.

It has been known to do these types of things to your PC:
Place text files on your desktop
Sending URLs to the client to open a website
Sending a restart, shutdown or a sleep command
Running arbitrary shell commands
Obstructing what you are doing by placing a full screen window with a message that only allows for you to click a reboot option only
Possible the worst of them all, using a pop up fake admin password window to try and phish out your password

It looks this Trojan is able to get on your system main through pirated software downloads, torrent sites, or anywhere you may download applications that need to be installed. So be careful where you download your applications.

SPAM: The electronic food that no one likes

Gregg — Sun, 12 Dec 2010 22:10:05 +0000

Remember Monty Python’s Flying Circus? One of the skits is done in a cafe where the only item on the menu is Spam. “Spam! Spam! Spam! Spam! Lovely Spam! Wonderful Spam!” sang the Viking patrons at the cafe. That is where all that nasty lunch meat reference of an annoying computer scam comes from.

Not many people are big fans of a can of Spam, there are some who enjoy the taste, but I do not know of anyone who likes electronic spam. Spam is spread out all over the internet and is designed to attack computers gathering information, data, or just giving them viruses. It began back in the 90′s with the use of email, spammers sending out thousands of bogus emails. Email providers even had to get a service that detected spam and sent it to a separate folder. But even that is not keeping out the crap as spammers find new ways to infiltrate and bypass security systems to annoy you even more.

I read in a message that a person had 493 messages that were spam, wow.

Today, botnets are software agents that run by themselves and are independent once they are set up by a hacker or spammer. They are sent out through distributed systems, systems that are autonomous and communicate with other computers in a network. Hence the name: ‘roBOT NETwork’. These robots are designed to infect your computer with trojans, worms, and other malicious wares.

In fact, the email botnets send out so much spam equaling 85-90% of all messages send and received!

Spam does not stop at emails, they reach out to instant messaging, social media such as Myspace and Facebook, and even blogs like Geek Choice. I cannot tell you how many spam comments I get with bogus links to websites or just random words to fill and clutter the inbox.

The number of spam messages for the United States reached 6.6 Trillion this past year, they were second only to Brasil with 7.7 Trillion, and India came in third with 3.6 Trillion.

This is a costly business, spam means manpower, loss of productivity, and additional equipment and software, in 2007 the United States spent $13 Billion alone on combating it. What can you do at home to fight back against these bots? Not a whole lot.

These botnets are so numerous to name, trying to will give you a headache, which is exactly why they are designed. The infected computers, called “zombies”, send out all those annoying emails about Viagra or Cialis, or new products, or a girl who wants to have sex with you(check to make sure it might be a real one).

You might not even know it, but your computer could be infected and be sending out messages! Once the virus is installed, the “botmaster” can control is from anywhere. Recently a botnet named Rustock has become the biggest of the bots, controlling over one million bots sending out over 44 billion spam messages a day(Symantec study).

They are getting harder to detect too. These new botnets can be detected right away with the security softwares, so they are switching from carrying bulk messages to carrying smaller amounts so they can slip right by and into your inbox.

Bottom line, there will always be spam sent out in the billions every day. It is a fact of life, as long as internet exists, so will spam. Yum!

Paid or Unpaid? The Difference in Anti-Virus

Gregg — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 02:25:19 +0000

For all you frugal frogs out there feeling jumpy about paying for that “extra protection” on your Anti-Virus program, here is some information that might help with that decision.

Personally I run two programs on my laptop, AVG and Avast, both on the free plan. That means on the “upgrade” screen that always keeps popping up to remind me to buy the “good” version, mine is the one with only one check next to it while the “good” version is the one with ALL the checks.

If you are unsure about whether to pay that $50 clams for the “good” version, there is a good reason to hesitate. AVG, or Anti Virus Guard, used to be free with all the protection available. Then it was bought out and was offered at a price, but what happened to the protection? You might have noticed the pop-up feature, and it pops up once per day for one month each year, all this is designed to make you buy the better version.

