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- Jul 31 2008
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It slices, it dices, it makes Julian fries out of your computer chips. Yes, it’s Malwarecore and it can be yours for just $19.99. But wait! That’s not all! When you buy this product you also get pop-ups, pop-unders, malware, security breaches, and unstable computer systems! All of this for just one low price that you can’t recover when you discover that you’ve been ripped off and your computer is now just a paperweight on the floor next your desk.
If you haven’t figured it out by now, Malwarecore is a rogue anti-spyware program that sneaks onto your computer through a backdoor vulnerability, usually a security issue. Or the program can sneak onto your system by riding on the back of a Trojan virus, probably Zlob or Vundo as they seem to be the two viruses that keep popping up in conjunction with these rogue programs. Don’t let the software’s self-proclaimed features fool you. Once this bugger is on your system, you will seriously consider investing in a sledge hammer.
Malwarecore starts out by informing you that your computer system is infested with viruses, malware programs, adware, and spyware. The first thing you need to know about these claims is that three quarters of the files Malwarecore states are infected files actually a) belong on your computer as part of the Windows operating system or b) don’t actually exist and are fictitious. The program will then go one to convince you that it is the only solution to getting rid of and fixing all the issues that are plaguing your system. If you are gullible, you will believe it and pay for the rogue program, setting yourself up for more problems that you had.
The fully licensed version of the program will hijack your computer by making sure the backdoor it snuck in through stays wide open. Since these are usually unfixed security issues, your computer is now even more vulnerable to hacking attempts, Spam, and other malware or spyware programs. Malwarecore could also be tracking your surfing habits and reporting them back to a third-party who will use the information for nefarious means. You may also notice that your anti-virus and legitimate anti-spyware programs have stopped working, your Internet browser settings have been changed, and the program is not removable by using the Add/Remove tool that comes with your Windows version. Eventually, Malwarecore will cause your very unstable system to stop responding completely.
This program is not new and we have seen it in other versions elsewhere. The website carries very little information other than empty praise and there is no contact information available whatsoever. If you look up the domain and the owner, you will get bogus information. And, you can be assured that the programs ‘features and capabilities’ are highly inflated. There are only two things this rogue anti-spyware program is good at: taking your money and destroying your computer.
The best thing to do if you think Malwarecore is infecting your computer is to run legitimate anti-spyware software like SpyZooka to find the files related to the rogue program. SpyZooka will remove the program for you without causing you any more misery than you’ve already been under. Anytime you remove a rogue program like this you should also run your anti-virus program to find and remove the Trojan virus Malwarecore came in on.
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- Jul 30 2008
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Have you ever watched your cat play with a spider on the floor? They watch as the spider moves fairly quickly over the linoleum before their fuzzy butts wiggle and they pounce on the spider, usually eating it up in one crunch. Well, if you find that your computer has been spun up into AntiSpySpider’s web, you’re going to need a legitimate anti-spyware software like SpyZooka to be your computer’s ‘cat’ and take care of that ‘spider’.
Yes, it’s another rogue anti-spyware program on the loose. AntiSpySpider hit the internet scene March of 2008, so it’s one of the newer problems surfing the net. Like all of the other rogue programs out there, this one slips onto your computer on the back of a Trojan, probably Zlob or Vundo as they seem to be the worst offenders for carrying these rogues around. And like usual, AntiSpySpider will give you a report stating that your computer is grossly infected with viruses, malware, and spyware that’s…you guessed it…not there!
AntiSpySpider uses the ‘let’s spook the daylights out of the uninformed computer user’ tactic to trick them into buying the fully licensed program because ‘it’s the only software on the market to clean up your computer’. Agh! Start pulling out your hair now because when you load the whole version onto your computer you’re going to want to brace yourself for the hijacking of your life. This program will flood your system with pop-ups, pop-unders, fake system notifications, and other wondrously disastrous issues that will eventually turn your PC into smoldering pile of parts. This rogue anti-spyware program will also take advantage of any vulnerability your computer has to allow other malware programs onto your systems. Since it also works as a ‘spider’ – hence the name – it will go out and find other malicious programs to infect your system with.
