Ransomware sucks targ [Archive]

sosolidshoe

06-30-2012, 06:36 AM

The most common reason for malware on a windows PC is that people don't use common sense when clicking a dialogue online or that they download software from bad sources (read not the official SW download sources).

It always entertains me that people blame windows for their own mistakes... It's not like it magically found it's way to your computer and decided to install itself.

Indeed. I also find it hilarious when people use such self-deception as an impetus for joining the Cult of Mac, because you can guarantee their fancy new "virus-proof" hipstermachine will be riddled with all kinds of nasty within a month.

Sorry people, Macs haven't been more secure than windows since the 90's, just more obscure, and thanks to iTunes and the iPhone, that's changing. Indeed, that false sense of security makes Mac users prime targets.

hortwort

06-30-2012, 06:43 AM

no legitimate law enforcement agency would take money through such an unofficial channel.

Of course they wouldn't.

<_<
>_>

<_<

(>o_o)> ($) (^.^)

Seriously though, I've had good luck with having a pair of preventative measures: One anti-virus and one anti-malware. If each one has a 90% detection rate, then together it's more like 99%.

blademasterronin

06-30-2012, 06:47 AM

So lastnight I get a fullscreen pop up (covers taskbar) that says I have been illegaly downloading software. "I have?" I said to myself. They claim to be the FBI and said that I I don't give them $100 through MoneyBank.com I won't be able to use my PC.:mad:

I cannot wait until I buy my MacBook Pro or iMac....sick of Windows viruses and punk hackers who have nothing better to do.

sorry all just ranting........;)

I have a love/hate relationship with Ransomware. While a personally believe there is a special place reserved in Hades for the perpetrators of this software, the removal of it does keep me in business.

Just one word of warning, a Macbook will not keep you completly safe from this. I have seen it on a Mac OS, although it is very rare there.

Also, i have noticed a severe upswing in the number of ransomware infections that I have seen in the last 6 months. From an average of one a month, I am now seeing 3-4 a month on PCs and around 1 every 6-8 months on Macs. I've only ever seen 1 on a linux based pc. Reguardless of your platform, run good antivirus/malware software, keep a good firewall up, and most important: be carefull where you go online and what you click on.

blademasterronin

06-30-2012, 06:52 AM

The most common reason for malware on a windows PC is that people don't use common sense when clicking a dialogue online or that they download software from bad sources (read not the official SW download sources).

It always entertains me that people blame windows for their own mistakes... It's not like it magically found it's way to your computer and decided to install itself.

You are dead on the mark there. In almost every case that i see where Ransomware/Malware/Virus' are present, the infection can be traced back to illegal downloading, social network apps, porn, or other less than legitimate sources of software.

otakuboyt

06-30-2012, 06:53 AM

It can be cleared.

No big I've done it before.

Go to a second PC and download the following.

http://www.malwarebytes.org/
http://www.superantispyware.com/portablescanner.html
http://support.kaspersky.com/faq/?qid=208283363

Burn them to CD....do not use a flash drive or memory card.

On the infected PC startup and start tapping F8. An option menu will showup. If not restart and try again.

Select "safe mode"

not with networking we don't want the crap dialing home

run/install the programs from the CD

the scans will take a while on 2 of them. What ever they find tell it to remove the problems.

Restart F8 again and select "safe mode with networking"

update the scanners and scan again. What ever they find tell it to remove the problems.

That SHOULD do it.

mikewendell

06-30-2012, 06:56 AM

So lastnight I get a fullscreen pop up (covers taskbar) that says I have been illegaly downloading software. "I have?" I said to myself. They claim to be the FBI and said that I I don't give them $100 through MoneyBank.com I won't be able to use my PC.:mad:

Humour: That's what you get for downloading and watching that warez porn. ;)

On a serious note, when was the last time you updated your virus protection. I find from dealing with my soccer moms, many times they think that if they install a virus protection, they've protected while something in the background isn;t allowing them to get updates.

