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It is like catching the cold virus, it is spread by other people through bacteria, reproducing until the system is infected and sick. No one wants a virus, it does not feel good, and they restrict your activity as well as keep people at a distance from you. The computer virus acts much like the biological virus in that it has the same effects, only it infects files and spreads electronically. In this article I will define the virus, explain how it spreads, and how to tell the difference between a virus and other forms of attacks.

The basic definition of a virus is a series of written instructions in a computer program that is designed to reproduce and infect another computer. It is programming code that’s purpose is to destroy another program. Most of the time a user will not realize that they have a virus because they can take the form of a regular program, or hide deep in your system files unbeknownst to anyone it is there.

Anti-virus programs have been fighting a never-ending battle with hackers, people who want to rip off and spread chaos throughout people’s computers. How do they spread? A real computer virus can only be spread by a human who inserts it into the target computer himself via floppy or disc, or even sending it over the internet.

The first “wild” virus, that is, a virus that appeared out of the computer lab back in the 70′s, actually attacked the Apple DOS system. Back then, the only way to really create a virus and have it spread was through hands-on work like inserting a floppy disk into a computer.

Viruses spread when they are attached to the .exe or executable file. Say you want to open a program that has been on your computer for a while, you trust it to work properly and it does. But a hacker hooks a virus to the .exe file that the next time you open the program the virus takes effect, damaging the files and ruining the program.

That is the main idea of a computer virus, to attach to a file (cell) and jumping to other files like it, until the computer is no longer usable. At Geek Choice calls come in about viruses or recovering a computer from an attack. So what can you do about it to prevent your computer even further than the anti-virus protection is.

When in doubt, and when your computer is definitely infected, choose the System Restore that was explained earlier in the November blogs. This will turn back the clock to a time when  your computer was not infected. But hackers are getting smarter, making their viruses disable the Control Panel, or messing with the System Restore so that the computer gets restored to the same day the virus started.

The difference between the virus and other programs like adware, spyware, and malware, is that the virus spreads and reproduces. It is a catch-all phrase for all the bad stuff that happens on a computer. When something starts to go wrong, people think virus because it makes sense. But knowing exactly what is wrong with your computer can allow whoever you ask to fix it to do it faster and perhaps recover the files.

A few blog posts ago, I touched upon Microsoft Security Essentials’ recent accolades from AV-Comparatives, an anti-malware testing group that compares various anti-malware solutions and ranks them accordingly. As reported, Microsoft Security Essentials is one of just two anti-malware packages — the other being F-Secure Anti-Virus 2010 — that were rated “very fast” in every test category included in the company’s comparisons.

Adding to that initial honor, AV-Comparatives has also given Microsoft Security Essentials the award for the best performance of those programs tested.  Subjecting the competing anti-maleware solutions to a variety of tests derived from real-world scenarios — downloading, extracting, copying, encoding files, application launches, etc. — gave a  clear leader in Microsoft Security Essentials.

What became most noticeable was how little Microsoft Security Essentials demanded of a system’s resources, contributing to AV-Comparative’s decision to rank it as the best-performing anti-malware solution that you can get for free. Brisk performance in every major category, while being light on resources, is reason enough to give this highly recommended anti-malware program a look — particularly when you taking into consideration that it’s free, outpacing those solutions that cost money.

Proving its mettle against the competition, Microsoft Security Essentials is a great tool to protect your computer with.

Read AV-Comparative’s findings here.

If you’re interested in using Microsoft Security Essentials, you can find it here.

A new variant of the virus known as “Bredolab” has been identified and is spreading at breakneck speed through the Facebook user base. It appears as an email with the title “Password Reset Confirmation Email” and has an attachment that supposedly contains the recipient’s new Facebook password. The attached file is in reality a Trogan Horse:  a small program that exists solely to download other programs onto your computer. The program hides its download activity by going through other programs that access the internet legitimately, so your anti-virus may not be able to notice when new files are being downloaded by this virus.

Cleaning up after viruses can be a time-consuming ordeal and even with professional assistance viruses can sometimes re-infect your computer from hidden files, so prevention should always be your first priority.

Bredolab is a simple virus to avoid, just don’t open the attachment.

Facebook would not send you a password reset confirmation email unless you asked to have your password reset in the first place, and such an email would never contain an attachment anyway.

You should already be protecting your computer with anti-virus and anti-spyware programs, along with a firewall to protect your network from other intruders. These protections are excellent ways to reduce the chances that your computer will be infected, but it’s important that everyone who uses your network also learn safe browsing practices as well. The most important rule of safe browsing: never open an email attachment unless you know exactly what it contains. Other important guidelines include avoiding sites that commonly host malware, closing all pop-up ads with the red “x” in the upper right corner, and never downloading any program from vendors you don’t know.

