Uninstall AWM Antivirus Quickly and Easily

When you are infected with AWM Antivirus you will receive constant warnings such as this one: Critical System Warning!

Your system is probably infected with a version of Trojan-Spy.HTML.Visafraud.a. This may result in website access passwords being stolen from Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Outlook etc. Click Yes to scan and remove threats (recommended).

Additionally, your browser may be 'hijacked' meaning your searches are redirected to pages loaded with more spyware. Also, your legitimate programs, including virus removal tools and other software, can become blocked by this virus. You will need to follow the removal instructions to get rid of this threat.

Because of the nature of this virus, we have to delete AWM Antivirus before it causes serious damage to our computer or our identity. You can remove it either manually or automatically. A manual removal is only recommended for IT Professionals, and involves editing the system registry. If you are comfortable doing such work, then you will have to kill the exe process, delete the registry values in the HKEY_CURRENT_USER and HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE folders, and delete related files and folders. The full listing can be found on my website.

Automatic removal is what I use and what I recommend, because it takes less time, and saves me the frustration and energy of a corrupt registry if a single error is made. Most importantly, the automatic removal tools that I recommend will protect a user's PC against the next tidal wave of spyware that is around the corner. Our bank accounts and personal identities are too valuable not to protect.

Article Source: http://goo.gl/asDWA

Does Free Antivirus Software Work ?

Over 90% of free antivirus software is not frequently updated. Some is updated on a monthly basis and other software is only updated every few months. If you think this is a small problem for getting free software, think again. These updates are primarily for the virus definition database. This means that if a new virus appears or an older one is modified slightly to make it look different it will be picked up and stopped quickly. If you use free software that is not updated your computer might be infected with malware an viruses and you will not know about it, until your computer crashes or worse, your private and financial data is compromised.

Some so called free antivirus and anti-malware software is in fact malware in disguise. With an increasing amount of malware appearing every day you might discover too late that the free software you are using is in fact compromising your computer in a daily basis. If you pay for a full version your credit card details can be compromised too and your computer will have no protection and be left open to multiple attacks without you even being aware of it.

Some free software will actually report genuine files as infected with viruses. If you run windows update or if it updates automatically and an outdated antivirus software is run it will not recognise the updated files. In some cases the results can be catastrophic for your PC if it determines important system files are infected and deletes them. You could end up with an inoperable computer.
If you want to discover if free antivirus software does work follow these steps

The easiest way to determine if your computer is at risk if you are using free software is simple and a two step process.

Download a trial version of a well known antivirus software such as AVG or similar. Once you have done this update it to the latest version and then run a full scan on your PC. Do not run a quick scan as thus will skip files that may be infected. This can take an hour or so the first time you run it and will show you very quickly if there are any nasty surprises waiting for you.

Download and run a system and registry scanner such as PC health advisor which will scan your computer for hidden malware and malicious software that can corrupt your computer. This will find anything that should not be there and help you get rid of it automatically and quickly.

Article Source: http://goo.gl/A6YMM

Update Your AntiVirus

PC users are facing new computer viruses every day. Computer viruses not only affect home PCs, they clog up internet traffic and disrupt the business of big corporations, causing billion dollars worth of damage each year. To protect your computer and stop the spread of these malicious programs on the internet, you should renew your antivirus software and update it regularly.

PC users are facing new computer viruses every day. Computer viruses not only affect home PCs, they clog up internet traffic and disrupt the business of big corporations, causing billion dollars worth of damage each year. To protect your computer and stop the spread of these malicious programs on the internet, you should renew your antivirus software and update it regularly.

Instructions

1. Update your antivirus program if an update wasn't performed during the install or you didn't have an Internet connection available to you during the installation.

2. Update your virus definitions, the "signatures" that identify known viruses. When you buy your antivirus program, you'll receive a subscription for an update service which will allow you to download any new virus definitions. The update subscription is often for a year, so eventually you'll have to purchase a new subscription.

3. Upgrade your antivirus program. Antivirus companies release new versions of their software every few years. The new version will have features not available in your current system. Purchase these new upgraded programs and you'll have the latest features, enhanced virus protection and a fresh subscription for virus definition updates.

4. Maintain your antivirus software by scheduling automatic updates. If you rely on manual updates, you can easily forget to perform them and your virus definitions can fall behind.

