Eugene Computer Geeks Blog

Have the FBI / Monkeypak virus?  You’re not alone. It’s been spreading like crazy and wreaking havoc among the nation.  Eugene Computer Geeks removes the FBI virus for only $30!

The FBI virus is a scam called scareware or a Ransom virus. It is downloaded accidentally, and then locks users out of their computer and claims they need to pay the FBI $200 to avoid prosecution by using the anonymous payment service Moneypak.  Don’t fall for the scam! Hire Eugene Computer Geeks to remove it for you.

Our virus specialist comes on-site at no additional cost (if within the Eugene / Springfield, Oregon city limits).  Scheduled drop-offs available upon request.

This is a guaranteed service, and we have lots of experience with removing this particular virus.  Our competitors charge as high as $200 to $300 to remove it.  We find this unjustified considering it only takes 5-15 minutes to properly remove.

FBI VIRUS REMOVAL SERVICE: -$30! Guaranteed removal. Takes about 5-15 minutes.  On-site removal  This service is for removal of the FBI Virus only.

FULL VIRUS REMOVAL AND PREVENTION SERVICE: -$60! 2 hour service. Removal of FBI / Moneypak virus and all other viruses, malware, spyware, and adware. Most PC’s infected with the FBI virus are infected with other Viruses or Malware as well.  We also install advertisement blocking software, and ensure you have adequate protection installed and setup correctly.  Our Geeks install a malware cleaning tool, tutor users how to stop viruses, and how to properly maintain their PC.

Remote Removal may be available upon request, even if you are not in Oregon.

Call (541) 357-7222 or email [email protected]

Many people do not know that they can actually get spyware on their mobile phones, but the issue is becoming more prevalent as mobile users increase their mobile Web traffic, download and share files and otherwise compromise the safety of their phones. It is possible to enjoy all of your favorite mobile features on your without subjecting your phone to spyware and other risky issues, but it is important to take a few precautions in order to protect yourself and your information.

Install Security Software

Just as you can use anti-spyware and anti-virus software to protect your computer, you can purchase and download protection for your mobile phone. Although security software is not completely foolproof, it can help keep your mobile phone free of threats. Several moderately priced mobile security software options are available in the Amazon, Android and Apple mobile app stores.

Turn Off Your Bluetooth

Bluetooth literally opens your phone up to communicate with other wireless devices. Malicious users are quite adept at locating and infiltrating mobile devices whose Bluetooth settings are active; it takes very little time to install a malware packet for a savvy techno-hacker. Unless you are in the process of exchanging information with a known user or chatting away on a hands-free device, your Bluetooth should be disconnected.

Avoid Suspicious Websites and Text Messages

If you find a site on the mobile Web that makes you a bit suspicious, you are better off avoiding it altogether. Text messages received from unfamiliar numbers should be discarded immediately. Often, these spam texts offer links or downloads to receive exclusive deals or products. Unless you opted to receive text ads from a company, be wary of these messages.

Be Careful When Downloading

Downloading ringtones, games and other applications can put your mobile phone at a high risk for spyware. Although many websites offer legitimate products, a mobile app from a scammer may be hard to detect, especially in the Amazon and Android marketplaces, Google Play, as these have an open policy for submitting downloadable material. Apple’s app store offerings are tested prior to being listed, so iOS users have a lesser chance of contracting a mobile virus than Android users if they stick to the marketplace. Read user reviews and be sure that you trust the source of a download before putting any software onto your mobile.

Look For the Signs

There are several easily identifiable signals that may indicate that your phone has been compromised by malware or spyware. Thoroughly examine the software contents of your mobile if any of the following behaviors manifest:

– The screen randomly lights up when no one has touched it.

– It connects to the Internet randomly throughout the day.

– It makes strange noises during mobile voice calls.

If you have noticed any of these signs, you should take your phone to your service provider. Someone from your mobile phone company can completely clean out your phone and restore it to its original settings, which will get rid of any spyware which you may have downloaded.

by Jaye Ryan, a freelance author who enjoys writing about mobile phone security and safety for MobilePhones.org.uk.

The time of malware/virus free Macs has permanently passed us. It seems that most Mac users believe that they are invulnerable to attack; the reasoning is that Macs have such a low market share that there is no reason to target and attack them. While true, it is also a rapidly growing market share that hasn’t gone unnoticed by hackers. The entire IOS is under attack, even iPhones and iPads are not safe either.

Apple has outpaced the growth of the PC industry for 23 straight quarters, making Apple products a very compelling target for hackers. The main vulnerability comes from Java programs, using drive-by-download methods infecting your Mac just by visiting websites, and the new web standard HTML 5. As HTML 5 comes to be malware will actually infect and run in your browser without you knowing, it will most likely be used to attack other computers to cover the hacker’s tracks and make you look like the culprit. This is a scary and sobering fact that should not be overlooked.