If you think you might be infected, or if you’d like more information about safe browsing habits and security software, don’t hesitate to give us a call.

Whether it’s Conflickr or a new fake anti-spyware program, it seems like spyware and viruses are inescapable for any computer connected to the Internet. It’s estimated that the amount spent annually on security software in the United States has risen to over $800 million in recent years, but computers are still getting infected daily. Why aren’t we virus free yet?

The answer lies in the nature of malicious programming. Computer viruses don’t spring up out of nowhere, they’re designed by programmers who either have nothing better to do and think it will be interesting, or professionals who make money by abusing your computer. Whenever anti-virus vendors are made aware of a new virus, they create a new definition for their anti-virus software to help isolate and remove that virus if it is downloaded onto your computer. Once the new definition is widespread enough that a significant percentage of computers are safe against that virus, a new one is created by the malicious programmers and the cycle begins again. Nearly two thousand new viruses were identified every day in 2007, and the problem isn’t going away any time soon. This is why you need to allow your anti-virus software to download new virus definitions so often.

Frustrated hackers tired of the rapid turnover of “regular” viruses have graduated to attacking your computer’s defences directly: your anti-virus software. Many new viruses include programming that either hides itself specifically from several popular anti-virus programs, prevents them from downloading new virus definitions, or shuts them down entirely. Even when these new viruses are identified quickly, many computers will already be infected and the software on the machines will be unable to remove the virus. In cases where one virus shuts down the anti-virus software entirely, other viruses will often infect the machine and can render it inoperable in a matter of hours if not minutes. Still other nasty viruses employ tricks to avoid removal techniques, and will re-infect a machine after an anti-virus program or a user tries to delete them.

The fight against computer viruses is non-stop, but you can do something to help protect your system. Installing a good anti-virus program and allowing it to update frequently is just the first step, but beware of fake anti-virus programs you may find online (many of these are viruses themselves). The fake anti-virus programs normally go by the names: Antivirus 2010 Pro, Windows Pro Police, System Guard  2009, Personal Antivirus, Antispyware XP 2009, and many more. You can see a pattern in how they name themselves. Never download anything from a person or website you don’t trust, never open a suspicious email (you don’t always have to open the attachments to get infected), and don’t go to websites with a poor reputation. If you take these steps and your computer still gets infected, have a trained professional remove the virus for you instead of trying to remove it yourself. Modern viruses can be very difficult to isolate and remove, and it’s very easy to damage your system accidentally while trying to remove one.

If you’ve got a slow computer and think you’re infected, call Geek Choice today. Our techs have the tools needed for proper virus removal and have access to fast breaking news about new types of viruses and their removal. Geek Choice is a nationwide on-site computer service and repair company.  If your computer has any of the following problems, we can help: Slow computer, Virus or Spyware, Computer startup problems, Printer not printing, Not connecting to the Internet, Scanner not working, or the “blue screen of death”. We also offer other technical support services, including: New pc setup, Data Backup or Recovery, Wireless network setup, Business Network Firewall setup, Upgrading memory, cpu, hard drives, video cards, and more. You can pick up the phone at any time and call us at 1-800-GEEK HELP (433-5435).

Geek Choice is always staying on top of the latest malware to emerge from underbelly of the internet. In addition to the providing the best onsite technical assistance in this industry, we pride ourselves on alerting you to the latest pests to watch out for.

Most recently, hapless internet users have fallen prey to the URLZone Trojan, a decidedly nasty bug that rewrites their online bank statements to conceal fraud.

This bug is tucked away on websites – many of them legitimate – with the Luckyspoilt toolkit. Unbeknownst to visitors of these websites, bogus .PDF files or Javascripts traffic the URLZone Trojan onto their computers.

Once planted on the victim’s system, the bug begins to record keystrokes that are performed whenever they’re logged into their online bank account, pairing that with screenshots it takes of the user’s activity while they navigate the account.  This information is then fed to the source of the bug, a command and control center located  in the Ukraine.

With your information in their possession,  the perpetrators of this fraud transfer money from the user’s account. After the theft, the Trojan forges a bank statement to deceive the user into believing their account is not compromised, always ensuring that their online bank statement reflects a positive balance.

A more in-depth overview of this threat and its implications can be found here.

Geek Choice always advises its clients to exercise vigilance when browsing the internet. If you think your computer has been compromised by malware, call our offices immediately.

Over in the Geek Choice office,  one of the more common problems clients ask us to assist them with are phony solicitations for anti-malware programs. When browsing the internet, users encounter bogus virus and spyware alerts that prompt them to input personal information:

• Credit card #
• Checking Account #
• Social security #
• Address and telephone #

Understandably, many of them are concerned about surrendering such sensitive information, worried that it’ll be used for purposes other than facilitating the purchase of software that will protect their system against malware.

Well, they’re right.