It's best to run it manually once a week just to be sure.

poison

06-30-2012, 07:36 AM

That SHOULD do it.

And if it doesn't, the customers I had that infected themselves with it last week were able to remove it by going into Safe Mode and running Combofix.

And yes, I too get Mac users that are infected. I do like that Apple finally changed their information page about viruses to no-longer say they are totally immune.

blademasterronin

06-30-2012, 07:46 AM

And if it doesn't, the customers I had that infected themselves with it last week were able to remove it by going into Safe Mode and running Combofix.

And yes, I too get Mac users that are infected. I do like that Apple finally changed their information page about viruses to no-longer say they are totally immune.

Combofix for the win!

Just be sure, absolutly sure, that you get it from bleepingcomputer.com. There are several imposters out there that will mess up your computer worse than the original infection. Also the forums at bleepingcomputer are an excelent source of removal tips and tricks for thoose infections that combofix/malwarebytes will not remove.

lilchibiclari

06-30-2012, 09:08 AM

Of course they wouldn't.

<_<
>_>

<_<

(>o_o)> ($) (^.^)

But seriously, if law enforcement ARE taking money under the table, then it's clear corruption and holding you ransom is illegal, so they may as well be criminals.

commadorebob

07-01-2012, 10:29 AM

All viruses are preventable.

Don't go to those websites.
Don't engage in illegal software copying.
Stay off P2P file sharing sites.
Don't click on ANYTHING that pops up! (If you feel something isn't right, go to task manager and end the service of every browser that is open)
Use common sense. (There is no way to get a free iPad, $1,000,000, or a bigger ****. And that hot girl who wants to talk to you isn't even real. And if she is, she looks like this (http://www.peopleofwalmart.com/14017/a-mixed-bag/).)
Macs have their own viruses.
Macs didn't get a lot of viruses before because there weren't enough of them to fool with.
One of the best examples I ever heard: Windows in a store in the worst part of town with bars on the windows and a security system. Mac is a country home with the door unlocked. Not being targeted doesn't equal "secure".
Own a virus scan. Here are some good options (http://www.filehippo.com/software/antimalware/). (Yes, that goes for you too, Mac owners.)

anazonda

07-01-2012, 10:32 AM

I feel such happyness when lots of people agree with me :)

mikewendell

07-01-2012, 11:30 AM

Don't go to those websites.
Don't engage in illegal software copying.
Stay off P2P file sharing sites.

I file share and I've never had an issue. Of course I run with flash turned off, adverts blocked and third party site cookies disallowed. edit: I also don't grab from new users either.

There are some sites out there that have a clue as well as admins who stay on top of those things.

Of course then I worked on a computer of a local client who had 300+ hits off of Malwarebytes. Cleaned them all off, reinstalled windows, gave the lecture, and two weeks later had over a hundred more.

nrobbiec

07-01-2012, 11:39 AM

Macs are so inferior, just saying

commadorebob

07-01-2012, 11:45 AM

I file share and I've never had an issue. Of course I run with flash turned off, adverts blocked and third party site cookies disallowed. edit: I also don't grab from new users either.

There are some sites out there that have a clue as well as admins who stay on top of those things.

Of course then I worked on a computer of a local client who had 300+ hits off of Malwarebytes. Cleaned them all off, reinstalled windows, gave the lecture, and two weeks later had over a hundred more.

I'm like a stunt driver. My post was that little "Don't try this at home" message at the bottom of the screen. If people, in general, knew what they were doing on the computer, I wouldn't need to be so basic.

I also tell people to never overclock their CPUs. But if you are an expert at it, then knock yourself out. But again, I'm not generally giving PC advice to experts. "OMG, I have a virus! I need a Mac!" doesn't strike me as a guy who knows what he is doing.

poison

07-01-2012, 11:47 AM

Of course then I worked on a computer of a local client who had 300+ hits off of Malwarebytes. Cleaned them all off, reinstalled windows, gave the lecture, and two weeks later had over a hundred more.