Many of the same infections affecting PC computers are moving to the Mac market. Scare-ware as previously mentioned on our site is becoming more prevalent affecting up to 600,000 computers this year, with 98% being Mac computers. One of the biggest threats to the Mac OS has been termed flashback; it poses as the Adobe flash installer program infecting your computer. If you don’t have it already download X project from the Apple App Store, in the newer versions of the Mac OS is a built-in malware scanner. Now is the time to take action, you need-you have to protect your Mac.

Although hackers have realized that Macs are great targets, Apple has begun stepping its game up and is beginning to beat the security drum. The new version and all future versions of Mac OS will have tightened security with a feature called gatekeeper. Gatekeeper is a new protection tool which you need, to help keep you safe, it requires all developers to register with Apple and have their applications verified and signed by Apple before their release to the general public. When installing software on your Mac make sure to use Apple signed software unless you specifically know where the software is coming from. iAntivirus is a great free app which you can find on the App Store developed by Norton a trusted security company, you can and should download it to seamlessly scan your system for any possible threats.

Recognizing Vundo and Preventing Attacks

Malware or malicious software is used mostly to disrupt computer operations, collect private information, and access private computer systems. Trojan horses, viruses, worms, spyware, and adware all fall under malware, and an infected pc is vulnerable to identity thefts and crashes.

One of the most dangerous malware today is the Vundo (specifically Win32/Vundo.QP as of August 7, 2012) which is also known as Virtumonde or Virtumondo. This malware, which has both adware and Trojan properties, can wreak havoc on your pc if infected.

Your PC can be infected by:

• Visiting an infected site
• Opening infected emails
• Downloading infected programs

Once infected, a pc can behave in the following ways.

• Displays pop-up ads even though pop-ups have been disabled. In addition, the pop-ups lead to sites promoting suspicious computer software such as fake anti-virus and anti-spyware.
• Search links are directed to rogue software sites.
• Windows updates are permanently disabled. If this happens, there is no way of changing the settings until your pc is reformatted.
• Screensaver and background are missing.
• Anti-virus is automatically disabled and is used to spread the virus throughout your pc system. It may also make your anti-virus flash prompts to enable its phishing filter feature by itself. Once you allow this feature to be turned on, more malware will be downloaded by your antivirus.
• The Display option (Control Panel) has no background and screensaver tabs.
• Some websites will be completely inaccessible and webpages will fail to reload.
• Downloading is impossible.
• Registry editor, msconfig, and task manager are disabled when you try to remove the virus or intervene with its operation.
• Explorer.exe crashes regularly.

Vundo affects your pc’s memory, so using an anti-virus to get rid of is virtually useless. Once you try to remove the virus from your pc, the screen will permanently turn blue and the desktop icons will not appear (blue death). Once this happens, your whole system is in deep trouble.

Since Vundo is very difficult to get rid of, prevention is your only solution. (Note: This is not true. You can now easily remove Vundo by booting to “Safe Mode With Networking” and download, install, and run malwarebytes to remove.) The following tips are ways which can help you prevent future attacks.

• Enable firewalls. However, don’t use 2 firewalls simultaneously because they could interrupt each others’ operations.
• Install updates for your OS. These updates will keep your computer sage from security threats.
• Be vigilant when surfing the web. It’s tempting to download free stuff, but if you are not sure whether the program is safe or not, then you should find out more about it. It won’t hurt to do a little research. In fact, checking out whether programs are safe or not can prevent future headaches the Vundo can cause.
• Avoid file sharing services at all costs (Unless you really know what you are doing). Imagine how easy it is for an attacker to inject the virus into the latest software application, movie, or music so that you, the unsuspecting victim, will download it because it’s free.
• Check your e-mail carefully. Don’t trust content that has any attachment or link, even if it was sent by people you know.
• Make sure that your anti-virus has an anti-malware component. In addition, it should always be turned on and regularly updated. Running the program regularly should also keep your system on the safe side.
• Switch to a Apple Computer or ditch Windows and switch to the free operating system Linux. Getting a virus or malware on Linux in the desktop environment is almost unheard of.
  

Are you infected and need help?  Try out our free Computer Chat, which is a service provided by volunteer technicians from around the world. 

Located in the Eugene, Oregon area?  Eugene Computer Geeks specializes in removing viruses of all types for as little as $30! On-site or drop-off virus removal services available. Please call (541) 357-7222

1. Clean the Junk off your computer regularly.
Download the free program CCleaner and click “Run Cleaner” to clean the
junk that piles up on your computer, including history, temporary internet
files, cookies, recycle bin, and much more. You can also use the built-in
Windows tool “Disk Cleaner”, which isn’t as thorough as CCleaner, but
better than not running anything at all.

2. Defragment Hard Drive.
If you have Windows 7 or Vista, Defragment is scheduled to run
automatically once a week. Defragmenting keeps the hard drive running fast
and organized. For XP you need to run the degrag program manually. For
Vista and Windows 7, check to make sure the defrag has been running
regularly. I recommend turning off the auto defrag and downloading “Smart
Defrag” by IObit which will defrag your computer whenever your idle, and
it and does a much better job defraging than windows defrag tool.