Oh, and did we mention that the company behind AntiSpySpider will also take your money and run?
When users log onto the AntiSpySpider homepage they will be surprised at what the site displays. For one thing, there are no random logos floating about. Additionally, the website is chock full of testimonials and self-praise about their product. There is also plenty of fear-mongering going on. If you look for contact information all you find is a bogus phone number and the name ‘Pablo’ as the domain owner. ‘Welcome to my parlor,’ said the spider to the fly.
If you think you have AntiSpySpider on your computer, then you need to release your ‘cat’ and let them go play with the ‘spider’. A great legitimate anti-spyware software (that’s the cat, by the way) to use to get this rogue program off your system is SpyZooka. This program will scan your computer and report to you the problems it finds. It is updated on a daily basis and all of the newer rogue programs surfing the internet are loaded into its database. Once it finds AntiSpySpider, it will help you rid your system of this pest – in one big crunch. Of course you do have the option of removing the program yourself file by file, but only advanced users should use this method.
Once you have removed the rogue program and any other spyware SpyZooka may have found, make sure your anti-virus program is up to date and run it as well. It will locate and find the Trojan virus or other security issues on your computer and get rid of them as well.
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- Jul 29 2008
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You are expecting to read an article on Innovagest rogue spyware, right? Well, here’s a heads up for you: Innovagest – aka Innovagest 2000 and Innovagest 2000 S.L. – isn’t a rogue spyware. It’s even worse. It’s a rogue spyware developer company. We can hit a bunch of nasty programs all in one shot here: SpyDeface, XP Antivirus 2008 (Unregistered Version), ContraVirus 2007, and PestTrap. Any of those sound familiar? They are all ‘anti-spyware’ programs released by Innovagest.
Innovagest claims to provide users with ‘the ultimate PC protection software’. Somehow we think this claim falls quite a bit short of its goal. As a matter of fact, the claim falls on the wrong side of the fence all together. Every program listed here in this article developed by Innovgest is a rogue spyware program. The only thing they manage to get rid of is money from the pockets of the people who fall prey.
Rogue spyware programs all work the same. They scan your computer and then give you a report stating that your computer is infected with viruses, spyware, and malware. These reports are grossly over exaggerated and they are usually enough to scare the daylights out of the uninformed computer user. When this happens, the user falls into the trap of believing that the advertised Innovagest software is the only software that can remove the malware, viruses, and spyware from your computer. They purchase the program and then like an old episode of television’s ‘Batman’, BAM! You’re infected.
Your troubles are only beginning. Once the fully registered program is on your system, you are going to have one heck of a time getting it back off the system. It will not allow you to use the Windows Add/Remove tool to take the program off the computer and you will have to use a legitimate anti-spyware program like SpyZooka to remove it from your system. It will also run in the background and take advantage of your systems vulnerabilities to better itself. It will update itself, install other spyware and malware programs, and eventually will bog down your system to the point that it permanently freezes up. Additionally, when you attempt to contact Innovagest 2000, you will get your message back, bounced as ‘user unknown’.
So let’s review just what Innovgest offers you:
1. A program that lies to you about the amount of spyware, viruses, and malware that is on your system.
2. A program that takes advantage of your systems vulnerabilities and utilizes them to add more spyware, malware and viruses to your system.
3. Your wallet considerably lighter as you get ripped off the cost of the program.
4. No customer service because the company – in this case Innovagest 2000 – is ‘user unknown’.
5. A computer that becomes completely unstable that will ultimately fail and freeze up to the point where it makes a great base for your garden birdbath.
We have one thing to say to you: stay away from Innovagest 2000 S.L. programs. If you think you have one of them on your computer system, get a legitimate anti-spyware program like SpyZooka and run it immediately. It will find the files that belong to the rogue program and remove them for you. If you are an advanced computer user, you could remove the files one by one but it is not recommended.
After you remove the rogue program, run your anti-virus program and clear all of the viruses from your system. Rogue anti-spyware programs traditionally sneak onto your computer by piggy-backing a Trojan virus you may not realize has infected your system.