5. Purchase more comprehensive software. Many antivirus companies offer both specialized and comprehensive antivirus programs. Though viruses are a problem, there are other types of "malware," such as spyware, worms and rootkits, that could infect your computer. If your antivirus program doesn't protect against them, consider purchasing additional programs or a more comprehensive program.

6. Download additional software. There are specialized software packages that can be downloaded free to handle more specific problems. For example, Lavasoft's AdAware or Safer Networking's Spybot: Search and Destroy programs can complement an antivirus program to protect your computer against spyware (see Resources below).

Update an Anti Virus Database From Zip

Antivirus programs may be updated automatically or manually. In automatic updates, activating the feature enables the antivirus software to automatically search for and download updates; in manual updates, the user has to locate the product's updates, download the file and install it. Depending on the developer and version of the antivirus program, the size, name and frequency of the updates may vary, but virtually all are ZIP files installed into an antivirus program similarly.

Instructions


Check your antivirus status. Double-click on the system-tray icon to launch the interface. From the software window, locate the appropriate section and make sure you have an active subscription and that your license has not expired. If you have an expired product, you may not be allowed to download updates or add the updates to your product.


Download the latest update file from your manufacturer's website. Some sites may require you to type in a subscriber ID and password. Look for your program in the website's Products page, specify your antivirus version and download the appropriate ZIP file. Unless directed otherwise by the manufacturer, make a dedicated folder and save the downloaded ZIP file inside it. Since you will be updating your antivirus on a regular basis, you should create a folder to download all ZIP-based update files.


When the file is downloaded, right-click on the icon and extract the files. If you do not have a program to extract files from ZIP, the option will not be displayed when you right-click on the file. Download and install a program such as WinZIP (see Resources) to unpack or extract ZIP files. You may choose to extract the files from the ZIP in the same folder or on a separate folder. To avoid confusion in subsequent ZIP-based updates, extract files in a different location. Follow the developer's recommendation on extracting, if any.


Read more: http://goo.gl/jR3Hx

Why Anti-Virus is A Must Have ?

If you own a computer then you better own anti-virus software too. Anti-virus software will help you keep your computer protected from worms, Trojans, spyware, adware and more. There are thousands of different viruses that your computer can be exposed to and without anti-virus software you are bound to get a virus on your computer at some point. In fact, without anti-virus software, you computer is a major crash just waiting to happen and such crashes can be quite costly in the end.

Viruses can be caught on your computer when you open emails, when you download documents or just by visiting various websites. Some viruses are a low threat and may only clog up your computer with unneeded spyware and your computer will consequently run a lot slower than it should. Other viruses will frequently corrupt files, delete files and rename files and if you attempt to remove certain viruses, they will even rename themselves and reinstall themselves when you reboot your computer. Such viruses are particularly difficult to get rid of and it is far better to have virus fighting software to destroy the virus before it can have its effect on your computer.

Some viruses can get into your address box and spread themselves from one user to another via email. It is not uncommon for an email worm to attach itself to emails that you send or even automatically send itself to everyone in your address book. So, it is good to have anti-virus software so that you can scan every email you receive before you open it. This way, the email virus doesn't have a chance of being installed on your computer. Corrupted emails can immediately be quarantined and deleted.

Anti-virus software is easy to install and only takes a few minutes to update. You should update any you have installed on a regular basis, as new viruses are always being created. All you have to do is click on update anti-virus software and your virus definitions and virus fighting tools will be immediately updated when you are using an Internet connection. You should be certain that all of your anti-virus software applications are updated every two weeks or a minimum of once a month.

Article Source: http://goo.gl/4BY4N

How to Manually Update Panda Antivirus

Panda is an antivirus software that has been around for several years. Antivirus software is important when protecting your machine from hackers, lost data and identity theft. Any antivirus software needs continual updates for the definition files. The definition files are the files that allow the software to identify new threats. As more viruses are created, antivirus experts are forced to create new files and updates for the software. These updates can be installed manually.

Instructions

Use the resource link to download the antivirus definition file. Download the file to a location on your computer. Enter your username and password. Only licensed users of Panda security can access the download files.

Make sure you note where you've saved the executable file. The browser prompts you for a location on your computer before downloading the file.