The free antivirus kit has less protection now, it has an outdated search tool for rootkits, which is malware that enables continuous access to a computer. Apparently the older free version 7.5 can search and root-out rootkits, but the newer version lacks any ability to do anything like protect your computer from such a threat, which is a dangerous one.

Are you thinking what I am thinking? If this trend of taking off protection on the free versions continues, then that so called anti-virus will no longer be free, it will cost you a crashed PC!

The recommended version of AVG includes online and identity protection, anti-spam, and enhanced firewall, along with the basic free version features of High Speed Anti-Virus and Anti-Spyware with auto updates and LinkScanner for safe searching.

In a test run by PC World who were also concerned with this question, the results came in with AVG at number 3, Avast at number 2, and Avira AntiVir Personal came in at number 1 for detection, disinfection, and speed. The test was run through a program AV-Test based in Germany, and these three along with Microsoft Security Essentials, who came right behind AVG in the rankings, PC Tools, Comodo, Panda Cloud, and ClamWin.

That old adage comes back with “nothing is free”. If you want the best protection from those viruses, spam, and malicious software that is constantly attacking people’s computers, then you better whip out the dollars and pay up. It is unfortunate that there is no altruistic company out there offering it’s security for free, like Microsoft Security Essentials is boasting, but that is reality. I just checked my AVG’s status, and it told me LinkScanner and other “paid for” features are running smoothly. Interesting, very interesting how they offer this for a price yet it tells me I can use it for free.

The decision is yours, the information that Anti-Virus programs gives you is very confusing, so consulting with others is strongly recommended to get a good opinion on the right program.

Microsoft Security and How Essential It Is

Sean Wilcoxson — Sat, 13 Nov 2010 11:00:43 +0000

If you are new to the Geek Choice Blogs, then you are in for an awakening, as this blog is where you can come for the TRUTH. We are hit with information as soon as we wake up and it lasts all day until we go unconscious. This can lead to health problems, as well as bad habits, so at this blog we try to alleviate the symptoms by cutting out all the B.S. and getting down to the facts.

The fact is that leaving your PC unprotected, or relying on some third rate anti-virus program, is not just unsafe it is down right ignorant. Microsoft has released a security tool for everyone to use, oh boy! Is it what you need during these times of dangerous, unsecured websites, drive-by attacks by hackers, and malicious downloads that you don’t even know is happening?

Microsoft Security Essentials, the new free anti-virus software that replaces Windows Live OneCare which costs money and only protected against adware and spyware, is available for all. It will protect you from not just these two attacks, but also from rootkits, malware, viruses, and Trojans. It goes back to Windows xp, Windows Vista, and Windows 7. But there is some drawbacks here that are significant enough to complain about.

The first is that you need a computer that has a valid license to run Windows. This leaves a whole slew of companies with their computers unaccepted thus unprotected. By throwing this software into as many computers as they can, which is Microsoft’s aim, to give freely of what they found to be a “super” deal. Do not be too sure.

Think if this anti-virus program made up the majority of protection for millions of people with computers. Green light for hackers, red light for you. By trying to be altruistic Microsoft seems to have mixed motives. Maybe if this software was perfect in every way and made life worry free, then we wouldn’t have to explain the truth to you: Microsoft is looking out for themselves, the selfish company.

It is interesting how all these anti-virus competitor companies such as McAfee, Symantec, and Norton dismiss Microsoft Security Essentials as being insignificant compared to their programs. Yet their shares have fallen drastically since the release of MSE in July of 2009 when they released the beta. Who is right? Who is wrong? It seems the war against viruses has turned inward and now a battle for supremacy over who is the most protecting has taken over. What about us?

If you are looking for the right anti-virus program, I urge you to test each one out. Try Microsoft Security Essentials, see how it fits with your system. Do not take the word of any blog, article, or anyone who tells you that their software is the best. The world we live in is hostile, so take the right actions to prevent your personal and business life from being invaded.

These anti-virus programs all work. It is just a matter of scanning for the truth and quarantining the lies.