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- Jul 28 2008
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We will give you three guesses what AntiSpyCheck is and the first two don’t count. Let us give you a hint. Aggressive advertising. Spyware. Malware. Exaggerated infection claims. Give up? Well if you guessed rogue anti-spyware than you guessed right. AntiSpyCheck is definitely that and more. This program claims to have a spam filter and pop-up blocker with it in addition the spyware scanner tool.
It’s not an anti-spyware program?
No, it’s not. AntiSpyCheck is actually a clone of AdProtect, another malicious program that has been suffering the Internet for a while. If you do not have this program on your computer already, add it to your HOSTS file and blacklist it right away. If you do have it on your computer, click on the green button below to confirm it and remove it. This program is dangerous.
Why?
If you really want to see the list, then so be it. AntiSpyCheck can and will do the following to your computer system without your permission:
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Connect to the Internet when it feels like it and download updates
- Download more malware and spyware programs
- Use up resources by running in the background
- Flood your screen with alert pop-ups
- Flood your system with fake notifications
- Change your browser settings
- Change your registry
- Change your desktop
- Rob you of your hard earned money
Oh, that last one is a dozy as it will aggressively trick you into purchasing the fully licensed software so that the pop-ups and stuff end and you computer is cleaned. The only thing that will end here is your money ending up in their pockets and your computer suffering from even worse pop-ups, pop-unders, and more nasty issues.
How do I get this thing off my computer?
You use a legitimate anti-spyware program like SpyZooka to scan and identify the real files that are corrupted. The list will not be exaggerated and as SpyZooka find multiple files belonging to the same spyware or malware, it will save the file name in memory, but it will not count the file if the spyware/malware program has already been identified. This way you get a count of what is on your computer and infecting it and nothing more.
Make sure you up date and run your anti-virus program as well and quarantine anything it finds. If you were to leave the virus – especially the Trojan AntiSpyCheck gained access through – you will be cleaning up your computer and scanning it again within twenty-four hours.
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- Jul 27 2008
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AntiSpyShield is one really tricky program to deal with. First off, it’s a rogue anti-spyware program that has been known by a few other names, like SpySheriff and CounterSpy. This one is a really tricky program because even the legitimate super antispyware programs are not picking it up. And of course, this one likes to mess with the computer system just like all the others. Except it is obviously playing a really nasty game of hide and seek with its victims.
You’ll know if you have this one on your system when you start to see the usual pop-ups stating that your computer is infected with viruses and other malicious programs. Now here’s the clincher. You could simply start a legitimate anti-spyware scan right now without touching the pop-up that came up on your computer. However, your program may simply not find the programs that belong to this rogue program. When this happens, you are forced to close the pop up, which typically launches the trial program into a scan.
Once the scan is done, you are going to be faced with a highly exaggerated list of files that are corrupted. As long as you remember that these files really aren’t corrupt and do not fall into the trap of buying the full license of AntiSpyShield, then you’re going to be that much ahead. If you fall into their false claims of being the only program able to remove the corrupt files and malware and purchase the full license, then you lose your money and have a long road ahead. By purchasing the full license, you have just purchased a piece of spyware/malware.
Once that fully licensed program hits your system, you will start seeing some really odd things that were not on system before. These rogue programs will load additional malware and spyware to your system without your permission. They will change and corrupt your Internet browser and settings. They will change your registry and add .dll files into it that are nothing but trouble. They will report to a third party all of your surfing habits. AntiSpyShield could literally freeze your system up on a permanent basis.
Doesn’t sound very good, does it? It’s not. If your system becomes infected with AntiSpyShield, you need to remove it from your computer as soon as possible. You will need to enlist the services of a legitimate anti-spyware program such as SpyZooka to find the AntiSpyShield program files. We mentioned that this program plays hide and seek on your computer, but we have the list of files that AntiSpyShield utilizes programming into SpyZooka for you. Once you run the program, you will be able to remove the rogue program from your computer and get it up and running properly.