Navigate to the location to your computer where the file is found. Double-click the executable file. Once you double-click the file, a wizard starts that guides you through the installation process.

Agree to the user terms of service for the installation process. The application will automatically detect the location of the Panda Security antivirus application.

Reboot the computer once the installation is completed. This allows the new definition installation to take effect. The computer is now protected from new virus threats.

Read more: http://goo.gl/nryXX

How to Update My Anti Virus

Anti-virus software protects your computer from viruses, worms and other parasites. For an anti-virus to be effective, it should be able to identify newly-released viruses. Unlike most other software, updating an anti-virus means updating the list of threats it can protect against,\ and not the program itself. The exact process of updating depends on the developer of the anti-virus, but most programs can be updated in a similar manner.

1. Identify and locate the anti-virus icon in the system tray, near the clock in the bottom right of the desktop screen. In general, the program's shortcut icon in the desktop is the same as its system-tray icon. Some operating systems automatically hide inactive icons in the system tray; click on the small arrow in the system-tray to show hidden icons. For McAfee, the icon is a large white 'M' in a red background, for PC-Cillin it is a lightning bolt,and for Avast! a small 'a' in a circular orange background.

2. Right-click on the anti-virus icon to view different options in the menu. The option for updates may be labeled "Check For Updates," "Update Now" or simply "Update." The update option for McAfee and Avast! is "Updates" and for PC-Cillin is "Update Components." Highlight the appropriate label and click.

3. Confirm any alerts. Some programs, such as Trend Micro PC-Cillin, display a message in a dialog box, and asks for a prompt. Confirm by clicking on "Yes" or "OK" and proceed.


4. Wait for the software to check for available updates. You will have to be connected to the Internet. When new updates are found, the software shows a list and prompts for a confirmation. You can select which updates to download by checking its box or highlighting it. Items with unchecked boxes will not be downloaded. Specify which items to download and click "Yes" or "OK."

5. Download the selected updates. Depending on the type of anti-virus and the sizes of the update files, the time for this process may vary. Most anti-virus programs will display progress of the download on a status-bar.


6. Check whether the updated components have been installed correctly. After the download finishes, click "Yes" or "OK" to complete the process. Right-click on the system-tray icon and attempt to download updates again. After checking for updates, the program should display a message that the anti-virus software is up-to-date. Run a full-system scan with the updated anti-virus.

Read more: http://goo.gl/7ox8V

Update Antivirus for Efficient and Fast Running of System

The man and machine are incomplete without each other or you can say they are complementary to one another. Nowadays our routine is directly or indirectly dependent on computer. To maintain consistency in daily routine work a healthy and fast running computer system is much required.

Multiple technical disabilities are generated due to absence of security program. It is much required to install and update antivirus security software for an efficient and fast running system.

Antivirus software program is a security application safeguards our system against malicious activities of rouge application codes, such as virus and malware. Time to time update of antivirus security software must be carried to avoid technical disorders. Multiple antivirus software, such as Kaspersky, Norton, AVG, McAfee are following different update procedures. It is required to get aware of all the policies and procedures regarding selection of antivirus security software for your system.

The antivirus can be updated in following manner. Automatic update using Internet connectivity is one way and another is manual update.

Antivirus software is automatically updated while connecting your computer to the Internet and is the case of an automatic update. Automatic update prompts you in updating particular antivirus security program installed at your system.

Antivirus program can be updated with an option while subscription is about to end and the provided method of antivirus update is used when the prior described method has been disabled. You have to look for particular websites for download options regarding update of your antivirus software program. The required files can be downloaded for installing the updated version of antivirus security software and thus removes the previously installed antivirus using control panel.

The steps required to manually update antivirus security software are,

One- The latest version of antivirus security software must be downloaded and installed and saved on desktop.

Two - Use a portable storage device such as USB for copying the downloaded setup.

Three - Copy downloaded setup from USB drive to your PC without using internet connection

Four - Antivirus setup should be run for installation and select option for manual update.

Five - Download antivirus file from the USB and click on "open".

The virus removal tool ensures safeguard of your computer against any computer threat and is the best recommended way to ensure its security. Antispyware and antivirus programs are the best and only mode functional against hazardous software's.