That's fine, it keeps me in business warning them about the viruses when we see the activity on our (ISPs) network, and the PC techs in business cleaning them up. Or, in the case of Geek Squad, doing absolutely nothing to fix the problem yet still charging the customer. ;)

crypticarmsman

07-01-2012, 11:50 AM

I cannot wait until I buy my MacBook Pro or iMac....sick of Windows viruses and punk hackers who have nothing better to do.

sorry all just ranting........;)

FYI - the only reason Macs never had a lot of virus issues was because hackers considered the userbase too small and niche to target. With the popularuty of IPones and IPads, that/'s changing - so even after you get your Mac, you'll want to install one of the new Mac virus checkers that are out there.

aesica

07-01-2012, 11:52 AM

It's easy to make yourself nearly-immune to that kind of crap on a pc.

1) Update your virus scanner. If you need a free one, avast is decent if not better than the "professional" crap (or just "crap" actually) like norton and mcafee.

2) Stop using internet explorer. No seriously. Use Firefox and outfit it with the following addons: adblock plus, noscript. Noscript in particular is nice because you can allow scripts that come directly from the site you're on, but not the bad/worthless crap.

3) Use spybot S&D and malwarebytes anti-malware at -least- once a month to help keep your system clean. Of course, between 1 and 2, I find that I never find anything anymore.

Getting a mac most certainly isn't the answer. While there might be "fewer things" to infect macs, there's a reason for that: Macs are nowhere near as widespread and popular, so if you're going to write a malicious program, who do you target--the small group or the large group?

Don't go to those websites.
Stay off P2P file sharing sites.

This advice can safely be ignored. (No offense, bob)

1) With the above-mentioned setup, I can literally visit any site I want and be perfectly safe as long as I don't allow script access.

2) It's safe to download non-executable files, such as music, videos, or various images in a P2P environment. The only danger comes from executables, which goes hand in hand with downloading illegal software. (That's only bad because it's usually laced with all sorts of malicious crap)

If you want to go the apple route, well have fun throwing your money away!

commadorebob

07-01-2012, 11:59 AM

This advice can safely be ignored. (No offense, bob)

None taken. My advice is for those who are computer illiterate. And whining because your computer has a virus and threatening to buy a Mac doesn't say "literacy" to me.

aesica

07-01-2012, 12:01 PM

None taken. My advice is for those who are computer illiterate. And whining because your computer has a virus and threatening to buy a Mac doesn't say "literacy" to me.
LOL, good point! :D

anazonda

07-01-2012, 12:11 PM

This thread is so full of win...

mikewendell

07-01-2012, 12:35 PM

1) Manually Update your virus scanner.

Fixed. One of the reasons why I stopped suggesting AVG was that there was a required manual upgrade awhile back with no notification and no notification that updates were (edit: forgot next word) not being applied. The only reasons why I found out about it was because I checked the logs and say the error. I doubt many other folks saw it.

2) Stop using internet explorer. No seriously. Use Firefox and outfit it with the following addons: adblock plus, noscript. Noscript in particular is nice because you can allow scripts that come directly from the site you're on, but not the bad/worthless crap.

Firefox had a known security hole for 18+ months. While that still makes them better than IE, I;m really iffy on recommending them now.

3) Use programs like spybot S&D, malwarebytes anti-malware, etc. Of course, between 1 and 2, I find that I never find anything anymore.

Never use "like" when writing a howto. Programs "like" those are the fake ones that pop up in your browser and tell you that you need to buy their stuff for "protection". Always use specifics. that way folks reading the documentation know very specifically as to what to install.

And as for the Macs, I have 5 XServe RAIDs that we use for backups. I like them, had them for years (3 of them are used) and have had no problems with them except for a single bad drive.

poison

07-01-2012, 01:08 PM

Firefox had a known security hole for 18+ months. While that still makes them better than IE, I;m really iffy on recommending them now.