We recommend that you also run your anti-virus program to make sure you find the virus that AntiSpyShield used to corrupt your system. If you do not remove that virus, you could very well find AntiSpyShield trying to hijack your computer later down the road…like five or ten minutes later, or a few days…a few weeks…
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- Jul 26 2008
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Somehow we are not convinced that this program shreds anything other than your wallet, your patience and your computer files. SpyShredder is one of those wonderful rogue anti-spyware programs that is inundating the Internet and taking over unsuspecting computer systems the world over. This little bugger will drive you insane until you get it of your computer and we’ve actually heard of one person who was infected that just wound up reformatting their entire hard drive because nothing else works.
Where did this come from?
This one shows up on your computer system by exploiting security holes in your Internet browser with a little bit of help from a Trojan virus. Zlob is one of the many Trojans that allow rogue anti-spyware to ride piggyback with it as it goes from one system to another and causing problems. You should check your anti-virus software to make sure it is up to date. If the virus dictionary on it is old, then it snuck on your system while you were surfing. You probably hit a site that it was lurking on and bam! There it is.
What will this thing do to my computer?
In a nutshell, corrupt it to the point of shutting the system completely down if you don’t do anything about it. The first thing it will do is start popping up messages that your computer is infected with viruses and other malicious files and software. As soon as you click on the ‘X’ to close the pop up, the trial version of the virus that has installed itself onto your computer will run a scan of your computer hard drive. Do not pay attention to the list of files it claims is ‘infected’. It is exaggerated and completely false and it is a tactic these rogue anti-spyware programmers use to scare you into purchasing the fully licensed version that they claim is the ‘only’ thing that will clean your computer.
Let us tell what will happen when you purchase the program. The first thing that will happen is that you will be divested of somewhere between $30 to $100, the average price for some legitimate anti-spyware programs. Then your computer will start to slow down and you’ll notice that things have been altered, like your browser settings, your computer desktop, and your registry files. It will also track all of your browser habits and will report them back to a third-party who will use it for malicious purposes. If you don’t get rid of the program, it could corrupt your computer system to the point where it will simply stop working.
Agh! How do I get rid of this?
Simply using the ‘Add/Remove’ option in your operating system is not going to cut it. You will need to acquire a legitimate anti-spyware program like SpyZooka, to scan your computer and give you a real report. From there, the program can remove the rogue anti-spyware for you. You are then going to want to run your anti-virus program next to make sure you remove the virus SpyShredder came in on and return your computer to a protected state.
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- Jul 25 2008
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Do you remember those commercials? ‘Is it live or is it Memorex?’ Well, trust us when we tell you that this is definitely not Memorex in any way, shape or form. Actually LiveAntiSpy is a clone of the anti-spyware program SpySheriff. Both of them are nasty programs that get a hold of your computer system and just take over. It’s like LiveAntiSpy walked into your house, took off its shoes, propped its socked feet up on your coffee table and started eating your entire bag of Doritos…without being invited in.
Of course this program, like every other rogue anti-spyware is also trying to get a hold of your hard earned money by making you think that it is the only program out on the market that will work to remove all the malicious files on your computer. The program does this by scanning you computer and then displaying an overinflated report of infected files. The interesting thing to note here is that the files the program displays actually include Windows operating systems files that if you were to remove from your computer would cause you a whole world of trouble.
Remember us comparing LiveAntiSpy to an uninvited guest in your house? Well, that’s how it got on your computer. It slipped in through the backdoor of your computer – read security problem – and took up residence on your hard drive. More than likely it was included with the programming of a Trojan virus that slipped through the same backdoor. So now you have both a Trojan virus AND rogue anti-spyware programs on your computer. Are we having fun yet? LiveAntiSpy just ate all your Doritos.
You know what else it did? It just rearranged your entire house and repainted the walls a hideous color. LiveAntiSpy can change your computer registry, change all of the settings on your Internet browser, change your desktop wallpaper, and start flashing uncontrollable pop-ups onto your computer screen like a strobe light at a disco. And the more it moves through ‘house’ redecorating things, the worse your computer is going to run. It will slow down to the point where it may actually stop all together.
