Windows 7 is not supported anymore

Back in 2009, Windows 7 was released as a work on the mistakes of Windows Vista. They were similar in interface and system requirements, but the newer version was way more optimised. This, together with not the great success of Windows 8/8.1 and the rapid growth of system requirements of Windows 10, made Windows 7 a prolific version even nowadays, in 2023. According to the Statcounter service, it still holds a share of around 10% of Windows users. That’s impressive compared to Windows 8/8.1, which cannot boast of a 5% share even in sum. It is also pretty close to the most modern Windows – 11, which holds ~15% of users.

This OS version became an optimal solution for weak systems that cannot get along with more modern versions. It lacks the newest features, like out-of-box compatibility with certain file formats, has no advanced security features, and has pretty poor support of SATA/PCIe SSDs. Nonetheless, it is perfectly compatible with new versions of WinAPI, hence there was no problem finding software. Moreover, all the aforementioned problems are quite easy to solve, as there are a lot of hand-made solutions available.

Cancelling any kind of support for Windows 7 was simply a question of time. The morning sun never lasts a day, and security support was already cancelled at the beginning of 2020. Maintaining old systems’ security aspects requires staff working on discovering possible breaches or working with reports. In some cases, that may be counterproductive – and it is crucial even for the trillion-dollar giant from Redmond.

What does Windows 7 ESU program cancellation mean for users?

Actually, not a lot. As we mentioned above, to the moment of complete support cancellation Windows 7 has already lost all security support. The Extended Security Update program meant receiving some critical updates and vulnerability fixes. With the latest changes, these critical fixes will never appear again as well. Windows users are now latched with the present OS bugs and vulnerabilities on their own. If they want to use it and care about their cybersecurity, they should take care of it by themselves.

From a more global perspective, that means a slow-but-steady write-off of Windows 7. That touches both developers and users. Microsoft’s decisions act as a psychological marker that shows if the system is actual or not. The one done by the company is in fact an indirect offer – update your hardware and system or be at risk. Not the most human practice, but having over 2 billion users from all over the world makes it hard to chief everybody.

For ones who don’t want to change the system for certain reasons, I may offer to try out GridinSoft Anti-Malware. One of the key features of this anti-malware software is its compatibility with a wide range of Windows versions, down to XP. It will launch and work perfectly on Windows 7, despite the fact of its support cancellation. Aside from continuous and regular updates, GridinSoft Anti-Malware can offer a very effective detection system that can detect even the most sophisticated malware. Consider trying it out to keep your Windows 7 system safe.

The post Windows 7 Extended Security Update Program cancelled appeared first on Gridinsoft Blog.

Healthy App – What is it?

Healthy is a small application for Windows that appears on the victims’ PC after some sort of deceptive promotions. In particular, it is sometimes advised as a widget with healthy advice. However, all this thing does on your PC is showing a shortcut in the tray. Clicking on it will open your by-default browser with the MSN Lifestyle page in it. Meanwhile, in the other browser window, it will open the page full of ads. Alternatively you will see the full-fledged banner that promotes a betting service or a dubious app or browser plugin.

Besides the intrusive advertisements the Healthy app shows to you, it also has several behaviour elements that make this app less than desired. For instance, it edits the registry entries that are responsible for low-level system security. That is the clear indication that it cannot be called benevolent. Usually, cybersecurity vendors mark the apps that violate the system security as unwanted. At this point, we can assume that this app is close to adware – the malicious application that makes money for its developers by deliberately showing the ads to the victims.

Is Healthy Adware dangerous?

It may be not so obvious, but adware is as dangerous as any other malware is. The fact that it does not expose your system to a direct danger does not mean it is safe. Banners it shows to you usually contain the offers that are far away from being legit. As you can guess, no well-known companies will agree to be advertised by cybercriminals. Hence, all of the ads Healthy Adware shows to you are scam.

Still, that is not all danger you can face while having this app running in the background. The aforementioned fact that it changes the registry key makes your system vulnerable for further malware injection. Additionally, it sporadically connects the IP addresses – 23[.]216[.]147[.]76 and 20[.]99[.]132[.]105. The developer does not claim that there is any telemetrics, hence, the data about your system and activities are transferred without your knowledge. That makes this application as dangerous as spyware.

What’s next?

