MS AntiSpyware & AntiVirus 2009 BEWARE!!

[CJones]

Just an FYI to the 'click happy' crowd out there...

If you get a pop-up saying you need to install MS AntiSpyware or AntiVirus 2009, DO NOT install it. It is a rogue virus that will eat your system alive once it is installed.

I got a desktop box from one of our remote offices a few weeks ago that had AntiVirus2009 on it. It wasn't 'too' bad to deal with, I could at least edit the registry, etc. easily to clean it up.

Last week, I got the same box back from the same user, but this time it has MS AntiSpyware on it. This one is such a resource hog, that I couldn't even open TaskManager to stop the process that was lagging everything down. I had to boot into Safe Mode and clean the files and registry to get it cleaned up.

For more info, read here: http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/malware-removal/remove-ms-antispyware-2009#files

I know, I know.. It *should* be common sense not to install this stuff, but I can name more than a few people that would default to "OH, I better install this quickly!" once the virus's window pops up.

Just giving a heads-up...

 

[ScottM]

Does it use less resources than Norton?

The flappin IT department at my office has forced a non-configurable Norton run on us that does an entire scan everytime you turn on the computer. Basically, you turn on your computer, it boots up, then for the next 30 to 45 minutes the resources are all dedicated to Norton. I am now starting my computer up in the car on my way to work so that I can use the darn thing when I actually get into the office.


$%$^#@#$ #%&$^&$ @$%&^$%^&$^ 2@$@#$^$56 CSG #$%&&#%#5 IT @@$%$^ Butt @$#%@$^ 422345@#%@%@4 They can go to @#%@$$%!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[CJones]

Does it use less resources than Norton?

The flappin IT department at my office has forced a non-configurable Norton run on us that does an entire scan everytime you turn on the computer. Basically, you turn on your computer, it boots up, then for the next 30 to 45 minutes the resources are all dedicated to Norton. I am now starting my computer up in the car on my way to work so that I can use the darn thing when I actually get into the office.


$%$^#@#$ #%&$^&$ @$%&^$%^&$^ 2@$@#$^$56 CSG #$%&&#%#5 IT @@$%$^ Butt @$#%@$^ 422345@#%@%@4 They can go to @#%@$$%!!!!!!!!!!!

Believe it or not, it's WORSE than Norton. Where I work (NPO under the I.T. umbrella of a large University), we must use McAfee, which isn't a TON better, but you can at least read PoA while it scans every once in a while.

My dad's company is pulling the plug on all Norton and McAfee. Can't remember what he said they're moving to, but he basically got fed up with the resource pigs that they had grown into.

 

[Lawreston]

I keep getting e-mails(which I only browse but don't open) which advocate the latest update to read .PDF, or latest update to some spyware 2009 program; or other legitimate looking pieces. But the information at the end indicates "or contact" some dude(s) down in some Caribbean country. Or to invoke the other Link if not interested in receiving further information. I don't trust any of the options, so I just DELETE the suckers.

HR

 

[mikea]

I keep getting e-mails(which I only browse but don't open) which advocate the latest update to read .PDF, or latest update to some spyware 2009 program; or other legitimate looking pieces. But the information at the end indicates "or contact" some dude(s) down in some Caribbean country. Or to invoke the other Link if not interested in receiving further information. I don't trust any of the options, so I just DELETE the suckers.

HR

Good on ya!

Everybody look at the brain on Jerry!

Here's a good rulle: Microsoft and AV companies almost NEVER send you an email about an update, and when they do, it'll link to their web site. And the web site won't be microsoftupdate.urpowed.ru

 

[RJM62]

I get quite a few calls about this and other bogus security software every week. Cleaning them up usually takes an hour or two unless they installed a rootkit, in which case it takes longer.

Most of them work a lot like smitfraud and vundo, with a lot of hooks, randomly named guard files, and so forth; plus the rootkitting in maybe a third of the cases. Running ComboFix usually is a good start in getting rid of them and saves some time up-front; but usually some manual work is required, as well.

-Rich

 

[Neal Howard]

My dad's company is pulling the plug on all Norton and McAfee. Can't remember what he said they're moving to, but he basically got fed up with the resource pigs that they had grown into.

I moved to Trend Micro's Neatsuite at my employer about 5 years ago after ditching McCrapfee and rejecting Norton as a possibility. So far TrendMicro been running pretty good on 750 workstations and a couple dozen servers. It has very low administrative overhead, and doesn't make the workstations feel like you're trying to drive down the street with the parking brakes engaged. (obigatory car analogy)

I've helped a couple area doctors set up small LANs in their practices over the past couple years too ( ~ 5-10 workstation, 1 server networks) and have been using Sophos antivirus software on those. For a small lan deployment it works fantastic. Set it and forget it... two years of trouble-free malware protection on those deployments, and you cannot feel any resource drag on the workstations either.