The last study I saw in 12/2011 had Chrome as most secure, and IE in second place, with Firefox trailing both.

http://www.accuvant.com/capability/accuvant-labs/security-research/browser-security-comparison-quantitative-approach

mikewendell

07-01-2012, 01:19 PM

The last study I saw in 12/2011 had Chrome as most secure, and IE in second place, with Firefox trailing both.

I'm real iffy with Chrome as I'm not a big Google fan when it comes to privacy.....

Nexus is looking mighty good right around now

beezle23

07-01-2012, 01:33 PM

None taken. My advice is for those who are computer illiterate. And whining because your computer has a virus and threatening to buy a Mac doesn't say "literacy" to me.

They should obviously be switching to Linux instead of buying a Mac. :P

=====

Important addition to the conversation: Pay-to-use antivirus rapidly becomes worthless if you let the subscription lapse. This includes "free trials" of things that either come with your computer or provided by your ISP -- once that free trial is up, you won't get updates, so either shell out for a subscription or uninstall and switch to a free AV solution (which you also need to keep up to date).

I've cleaned up computers that had McAfee/Panda/Norton because the person just assumed "BUT I HAZ PROTECTIONS I'M SAFE FOREVER." Followed by "Oh, that blahblah-updatey thingy, I just close it." *Update regularly* or kiss your data goodbye.

And, as mentioned, but bears repeating -- most Antivirus will need to be supplemented with a Adware detector and browser addons.

Spybot S&D

Firefox = Adblock Plus, Scriptblock, Flashblock

IMHO Firewall is actually best handled by a hardware router between your computer and the internet. Windows firewall is "meh" and Zonealarm can go horribly awry.

(Personally, I use Kaspersky Internet Security so I don't need Spybot or browser add-ons, it does it all for me, but KIS isn't really newbie friendly).

aesica

07-01-2012, 01:45 PM

Fixed. One of the reasons why I stopped suggesting AVG was that there was a required manual upgrade awhile back with no notification and no notification that updates were (edit: forgot next word) not being applied. The only reasons why I found out about it was because I checked the logs and say the error. I doubt many other folks saw it.
"Manually" was implied since "update your virus scanner" is issuing a command to the reader. And yeah, I stopped recommending/supporting AVG as well, but it was after the second or third false positive.

Firefox had a known security hole for 18+ months. While that still makes them better than IE, I;m really iffy on recommending them now.
Perhaps, but when you look at the major alternatives (IE, Chrome) it still wins.

Never use "like" when writing a howto. Programs "like" those are the fake ones that pop up in your browser and tell you that you need to buy their stuff for "protection". Always use specifics. that way folks reading the documentation know very specifically as to what to install.
I mainly wanted to leave it open for more recommendations, because I know there's more out there than just those two. They're just what I use and what has worked for me for years now. I guess you have a point though--I'll edit.

mikewendell

07-01-2012, 02:20 PM

"Manually" was implied since "update your virus scanner" is issuing a command to the reader. And yeah, I stopped recommending/supporting AVG as well, but it was after the second or third false positive.

With all due respect, no it doesn't. Update means let the program update itself to many folks. Install and forget while assuming you;re protected is assumed by many.

aesica

07-01-2012, 03:22 PM

With all due respect, no it doesn't. Update means let the program update itself to many folks. Install and forget while assuming you;re protected is assumed by many.
So if I told you to update something, you'd respond with "well it updates itself, so I don't have to do anything!" The error here lies in an assumption on your end. Why would I say "update your ____" if I really meant "don't do anything because your ____ will automatically update itself?"

You're being silly.

blademasterronin

07-01-2012, 04:04 PM

2) It's safe to download non-executable files, such as music, videos, or various images in a P2P environment. The only danger comes from executables, which goes hand in hand with downloading illegal software. (That's only bad because it's usually laced with all sorts of malicious crap)

If you want to go the apple route, well have fun throwing your money away!

Be carefull here. Images, video, and compressed files can habor malware and virus'. Especially if you are using the built in players to view them. They are "mostly safe" in the same way that the Earth is "mostly harmless.". Your best bet is to either refrain from dowloading pirated media from p2p sites, or be sure that if you do you are well equipped to handle the files with non-microsoft and non-apple applications.