Our clients will  happen upon a website that spawns a number of pop-ups alerting them to the presence of viruses and spyware,  ending with a solicitation for the purchase of  non-existent anti-malware software. In response to these pop-ups, users usually attempt to close the windows, resulting in the emergence of even more pop-ups.

One of the more notorious nuisances of this sort is Antivirus 2009. Masked as a legitimate program that removes viruses, this annoyance infects the client’s system with spyware, inundating them with pop-ups that insist that they purchase an “upgraded” version of software that doesn’t exist.

Similar bugs go by the name of:

• Winantispyware
• Antispyware Pro XP
• Antivirus Lab 2009

If you’re ever met with one of these pop-ups, do NOT click on anything – do NOT close the window, click on ‘No,’ or type in a single field. If you’re taken to another website, do NOT click on any of the links.

Instead, Press CTRL-ALT-DELETE, which will bring up your task manager. When reviewing the list of processes, you will notice one that is linked to your internet browser. Highlight that process and click on ‘End task,’ a button located at the bottom of your task manager window. This will close your internet browser, including any pop-ups it has spawned.

While the pop-ups are momentarily done away with, simply terminating your internet browser will not completely solve the problem, as the source of the issue remains. If left unaddressed, the spyware will continue to see that you’re harassed by pop-ups each time you use the internet

This is one of many problems we regularly aid our clients with. If you’d like Geek Choice to clean your computer of these pests, give us call.

Old Computers

One of the most frequently asked questions in this field is:  should I pay to have this fixed or just get a new computer?  This isn’t as tough to figure out as it sounds.  Some people have an emotional attachment to their computers that makes it a bit more difficult than it has to be, but usually it’s pretty simple.  So, let’s go over how to make the decision to repair or replace.

When I am looking at a computer  my first goal is to decide whether or not it is worth fixing based on several different factors.  Once I’ve settled on an answer for myself I will call a customer back and explain what I believe to be the best solution to them, whether it is going forward on repairing their old machine or advising them that a new system would likely be a better investment.  I do this because it is not my job to charge you as much as I can, it is my job to provide you with the best possible service I can.  Sometimes this means you need to purchase a new computer, sometimes it means we should be repairing your current one.

The factors I use to evaluate whether you would be better served with a new machine or with repairs to your old one are cost, complexity of the repairs, and the age of the computer.  Complex problems — such as an extensive virus infection that hasnt been repaired in months requiring the entire system to be wiped, reinstalled from scratch, the data replaced, and the installation of more effective anti-virus solutions — can be very expensive because of the time involved in fixing them. Simple problems — like installing new RAM, resetting passwords, or optimizing a very slow computer — are quick and therefore relatively inexpensive. The age of the computer must also be taken into consideration because of the constantly changing standards in the field. A machine that was top of the line six months ago will only be somewhat impressive at the present, and in four years time companies will not even be designing programs to run on computers that slow.

The end result looks something like this: if it will cost you more than a new computer to fix the computer then you should to buy a new computer and have someone transfer your data for you.  If it will cost nearly as much as new computer to get it fixed and it is older than 2 years, then you definitely should be looking at new computers.  If it will cost about half as much as a new computer and its newer than 4 years, fix it, older than 4 years then its really up to you.  I would personally think about putting that money into a new computer and having someone transfer the data and secure it for me.  If the computer is newer than 4 years and not to hard to fix, then of course get it fixed.

There are two more things that we have to consider before making a final decision though:  software and data.  If you are planning on getting a new computer, when you try and figure out the cost you have to remember how much time it will take to get all of your software installed and configured, and also how much data you have to move.  These things can drive up the price on you, possibly making it a better option to fix your current computer.  The other software related factor is:  Do you have your original install discs and the serials/keys to install with?  If you need Microsoft Office on your computer, and it’s on the old one but you don’t have the discs anymore then you’re looking at $150-$400 depending on what version you need.  So always remember to factor in the costs of software that you might not have anymore and data transfer time.  If you have many gigs of music, movies and other large files then data transfer could take hours.

So in the end you have to figure out costs.  If the cost of a repair is going to be more or close to the cost of a new computer plus extra work (data transfer, software install, security,)  then you want to replace it with a new computer.  If it is going to be significantly less than a new computers cost then it should be repaired.  One thing you should always do when having a tech work on your computer is ask him up front to diagnose the situation and tell you as quick as he can whether you should be getting a new computer or having him fix this one.

Welcome to the new GeekChoiceBlog.com, the blog for Geek Choice, the best on-site computer repair company around.  In business since 1996 and  headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts we are a nationwide computer service company specializing in:  Computer Setup, Spyware Removal, Virus Removal, Data Backup and Recovery, Wireless Networking, Network Setup, Computer Repair, Firewalls, and much more.

We hope to provide you with the latest news and updates that you need to keep up to date with the world of computers and the internet.