Like an uninvited guest, getting rid of LiveAntiSpy is a pain in the…you know where. You can remove it one of two ways: delete the individual files that are corrupting your system if you are comfortable working with operating files and the registry, or by using a legitimate anti-spyware programs like SpyZooka to do the job. When you use a legitimate program, it will quarantine the files and then permanently remove them from the system for you. Sort of like calling the police and asking them to physically remove that annoying guest from your home.
Once you have confirmation that the rogue program is gone, make sure you run your anti-virus program to remove any viruses that are on your system. If you don’t, you are just leaving your computer system open to another unwanted guest…who will come in and eat up that new bag of Doritos you just bought and not even leave you a crumb.
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- Jul 24 2008
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If we had a dollar for every rogue anti-spyware program that crossed our computer, we’d be rich. There seems to be a million of these programs in cyberspace and they all do one thing: rip off unsuspecting consumers. Today’s topic: WinIFixer. Don’t let the name fool you, class, this one only breaks things, including your entire computer system if you’re not vigilant.
This time we can give you the name of the company that released this annoyance. Pandora Software has had rogue programs come up on the internet before, most notably InfeStop and SpyAway. Pandora popped up on the radar sometime in 2007 and they claim to have been in the security business ‘for years’. Uh-huh…right. If they have been in the security business for years, then we’d be able to find all sorts of contact information for them, like mailing address, telephone number, fax number, CEO information…the works. Instead when you look on their website – which we do advise, mind you – you get a form to fill out and that’s it. Hmmm…
Did we mention that their website basically sucks? There is absolutely nothing worthwhile on it except self-serving praise and – we love this phrase – fear-mongering. As we mentioned there is no contact information available, the links are pretty useless and the domain is registered to someone with no name. This is definitely not credible nor is it in any way professional. If nothing else sets the alarms ringing in your head to match the cold sweats you have since finding WinIFixer on your computer, then we don’t know what will.
So, WinIFixer comes bouncing onto your system by riding the Internet waves on the back of a Trojan virus. Zlob and Vundo are usually the culprits. The viruses use loopholes in your security to slip onto your computer with Internet Explorer, one good reason to use alternative browsers like Mozilla FireFox which seems almost immune to rogue spyware, ad ware, and malware attacks. WinIFixer, once it hijacks your computer, will flood the entire system with popups, fake virus notifications and other fun computer glitches like messing up your web pages, screwing up your registries…you get the idea.
The worst thing has got to be the virus and malware notifications. WinIFixer will scan your computer and give you a list of files that it identifies as spyware/malware/ad-ware/frustrating ware…wait, that’s WinIFixer. It will then try to tell you to pay for and download the only thing that will fix your computer: WinIFixer. The only thing the fully licensed program will fix is a hurting on your wallet. This program is a scam, plain and simple.
You need to run a reliable anti-spyware program to find out if you’re been infected with WinIFixer or any other rogue program for that matter. Use something like SpyZooka – hey the button is right down there – to find out. Once you have confirmed infection, you will need to follow all the instructions given to you by whatever program you use to make sure you get all of the files removed from your computer. Once you have done this, make sure you run your anti-virus program and remove the viruses that are on your computer so that you can be sure your security is not compromised and another virus wiggles their way back onto your computer.
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- Jul 23 2008
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Has anyone noticed that the never-ending stream of rogue anti-spyware software is…well…never-ending? When are these guys just going to give up? When are they going to do something different with these rogues – not that we really want them to, but variety is the spice of life. Take, for example, today’s offering: FilesSecure, a clone of an older known rogue IEDefender.
FilesSecure has such as lovely name to it, doesn’t it? You can understand how users could be taken in by this little bugger. Everyone who uses a computer wants to make sure that their files are a secure, yes, but this program is definitely not recommended for that. This one infiltrates your system in the usual manner – piggyback on a Trojan, Spam, surfing virus – and then launches a scan every time you launch your computer.