Healthy Adware should be removed as soon as possible. Earning money on you through showing you unwanted ads is definitely not what you want. And even more unwanted is the hazard to get your identity stolen. Via getting your personal information, crooks form the digital footprint. Later, they or someone they’d sell this footprint to will trick it into the other cybercrimes. In the worst case scenario criminals can steal money from your banking cards. The less time you give the crooks for actions, the bigger your chances to get out from the situation without any bad consequences. Remove Healthy Adware with GridinSoft Anti-Malware – that program will make it in a minute, and will provide your PC a reliable shield against malicious programs.

The post Healthy App (HealthySoftware) – What is Healthy? appeared first on Gridinsoft Blog.

But among the simplified solutions, that offer only essential anti-malware functionality, it is also hard to make a decision. We recommend you to use GridinSoft Anti-Malware, and let me give you 15 reasons to choose it.

1. High detection rates

The most important quality of any anti-malware program is its ability to correctly detect and remove the hazards. It can have a bunch of other positives, but the main function is obliged to be as good as possible. And GridinSoft Anti-Malware shows perfect protection against a wide range of threats present in the wild. All kinds of adware, trojan viruses, malicious scripts and questionable programs – they shall not pass the security layer created by GridinSoft Anti-Malware. Such a high level of protection is available thanks to the advanced scanning system and diligent work of malware analysts, who upload the database updates as often as possible.

2. Advanced detection systems

GridinSoft Anti-Malware manages 3 different detection mechanisms – the “classic” database-backed detection, heuristic engine and neural network. The former does not need any introduction, since it is the alpha and omega of all antiviruses. But let’s have a closer look at heuristic and neural detection mechanisms.

3. High resource efficiency

PC performance is an object of concern of the vast majority of users. Installing any software that is about to run in the background means risking to have significant decrease of the PC speed. GridinSoft developers paid additional attention to that aspect, in order to make their program as resource-efficient as possible, even having your proactive features on. You will barely feel the impact of this program running in the background – it takes almost less than 1% of CPU power and ~300 MB RAM. Compared to things like Windows Defender, which consumes 5-10% of CPU and up to 1GB RAM, it is literally nothing.

4. Simple interface

Have you ever struggled with a huge number of tabs in the programs? Some of the antiviruses, especially ones that have a lot of unnecessary functions, have this problem. But GridinSoft Anti-Malware is the other story – it offers a clear interface with all important functions and information available at the glance. Functions and settings are logically divided on categories, corresponding to their purpose, and the detailed info (scan logs or update changelogs) is available in just several clicks.

5. Full-time support

Having problems on your PC? Think something is broken inside of your operating system? Struggle to make a decision in our program? Support specialists will help you to solve any case, at any moment of time. GridinSoft Anti-Malware licence features the 24/7 multilingual tech support, so you will definitely receive the proper answer. For tough cases, the manager can offer extended support – via the remote connection. Such an approach will definitely help you to solve the issue.

6. High compatibility

Even in 2022, people still use old operating systems for certain reasons. Some people don’t want to update because of the hardware requirements, some dislike the new appearance of the OS, and some users don’t want to lose the compatibility with the programs they use. GridinSoft Anti-Malware will perfectly fit all of these categories, offering the support for a wide range of Windows versions. It will successfully run on Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8/8.1, 10 and 11 – a timeline of more than 20 years of software development. And on any of these versions the security tool from GridinSoft will show an excellent efficiency.

Moreover, GridinSoft Anti-Malware also works perfectly with other antimalware and antivirus software. For people who want to have several security solutions running together, it will be a perfect addition. You will never see any detection conflicts, and the modest resource consumption will not interfere with the other programs’ efficiency.

7. Setup flexibility

Despite the easy-to-use interface, GridinSoft Anti-Malware offers a wide range of settings that will fit different users. Scanning schedule, use of heuristic rules during scans, ability to adjust the startup settings, and manage the active modules of the proactive protection – that will be enough to personalise the experience as much as possible. GridinSoft Anti-Malware is designed with an idea to give the users the right to choose the program mode it wants.

8. Reasonable price

Most of the antivirus solutions contain a huge amount of functions, which are about to be paid for regardless of the fact you use them or not. When it comes to GridinSoft Anti-Malware, you pay only for the functions you will definitely use – exactly, the genuine anti-malware software features. For an annual licence, you have to pay only $40 – or less, if you will use a discount that is available multiple times a year. You will not find the same functionality & efficiency combination for this money.

9. Nothing excessive

In the previous paragraph, we mentioned the services and features available in GridinSoft Anti-Malware. It does not feature keychain, additional traffic controlling or VPN service. In the developers’ opinion, users can decide if they want to use one, and must not obligatory pay for them. On the other hand, you receive a full bunch of various features that are really needed for the anti-malware software – a full-featured proactive protection, quarantine, and various tools for system recovery. Isn’t that a fair swap?