The vast majority of images, videos, music, and movies on p2p sites are safe, but not all. And the more in demand the file is, the more likely it is that it is harboring malware.

c0nd1t10nr3d

07-01-2012, 04:25 PM

Thanks guys for an extremely informative thread! After reading it through, I went and checked my AVG Free and to my horror, the thing hadn't auto-updated (Like it used to and is supposed to) since I upgraded to the 2012 version in January this year! Not even the definitions database had updated!! I'm very diappointed in AVG now after years of using it.

Anyway, after updating and running a scan, I'm pleased to say that not one threat was found! Phew!

Another piece of advise I took from the thread was to install and run Malwarebyte. It found a couple of Trojan.BHQ's, a Trojan.agent and a ton of pup.mywebsearch. In total, 264 threats.. All of which I removed.

Thanks once again guys for an awesome thread! I'll be keeping an almost religious routine from now on, checking for threats and most importantly, checking that AVG keeps itself up to date! (If it lets me down again, Avast might become my new friend!) ;)

PS: Also installed NoScript and AdBlock Plus! :)

mikewendell

07-01-2012, 05:22 PM

So if I told you to update something, you'd respond with "well it updates itself, so I don't have to do anything!"

Do you know how many times I;ve been told that? Heck, I hear that is this very game during the academy event. "Oh let the particles expire. You don;t have to deal with them" See how many folks wind up having their stacks get deleted on the next event even with many of us saying that they have to sell them.

You're being silly.

No, I'm going on past experience. I deal with soccer moms and those who feel that everything is handed to them. Five seconds here in these forums will show you that there are times you have to spell things out.

Sorry that you disagree but even though you feel other wise, I stand by my statement. Maybe your world is perfect and everybody is aligned correctly but I'm not lucky enough to have that happen.

poison

07-02-2012, 05:17 AM

Do you know how many times I;ve been told that?

Probably about as many times as I've heard "I can't have a virus, I have Norton"

matridunadan1

07-02-2012, 02:24 PM

I also recommend Safer Networking's SpyBot Search & Destroy.

Be sure to use the Immunizer. It's not perfect, but it does redirect over fifteen thousand known malware servers to point to 128.0.0.1 so you do have some measure of protection.

mikewendell

07-02-2012, 02:56 PM

Probably about as many times as I've heard "I can't have a virus, I have Norton"

Pretty much.

I've also lost count how many times I've heard surprise when I pointed out that folks need to upgrade what they have. They assume that one something is installed, that's all you need to do.

but it does redirect over fifteen thousand known malware servers to point to 128.0.0.1 so you do have some measure of protection.

I;m tempted to suggest that you have a 15k line host file now. That's normally a bad thing actually. Plus those calls, if you do get infected, are still slowing down your computer.

poison

07-02-2012, 04:21 PM

I;m tempted to suggest that you have a 15k line host file now. That's normally a bad thing actually. Plus those calls, if you do get infected, are still slowing down your computer. That is exactly what Spybot does. :)

spektre12

07-02-2012, 06:00 PM

Well, as expected I got some arrogant replies but no matter.

I think I got this from a link I clicked that said I needed to get the latest 'Flash Player' from a T&A site:D. I was using the free version of AVG but I guess these guys were pretty smart because they bypassed everything. It didn't take hold right away; only after I re-started my computer after installing my Adobe updates.

I just bought Kaspersky Total Internet Suite for $79.99. It better work, but then again everything isn't full proof. It sure keeps my STO from running though LOL!

mattdawson

07-03-2012, 08:20 AM

I've never had a problem with AVG or Firefox, and I check both regularly for updates.

Personally, I would still recommend Firefox over both Chrome and IE. IE is slow, resource heavy and (becuase it's been around for so long) is getting a tad predictable on the virus front.

