Tag: malware

Antivirus Software is a Potential Preventative Measure, Not a Cure

This might polarise the audience a bit but I just wanted to expand on my thoughts in this earlier article. In that article, I noted the only 100% effective solution to cure an infected computer is to format and reinstall or restore from a known good backup. Today, I tried and tried unsuccessfully to eradicate a trojan from …

Continue reading

Upcoming Beta of Microsoft Security Essentials

Looks like Microsoft are prepping a new major release of the popular Security Essentials package by enlisting a stack of beta testers prior to the final version going out. Amongst existing features, it’s expected that new feature will include automatic malware removal (removing the requirement for user interaction) plus enhanced performance and protection capabilities. At …

Continue reading

Recover Heavily Infected Computers with Microsoft Standaline System Sweeper

Here’s a quick tip for tonight. Microsoft has quietly developed a tool for use in situations where a computer just won’t start due to the number and/or severity of infections riddling it. Microsoft Standalone System Sweeper (MSSS) is not a replacement for a traditional antivirus which is designed continuously in the background checking for nasty …

Continue reading

Microsoft Releases a New Portable Antivirus

Microsoft Safety Scanner - Scan Results Screen

Sometimes it can be hard getting an antivirus to install on an infected machine especially when malware is making it difficult to use an internet connection. I have covered other tools such as MalwareBytes in the past but I thought a new tool released by Microsoft was worth a mention. The Microsoft Safety Scanner is …

Continue reading

Diagnose Dataflow Problems: Potential Issues on the Local Computer

Leading on from the last couple of posts outlining how to do a ping test and a traceroute to attempt to troubleshoot dataflow issues there are also some other things to look out for as common offenders on your own computer. These may or may not apply in all situations nor is this an exhaustive …

Continue reading

Beware of Cold Calls Regarding Computer Security

These days, it can be hard to tell who are the good guys and who are the bad guys and all it takes is one time to let your guard down and it’s game over. Unknown to a lot of people, there has been a scam going on for a while regarding people posing as …

Continue reading

Manage Internet Access with OpenDNS

These days, parents and small businesses can find it difficult to make sure internet access is being used responsibly not to mention the potential security implications for visiting unknown websites on a frequent basis. The incumbent Federal Government put its web filter strategy on ice in the lead up to the election and still appears …

Continue reading

When All Else Fails, Use Malwarebytes

Today, a work colleague and friend of mine had an issue with her computer being overcome by a nasty piece of malware formally known as PolyCrypt and commonly disguised as “Security Master AV” (which looks a lot like the Windows Security Centre). The computer was still operational and remote accessible via LogMeIn (which I have …

Continue reading