Article Source: http://goarticles.com/article/Update-Antivirus-for-Efficient-and-Fast-Running-of-System/4031440/

How to update offline Norton Antivirus 2010?

Usually,we update Norton Antivirus 2010 via Internet. There is also another way to update Norton, you could update offline Norton Antivirus 2010 via updates file.

Norton Anti Virus is a well performed antivirus application for your Windows PC. Usually, we update Norton Anvirus via Internet online directly. But if the network does not work temporarily, how can you update Norton. Now the followings will tell you how to update offline Norton Antivirus 2010.

Norton Anti Virus, developed by US. Symantec Corporation, offters users resolutions to prevent malware, virus, spam etc. detection and removal from your computer. Integrated with Norton Insight, Anti - Spam etc. multiple component. Norton Anti Virus 2010 will be a well-performed computer safty guard. Now the following instructiions will tell you how to update offline Norton Antivirus 2010.

Guides on updating Norton Antivirus 2010 offline

Step 1. Type the URL "http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/download/pages/US-N95.html" in your web browser address bar to open the official updates download webpage.

Step 2. Choose your Norton product name from the list and download the update exe file to computer which can connect to network normally.

Step 3.. After succeed downloading updates from Internet, copy the updates to a removable device, e.g. USB flash disk, MP3 player etc. and move the updates file to the computer need updating offline. Double click the update file and then you could update offline Norton Antivirus.

That is all about how to update offline Norton Antivirus 2010. All steps are very easy. Norton Antivirus is a wonderful antivirus application which could protect your computer in a more secure method.

Source:-www.downloadatoz.com

Antivirus Software Importance

Many years ago the first computer virus was created and soon to follow many more, leading to the birth of the first antivirus software. Since then the computer viruses have developed into more and more sophisticated programs making it harder and harder to develop reliable security programs to combat the ever growing number of computer viruses.

This is why a PC must never be left unprotected. If you do, it is no longer a matter of "if" your PC gets infected but rather "when". Always have the latest antivirus software installed. It is easy and it doesn't require you to do anything else once it is up and running. All updates and scanning tasks are done for you automatically.

I have never had a computer without protecting it, but still I have managed to attract computer viruses. I realized this was because I never let the antivirus software do a full system scan. It seems that even if the software monitors all activities, some viruses may still slip by and for this reason complete scans must be carried out every now and then. While installing security programs you should always check these settings, making sure the scans run once or twice a week.

Most PC security solutions contain virus protection as an integral part of them. These are also the most effective programs giving a more complete protection against all kinds of malware.

It can be difficult to choose which antivirus software to buy since there are many on the market. The best thing to do is read reviews either on the web or in magazines before purchasing a security solution for your PC. Key factors to look for is performance, compatibility and size of their virus definition database.

Source: http://goo.gl/D24Zd

Update Is Essential But Not at All Times Beneficial

Software is a bundle of computer programs that feed your computer system with orders of what is needed to be done. Without it, your computer will not work efficiently. It is untouchable but is vital to your system.

There is a must-have software and a software for your interest. For your computer's security, there is an antivirus software; to aid on your information searching, there are web browsers; for best web browsing experience, there's a flash player; for treasuring your precious memories, there is a CD burner; for high quality video watching, there are codec packs and media players; to edit videos, there are video editors; for photo transformations, there are photo editors; for music mixing and song making, there's audio or music software; and to make your files more handy, there are archivers. There are also file converters, specific file readers, file splitters, file joiners, 3D animation makers and more. Almost all that we use are softwares. Have you noticed? There is a specific software for a specific task.

How significant is software? Without it, using your computer is a drama because it gives effectiveness to your hardware and to your system. To create a working computer with perfectly running applications, software is the key.

It will perform at its best if it is updated. Softwares, not only drivers, are updated every now and then. You can work more flexibly, limits will be lessened, range will be widened, new features and elements will be added. Not only that, it will raise the level of your security. As for antivirus, you'll soon be invaded by virus if you don't update regularly. Almost everything will be enhanced. But with this number of softwares, it will really be a hassle for you to get updates manually. There are actually softwares that search for the availability of updates automatically and you can also choose to apply the update or not. But that does not apply to all.

