Catching Up and an Alert

 “All Time Is Now”

Volume 7:  Issue: 6 – November, 2009

Oh my! What a summer!  My husband had been out of work for approximately 5 months with no real encouraging news. When I told him, if it helps to relocate I do not have a problem with that. We had no family (ok, my parents are buried in Wisconsin, but that was by happenstance.) When he opened up the area to practically anywhere although focused more on the Midwest, so did the employment opportunities. Although it took another 2 months to finally get a job, he did and we moved to Nebraska.

I stayed behind while he looked for a house and packed up our house in Wisconsin. (Where does all the stuff come from? I swear! I think people ought to move at least every five years, just to keep the stuff from accumulating!) This was the longest we had ever lived in one place. Over 10 years! (I can hardly believe it was that long either!)

So, I have been incommunicado for a while. I have had to set limits for myself online as I’m trying to set up the house; which isn’t easy as there is still one more truck coming…

I think the dogs love their backyard. I think they will love it even more when we get a fence up. Since it is a corner lot they have lots of yard now.  Funny how things change with time – I remember when years ago my husband said he didn’t like corner lots.

This morning when I was reading my email, I came across one from the file storage place I use and went to my desktop to remove the shortcut icon. Well, the next thing I know, my firewall is asking if it’s okay to download a file, I’m telling it to block and the next thing you know I have a piece of malicious code installed in spite of my firewall! Talk about angry and no one to yell at!

That is the purpose of this entry – to inform you if you have been lucky enough to escape it thus far, what it is and what to do if you run across it.

It is called Cyber Security.  From  StopZilla:  It was identified October 9, 2009. Cyber Security uses highly aggressive marketing tactics such as system tray security alerts, pop-ups and bogus system scans containing false results. All of which are designed to entice the user to purchase the full version of Cyber Security. I just want to add these things will put files on your computer, and shortcuts you don’t authorize on your desktop.  Even the “Add/Remove” control panel wouldn’t get it off.

(Information from   2-Viruses.com )

Cyber Security is a rogue anti-spyware program and appears to be a clone of the highly popular System Security and Total Security. This parasite usually spreads by using browser hijackers to redirect the user to websites hosting fake online system scans and thus tricking him into downloading the program. While this method is by far the most common, rogues such as this have been known to infect the system by using downloader trojans. Cyber Security relies on misleading advertising to sell it’s so-called “licensed version” – this rogue is so convincing, that there is almost an equal number of queries asking for the “activation code” of Cyber Security, rather than its removal instructions. (Fortunately my firewall was able to stop the link to the page…I just kept getting a notice that either I wasn’t connected to the internet or that the site was unavailable.)

Once inside and active, Cyber Security will flood the user with popups and fake system notifications, supposedly to inform him of an infection or multiple infections present on the system. These claims are reinforced with fake system scans, which mark harmless files as threats, or names non-existent threats altogether. In order to remove these non-existent threats, the user is urged to purchase the “licensed version” of Cyber Security, which costs $59.95 – a price high even for decent security software.

Of all the tactics Cyber Security uses to get users to buy it’s full version, the most brazenly insolent has got to be a screen saver, which creates the illusion that Windows has crashed with a Blue Screen of Death, followed by a reboot and a message urging to purchase Cyber Security so as to protect the system. The Blue Screen contains the following message:

“***STOP: 0×000000D1 (0×00000000, 0xF73120AE, 0xC0000008, 0xC0000000)
A spyware application has been detected and Windows has been shut down to
prevent damage to your computer
SPYWARE.MONSTER.FX_WILD_0×00000000
If this is the first time you’ve seen this Stop error screen, restart your
computer. If this screen appears again, follow these steps:
Check to make sure your antivirus software is properly installed. If this is a
new installation, ask your software manufacturer for any antivirus updates
you might need.
Windows detected unregistered version of %product% protection on your computer.
If problems continue, please activate your antivirus software to prevent computer
damage and data loss.
*** SRV.SYS – Address F73120AE base at C00000000, DateStamp 36b072a3
Beginning dump of physical memory…”

Cyber Security will also install a browser helper object (BHO), which hijacks the browser to display a screen claiming that the website the user has been browsing is unsafe, and that security software is recommended to continue.

There are many self-defense mechanisms, which hamper the user’s efforts to get rid of Cyber Security. These include blocking anti-virus/anti-spyware programs from installing and/or running, disabling system restore, disabling Task Manager, changing browser options, and so on.

This program is a scam and should be treated as such: do NOT download or buy it and remove Cyber Security immediately upon detection. It is an extremely dangerous in that it additionally is a threat to your online security and privacy.
If you decide remove it manually, be extremely careful and know what you are doing. You can permanently damage your system if any mistakes are made in the process of removal because advanced spyware parasites are able to automatically repair themselves if not completely removed.  Manual removal is recommended for experienced users only, such as IT specialists or highly qualified system administrators.  (Nice huh?)

I hope this helps. It certainly made me angry enough to spit nails. Be Alert – We need more Lerts!

Keep smilin’.  May the Creator hold you in the palm of His hand and may you float as a feather upon the breath of the Creator.