Chrome, on the other hand, I avoid like hte plague because I don't want Google looking into my browsing. I don't do anything illegal, you understand, but I just don't want to take the risk of Google having my browsing history.

commadorebob

07-03-2012, 08:29 AM

Personally, I would still recommend Firefox over both Chrome and IE. IE is slow, resource heavy and (becuase it's been around for so long) is getting a tad predictable on the virus front.

I use IE9, Safari, and Firefox. (Google is banned from my PC). Sorry, out of all of them, IE9 works the best. You think IE is resource heavy, Safari is using almost twice the amount of resources to run this page as IE9 is using to run a CNET page that has two embedded Flash videos. The only issues I ever run into with IE is ads (but a simple hosts file edit fixes that).

I only use Firefox on websites that, for some stupid reason, feels it is a requirement to make people download Firefox in order to work. Here's a tip to web designers: want business? Then don't make a site that purposefully excludes over half of the browser user population.

anazonda

07-03-2012, 08:41 AM

Firefox is also horrible to develop webpages for... Not only does it use a non-standart version of HTML (much like IE6 did), but it also randomly closes unclosed tags, meaning it's hard to catch if you made a build error.

Also, IE9 was recently deemed to be the fastest browser out there ATM...

commadorebob

07-03-2012, 08:48 AM

I also want to add that IE10 is outstanding! On my Win8 system, I love it! I haven't bothered downloading another browser on it.

aesica

07-03-2012, 11:08 AM

I only use Firefox on websites that, for some stupid reason, feels it is a requirement to make people download Firefox in order to work. Here's a tip to web designers: want business? Then don't make a site that purposefully excludes over half of the browser user population.
There's a reason for that. Web developers pretty much follow this basic process when creating a website:

1) Develop pages based on current html/javascript/css standards that work with most major browsers.

2) Throw in a bunch of sloppy hacks to make everything also work in IE.

It might be different now, as I stepped away from web development to study flash and indie game development instead (much more interesting!), but when I was pursuing web development, that's how it worked.

Edit: To clarify, I don't think it's good practice to purposely exclude the IE base. I'm just stating why it happens from time to time.

Firefox is also horrible to develop webpages for... Not only does it use a non-standart version of HTML (much like IE6 did), but it also randomly closes unclosed tags, meaning it's hard to catch if you made a build error.
I've never had a problem with Firefox's supposed non-standard. As for leaving tags open on accident (assuming that's what you mean) try using something designed for writing xhtml/xml that will highlight matching tag pairs for you. Build errors due to open tags become a non-issue this way.

A lot of self-proclaimed web developers like to think they're "hardcore" by using caveman tools like notepad, but in the end, they're only going to take longer than they would've if they'd used something specifically designed for the job.

Also, IE9 was recently deemed to be the fastest browser out there ATM...
In my opinion, it's not a matter of which browser is "the fastest" (unless your machine is really old, the speed difference between browsers is a non-issue) but rather, which one has the best addons and tools available. Right now, that's Firefox in my opinion--hands down.

Also, of all the browsers out there, which one has the most noble organization behind it?

Firefox: Mozilla (a non-profit organization dedicated to an open internet)
IE: Microsoft (probably the most tolerable of the for-profit corporates)
Chrome: Google (we are watching you. we are watching everything)
Safari: Apple (seriously...I don't need to say anything else here)

anazonda

07-03-2012, 11:34 AM

A lot of self-proclaimed web developers like to think they're "hardcore" by using caveman tools like notepad, but in the end, they're only going to take longer than they would've if they'd used something specifically designed for the job.

This one made me laugh...

1: Self-proclaimed: My papers say otherwise... So do my, what... 15 years of experience.

2: Notepad is for when you do webpages for fun... I use Netbeans in a ZendFramework, on a apache server running lenny...

You're so funny when you fail at bringing me down ^^

Edit: Also the common idea that FF is one of the best browsers is silly... They allow use of their own tags for CSS wich is something they themselves were criticizing MS for in IE6... They Knowingly break the W3 standards while claiming holiness for themselves... redicilous.