If you want to search for updates without having a dilemma, then change your settings to autoupdate software without a mess. Check your application if it has settings that will make it start updating on its own. If none, search the web manually. You will find bunch of freewares that can do that task for you. Just remember, don't easily trust anything that is free of charge. If you worry about security then just do everything manually, although that too can't assure you that you can obtain the proper file.

With its promising outcome, there are risks. When a new update is released, some users tend to take some time before installing the update; it can cause errors, corrupt data and lower security levels. So, they let other users experience the updated version first. If you autoupdate software, you might also open doors for hackers to invade your PC. They can flawlessly hack your system while you are not even aware of their existence.

Source: http://goo.gl/hHrm0

Guidelines on Removing AV Security Suite

The problem with programs like AV Security Suite is that even if you successfully clean them out of your system, they can reinfect it, if the software vulnerabilities that allowed their intrusion still persist. So make it a point to download all the latest updates of all the programs installed on your PC.

There are two ways of removing this malicious software from your system. One is manually removing AV Security Suite in safe mode or other way is to let a specialized antimalware or antivirus program handle the problem.

If you opt for a manual removal, you will have to first gather information about the Windows registry files and .exe files that need to be deleted to get rid of it. Manual removal can be risky as you may accidentally delete some vital system files. So unless you are an expert at such kind of manual removals, use a specialized software tool and let it do the job for you.

Before you can download and install such an antivirus programs for removal of this program, you must boot Windows 7, Vista or XP in 'Safe Mode With Networking' by hitting F8 on startup. Once the system boots up, open the command prompt and type in 'msconfig'. In the window that will open up, go to the 'Startup' tab. Deselect any suspicious processes or programs that are running on startup. Save settings and reboot. Once you reboot, open your Internet Explorer browser and go to Tools --> Internet Options --> Connections. Uncheck the proxy server checkbox which will nullify the manipulation made by AV Security Suite. Save settings and close the window.

Then install or run a preinstalled antivirus program to wipe out any traces of the program from your hard drive. Run an authentic registry cleaner to nullify any changes made to your registry. Install latest Windows updates and see to it that your antivirus and antispyware software programs are updated. This should take care of the problem for you.

Hope these tips on removing AV Security Suite were helpful. Make sure that your installed antivirus software has an Internet security facility built into it, that can prevent such malicious programs from getting installed. Never take your computer's security lightly!

Source: http://goo.gl/1QFxt

Which Free Antivirus Should You Choose ?

A long time ago, Norton Antivirus was the norm and like everyone else I bought a copy. I have had my share of experience with infected computers. I still remember the time when I cleaned out my pc manually with all the duplicate files the virus had planted all over the pc.

Then there were free antivirus and I gleefully downloaded it to make use of it. There was only one that time too, and I think it was Avg if I am not mistaken.

-Avast

This is my preferred free antivirus software. The registration process is a little slow as you have to wait for them to send you the product key. But that said, it has quite a smooth operation and doesn't appear to slow down my pc much. Virus updates are also quite smooth which you can set to automatic. The only thing you might want to do is to turn off some of the audio alerts, especially the virus updated which can be really loud. Other functions are pretty standard.

Unfortunately I lost a bit of confidence in it recently when it did not pick up a virus which was residing in one of my network folders. How did I know about it? Avg picked it up when I was accessing my own network folder containing the virus and cleaned it out for me.

-Avg

So it appears avg might be stronger in picking up viruses or it could be it just scans more of the pc. This is the favored antivirus in my office. My boss bought a few licences and reused the product keys on other pcs.

For an antivirus, I believe it does its job fine. I just have the perception that its virus scans can be very slow and hog the system resources. This is something I do not like. Other than that, I do appreciate it cleaning up my pc though.

-Avira

I have 2 grievances against this antivirus. I don't care that this is the top downloaded free antivirus software. It bugs me with advertisements, which the others do not. What is up with that?

The other one is when it had problems downloading the virus update file. Although I have trained myself on it issues, I have not had to troubleshoot avast at all. I had to make sure that it had a clean reboot and no other programs were running before the update finally came through. That's the last of Avira for me.

My final vote goes to, AVG, but only because the rest cannot really match the standards I feel they should be at.