Now, here’s the really sneaky thing about these rogue anti-spyware software. They do actually scan your computer. They do actually report SOME things that it finds on your computer that’s legitimately malicious and should be removed. The rest of the items that are contained in that little report they show you that now has you totally tripping out about are not real. Yes, they are real programs, but the files are usually pieces of other programs that need to be on your computer and are there legitimately. This is how these programs reel you in hook, line, and sinker in and attempt to get you to buy FilesSecure to clean up your system.
Another thing FilesSecure corrupts – other than the registry on the computer that allows it to just launch without your express permission – is you search pages. If you suddenly see ‘Warning! Your computer is infected!’ or similar wording popping up in boxes when you search on Google or some other engine, you have a problem. FilesSecure has also hijacked your Internet. Fun, huh?
All right, we know how it works. We know NOT to buy the licensed program. This is rule of thumb when it comes to computer viruses, ad ware, malware, and spyware. If you don’t know the program, don’t buy it. Research it first and save yourself some headaches. We know that at this point we need to use a legitimate anti-spyware program like SpyZooka to find all of the little bits and pieces of FilesSecure trial version that are on your computer.
First thing you need to do is put your computer in safe mode and run a full virus scan. That will help you eliminate the virus that FilesSecure may have come in on. Then you need run SpyZooka. It will give the list of files that need to be removed or quarantined and instruction on how to remove them.
A note of interest here: FilesSecure will show up in your ‘Add/Remove Programs’ menu as ‘Files Secure’. This Windows utility may remove the program from your system, but it does remove the whole thing and within a day or two, you’ll be infected again. You will have to use a full blown anti-spyware remover or delete each file listed by hand if you are computer savvy in order to properly clean your computer up from the mess FilesSecure has managed to make.
If you think you have FilesSecure on your computer, click on the green button below and let SpyZooka take a look.
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- Jul 22 2008
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There is nothing worse than a malware program that likes to ‘share’ its files with you. TopAntivirus is one of those duel purpose programs: it’s a rogue anti-spyware program and malware all rolled into one neat little package. Talk about your two for one deal. Unfortunately TopAntivirus needs to be at the bottom of anyone’s computer program pile.
TopAntivirus is usually found with the file name Malware.TopAntivirus when it is on your computer system. It loads all of its files onto your hard drive and then infiltrates all of your security settings so that it can update its files without needing your permission. It then creates a start-up key with the same name and launches itself into scan mode whenever you turn on your computer. It will be in your list processes and it is a pain in the hind end to get it to turn off.
Why is this thing on my computer?
TopAntivirus, like most rogue anti-spyware programs, found its way onto your computer through a Trojan virus – Zlob could be most likely culprit – spam mail, or attached to a website you were surfing on. If your security settings and anti-virus programs are not up to date, it probably slipped past all of the filters.
So, what will it do to my system?
For one thing, it will consistently pop a message up onto your computer system telling you that you are infected with malicious programs. It will go one step further and change your Internet surfing pages and computer wallpaper to this message. You will not be able to change them back to whatever you had them set to until you A: purchase the full license of the program, or B: remove the program from your computer system.
Should I buy TopAntivirus?
Absolutely not. The list of computer files that TopAntivirus presents you after infiltrating itself into your system is exaggerated, especially if you have an updated anti-virus program on your computer in addition to anti-spyware software. These rogue software programs finds obscure Windows files to list that most people wouldn’t recognize as legitimate files. There is a possibility that you don’t have any malicious programs on your computer except one: TopAntivirus. You do not need to purchase this program to get rid of malicious programs. This program will just rob you blind.
What do I then?
In order to determine whether or not you really are infected, use a legitimate anti-spyware software to scan your computer. SpyZooka is a very good program to use. Have the program remove the malicious software and then run a full virus scan to make sure you get the virus that TopAntivirus probably came in quarantined and removed as well.
Always make sure you have a legitimate and up to date anti-spyware software on your computer and run it on a regular basis. Just because the spyware, malware, and ad ware is not actively letting you know that it is there, it is and it could be communicating with a malicious third party or doing things in the background that will eventually cause your system to come to a screeching halt.
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