3. Don’t Fill Hard Drive above 80% capacity.
Having the hard drive too full can risk causing it to crash and slow down
your computer. If you need to free up space, run the program CCleaner.
Also I recommend you do a search for all files on the hard drive by
searching “.”, and then click the “size” button at the top of the “size”
column to sort from largest to smallest files on your computer.

4.Just because you have antivirus software, doesn’t mean you are
protected.
Antivirus programs are only around 40-85% accurate at stopping viruses.
Use at least one cleaning-only tool with your antivirus program such as
Malwarebytes, Superantispyware, or Kaspersky Free Virus Removal Tool.
These tools do not provide real-time protection, so they wont conflict
with your current antivirus program. For a free antivirus program that
has real-time protection, I recommend Avast or Microsoft Security
Essentials.

5. Monitor Start-up Programs and Services.
Click Start and in the Search Box (Use “Run” for XP), type: “msconfig”.
Click the Startup Tab, and uncheck any programs you don’t need running all
the time in the background. Next click the Start-up Tab, and check the
box “Hide Microsoft Services”. Uncheck all the services you don’t need
running.

6. Safely Remove a USB device.
Before removing a USB device, be sure to safely remove by clicking the
“Safely Remove” icon on the right hand side of the taskbar, and then
select the device you’d like to remove. By not safely removing a USB
device you can risk having the device crash, especially while writing data
to it.

7. Only Install Programs you Need.
Having too many programs puts you at risk of getting more viruses,
spyware, and malware. It can also slow down your PC and take up hard drive
space.

8. Be wary of links and attachments in e-mails.
One of the most common ways people get viruses, hacked, or scammed is
through e-mail. Be wary of any links or attachments in e-mails, even if
the message is from someone you trust. It’s very easy to spoof e-mail
address identity, and hackers and some viruses can send e-mails from your
friend or family members. I also recommend not clicking any links to banks
or sensitive sites, as phishing attacks are getting much more
sophisticated and hard to detect.

9. Download Programs From Trusted Sites.
Download software from trustworthy sources. The website CNET.com scans
all downloads for viruses, and they have a HUGE database of programs. Most
of the time CNET will have what you need.

10. Check Temperatures.
Check the temperatures with various sensors in your computer including
CPU, GPU, and hard drive. I recommend using the free program “Open
Hardware Monitor” from openhardwaremonitor.org. The program will also tell
you the CPU load percentage and some other useful information that is good
to know. Keep an eye out for any temperatures that get above 55 degrees C.

11. Check sites for HTTPS.
Whenever giving out sensitive information such as credit card numbers on a
website, check to make sure the site starts with HTTPS:// instead of
HTTP://. HTTPS sites use encryption called SSL, and make your browsing
experience much more secure. Most browsers will also show a locked padlock
icon on sites that use the SSL encryption.

12. When You Delete a file, It’s not really gone from your
computer.
When you delete data on your hard drive and empty the recycle bin, its not
actually leaving your hard drive. The data just gets moved to an unused
part of the drive, and waits their until it gets pushed off by new
incoming data. To securely wipe data from your hard drive, use the free
program CCleaner to wipe the free space. Make sure you check the box
“Wipe Free Space” before you click the “Run Cleaner” button.

13. Windows does not come with Microsoft Office.
A common misconception is that Windows comes with Microsoft Office. This
is simply not the case. I recommend everyone try “Libre Office”, which is
a free Office suite that is fully compatible with Microsoft Office.

14. Do your Windows Updates.
Updates help correct problems and fix vulnerabilities. Run your Windows
updates even when set to automatic. You still have to regularly manually
install the downloaded updates.

15. Use a router for your network instead of a modem.
Routers have a built-in firewall that gives you a much higher level of
security. When your devices are behind the router, they are invisible to
the outside world. If a hacker was to scan your IP number they would only
be able to see your router and not the devices behind it.

A lot of people ask me “What is the best way to protect my computer from viruses, malware, and spyware?”.

The most important thing to keep in mind is that you should only have ONE program that provides protection. If you have two antivirus programs that provide real-time protection, they can conflict with each other and cause problems, not to mention slow down your computer.

I also suggest that you have at least one cleaning-only tool, which is used for scanning and removing viruses, spyware, and malware that get past your antivirus protection program.

If you are willing spend around $40, I recommend Kaspersky, which is the best commercial anti virus program you can buy. They also have a full 30 day trial that we recommend you try before purchasing.

The best free antivirus program is Avast Free Home Edition. Avast has excellent detection ratings and protection methods that really make it the best choice. Avast sometimes has difficulty installing on some computers, and can run slow on really old PC’s. If this is the case I recommend you use Microsoft Security Essentials.

For cleaning-only tools, I highly recommend you install Malwarebytes and/or Super Anti Spyware. These programs will not interfere with your regular antivirus protection software but must be run manually at least once a week.

Make sure to update your antivirus software regularly.

Owner/Operator
Cameron Voss
–Eugene Computer Geeks

www.eugenecomputergeeks.com