Source: http://goo.gl/xRgdY

Best Free Internet Security Software

The 'big boys' don't want you to know this but the truth is very simple: There is no reason to spend money on any internet security software because there are free products available that can meet or exceed the quality of purchased software! The only area where free security software lags is in the total security suites category. This means that you will not be able to find one free product to take care of all your security needs. But when you consider that these products are free you should not find this to be a disadvantage.

There are dozens of free security software programs available in many software classes such as antispam (SPAMfighter, MailWasher), antispyware (SpyCatcher, Spyware Terminator), content filtering (K9 Web Protection, Naomi), privacy protection (Browzar, CCleaner), password managers (KeyWallet, Roboform) and many more.

There are a variety of reasons these products are free. Some of them are slightly reduced function versions of commercial products, some of them were created to generate interest in the company that created them and others are available simply because there are actually people interested in the greater good of a more secure internet for all of us. Many of these free products are highly rated but they are not promoted because there is no money to be made in free software, so they rely on others to spread the word.

One of the best free security products that we have found is Comodo Antivirus. This is a full featured piece of software that can stand up to the likes of Norton Antivirus, NOD32 and McAfee. We have used it on all of our test machines and most of our other systems. Another great piece of software is also from Comodo and is their free Comodo Firewall. A recent review article declared it to be 'the best firewall free or paid'! You can find links to the best free firewalls, antivirus and other free security software (including those mentioned in this article) here: Free Internet Security Software. In addition, if you have never tried a password manager be sure to visit this sites free password manager page and try out Roboform. You will find Roboform to be very secure and a real timesaver.
source: http://goo.gl/09zDP

How to uninstall McAfee Antivirus from your computer?

Follow the given steps to get rid of McAfee Antivirus from your PC:
1. Access McAfee's files in your program files folder in Explorer. Look for C:\program files\mcafee.com\agent\app.
2. Delete all files contained in the folder. If you can't find the McAfee application, enter "mcafee" in the Search feature on your Explorer toolbar.
3. Go to the "Add and Remove Programs" in the Control Panel. Highlight "McAfee Security Center" and click on "Remove."
4. Close down all running programs and restart your computer. The computer will reboot and run a systems check.
5. If you want to reinstall the McAfee Security Center, insert the CD and follow the instructions. If after that you're still encountering problems, run "services.msc" on the Run command. Set the properties on all McAfee services to "Disabled" and set the recovery to "None."
6. Reboot the computer and remove the program with "Add and Remove Programs" as described in Steps 3 and 4.

How to uninstall Norton Antivirus?

You can simply remove Norton products through the Add/Remove Control Panel.

1) Click on Start, go to Control Panel
2) Double-click on Add/Remove Programs
3) Find the Symantec or Norton product listed and click on it.
4) Click on Remove
5) You'll see a screen similar to the one below. Click the Remove All button to start the removal process.
6) Once the removal process completes, you'll be asked to restart the computer. Go ahead and reboot your system.
7) After rebooting Norton should be removed from your system.

Kaspersky Lab warns of fake trial resetter app

Kaspersky Lab, a developer of secure content and threat management solutions, is warning users of key generators and software cracks that can steal information from computers.

The malware, identified as Trojan-PSW.MIL.Agent.wx, disguises itself as a Kaspersky Trial Resetter, which is used to reset a software evaluation period that has expired.

Instead of extending the evaluation period of a legitimate software, it steals information from the infected computer -- from passwords saved in a web browser to other installed applications.

Kaspersky Lab said Microsoft's Internet Explorer is the browser most targeted by the virus, followed by Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome and Opera.

The Trojan has so far stolen information from MSN accounts (400), Ebay accounts (175), Facebook accounts (169) and ICQ accounts (116), the company said.

"I hope these statistics will convince you that downloading pirated software is not a good idea," said Kaspersky Lab security expert Nicolas Brulez.

He added, "Users who thought they were downloading a crack for a security solution ended up being infected. It's also clear that saving your passwords within your browser isn't the best idea."

According to Brunez, a total of 1,109 computers -- or an average of 48 a day -- have been infected in 23 days. The malware was reportedly created on January 31 this year and was detected on February 6.

Germany is said to have the most number of infections at 29%, followed by Holland (11%), France (3%), Poland and United Kingdom (1% each). The remaining 55% are spread out across the globe, Kaspersky Lab said.

Nasty Fake Antivirus

According to multiple security researchers, fake antivirus software was the biggest cyber crimes in 2010 and continues to be a major on-line scam. When fake antivirus first appeared, it could really be categorized as "scareware" and was fairly innocuous. Fake AV popped up unexpectedly, told you that your system may be infected, and then launched a fake scanning engine. While some people were clearly duped, you could easily work your way out if you recognized the scam. No harm, no foul.

I recently saw a demonstration of a more modern version of fake antivirus. The bad guys have made this scam more effective and sinister. When the fake AV appears on your system now you notice a steady progression with no way out. First, it shuts down your real antivirus and removes the icon from your system tray. It then shuts down any applications you have open, claiming that they may be infected. Finally, it blocks any file with a .exe extention so you can't open any processes. This blocks all of the things you would normally try to alleviate the problem. I tried launching pre-installed antivirus software to perform a system scan, opening Windows Task Manager to kill a process, and going into Windows tools to restore the system configuration to an earlier recovery point. All of these actions were blocked. Oh and don't bother re-booting the system. This won't help either.

Basically, fake AV launches a denial-of-service attack, making your PC absolutely useless. It reminded me of the insidious pop-up spyware and adware from the early 2000s. With this type of attack, even users who know better are tempted to buy the fake AV in order to get their PC, and their precious data, back. If you can open a browser and are willing to fight on, there are numerous downloadable tools that claim to overcome fake AV. Guess what? Many of them are just another kind of malware. Cybercriminals know how to kick you when you are down.

If you do get infected, there is actually a relatively easy way out. You have to reboot your system in safe mode (press the F8 key as you do), go into system tools, and then restore your system to an earlier recovery point. When this action is completed, I recommend updating Windows and doing a full system scan with your real AV immediately.

I've read a lot of research indicating that many users either don't use AV at all or don't really maintain it. You could say that these folks deserve to be scammed but when their PCs become part of a global botnet it impacts us all. The bad guys are very good at what they do. The only chance we have is to stay smart, share information, keep our systems up to date, maintain strong defenses, and remain vigilant.

10 steps to avoid malware while browsing the Web

1. Don’t use a single password and PIN everywhere. No one uses same key for house, car, office, briefcase and deposit box. Generally, most of the people use different keys. Suppose one uses the same PIN everywhere, then an opportunity is being created for a thief to unlock every door.
2. Do not login (into) third party applications that ask for email logins. Third party applications are programs written to work within operating systems, but are written by individuals or companies other than the providers of the operating system.
3. Do not click on pop-ups that appear while browsing the web. Those pop-ups may contain malware which can be automatically downloaded to the PC. Pop-up ads are a form of advertising intended to attract web traffic or capture email addresses.
4. Do not be lazy to update your antivirus software. If antivirus software is not updated, then you are leaving your computer open for all kinds of malicious attacks from the minute of expiration of the software.
5. Do not click on the phishing mails, which shows that you have won something or saying that your account is at risk, which generally creates a sense of urgency. A Phishing mail usually asks for information’s such as usernames, passwords and credit card details by masquerading as a trustworthy entity. No banks or trusted organizations will ask their users to do that.
6. Do not forget to delete system’s cache, passwords or history. Easiest place for a malware like software to hide in the system generally tends to be in the temporary folders where browser cache, passwords or history is stored. If one fails to check this, then the possibility of identity theft and stealing of bank and email information’s are inevitable. If possible try to reset your browser frequently.
7. Do not open a fraudulent email or spam mails. Clicking on a fraudulent email will allow the cyber criminals to easily access your computer. Also never access any account information like bank info through email links which can allow access to your account information. Also ensure to have a back up for emails like how you keep record of important hard copy documents. Make sure that all the attachments are scanned before opening them.
8. Do not forget to log out of any account that you have logged in, especially when you are at a cybercafé.
9. Do not download free stuff like screen saver, videos and pictures from other websites. Downloading free stuffs from unknown website can dangerously harm your computer. Suddenly the computer begins to slow down as malicious software’s come along with those downloads. And always access safe websites to download useful information or data.
10. Do not allow an unknown person in your social networking accounts like Twitter and Facebook. Social networking websites have become a craze in the modern generation. Hence, protecting one's identity and account is really important with increasing threats on the Internet.