10. Constant database updates

The efficiency of anti-malware programs is measured by their detection quality. That is, exactly, the most important part of the program – low detection capabilities make it just a useless app. But even the most advanced detection databases & mechanisms are getting outdated with time, and their detection rates fall inexorably. New malware appears each day, and to retain the effectiveness, you should update the databases as often as possible. GridinSoft Anti-Malware receives database updates each hour, so even the most fresh malware will be taken into account pretty quickly.

11. Trial and Demo mode

Any purchase must be rated correspondingly, after weighting all pros and cons for yourself. That’s why trial mode in GridinSoft Anti-Malware makes it possible for you to test it from all aspects. 6 days of full functionality within the trial licence is enough to feel all qualities of this program, get familiar with the interface and have some real-world testing.

But even in the situation when you did not purchase the licence, you are still able to scan your device for threats in Demo mode. It is able to detect the malware, but cannot remove it, and lacks proactive protection features. This mode provides the testing capabilities as well – but can’t show you the real potential of GridinSoft Anti-Malware.

12. System applications repairing capabilities

Modern malware pretty often exploits the operating system vulnerabilities in order to conduct its activities. When it is removed, the touched system elements remain damaged, and it is very important to fix them. Contrary to the third party apps, that may be changed as well, modified system elements may cause errors and even system failure. GridinSoft Anti-Malware is able to effectively find and repair the system elements that were damaged by malware, saving you from manual recovery.

13. Browser reset functions

Nasty malware types that show us advertisements of different forms, like adware and browser hijackers, generally act through modifying your browser settings. They invade each web browser you have on your device, to show you the ads wherever you go. Even after removing viruses from your PC, your browsers will keep the changes made by malware. GridinSoft Anti-Malware has the ability to revert these changes in all browsers in a single click – thanks to the Reset Browser Settings function. A single click – and your browser is as good as new.

14. Multi-layer on-run protection

On-run protection, also known as proactive protection, is a very useful feature that controls the application activity on your computer. Each launch of the application and each opened folder are monitored by the anti-malware program. GridinSoft Anti-Malware checks-up processes and directories with a three-part system – databases, heuristics and neural network. Using all three systems makes it impossible to miss the malware – it will definitely be detected and defused, even if it was not active at the moment.

The On-Run Protection function in GridinSoft Anti-Malware can have two additional functions. Besides the basic scanning of all activities, it also can act as a network monitor, and removable devices scanner. The former will be very effective in blocking the unwanted websites, that may expose your PC to a hazard. Removable Device scanning is a function that checks all of the connected storage devices, both removable drives or USB flash drives. That will safeguard your computer from the intrusion from most of the typical malware spreading vectors.

15. Quarantine

Sometimes, neither the program nor the user is sure that the detected file is dangerous. To give the time gap and chance to choose, GridinSoft Anti-Malware features threat quarantine. That is, exactly, the separated area on the disk, where the blocked files are stored until the decision is made, or the 30-day term is expired. Items in Quarantine are impossible to launch and interact with the rest of the system, so even dangerous stuff does not put your system into a hazard.

Try out GridinSoft Anti-Malware

You have seen a lot of arguments that prove the efficiency and convenience of GridinSoft Anti-Malware. This security tool has great functionality for a reasonable price. The features this program has make it really superior to its contemporaries. Having a try of this application for 6 days will surely dot all the i’s. And the support managers will be glad to answer any of the questions regarding the program functionality.

The post 15 Reasons to Choose GridinSoft Anti-Malware appeared first on Gridinsoft Blog.

The commercial element makes the danger more tangible and serious. Let us list and describe the nastiest and most dangerous malware attacks in all areas likely to cause trouble in 2022.

#1. Attacks by Nation-State Threat Actors

Nation-state threat actors are the most dangerous cyber criminals on the Web. There are several reasons for thinking so. Nation-state hackers are professionals. They possess the best available technology. They work together with the countries’ secret services and can afford long-term preparations. They are legal in their own countries, and finally, they stake on stealth, so it is hard to detect them.

For example, the malware used by nation-state hackers recently discovered Pipedream is not targeting private computers. The aim of such attacks is industrial objects and programmable logic controllers on plants, factories, gasworks, etc.

These actors can also target banks or state registries. However, the most shocking news was the warning by the US authorities about Pipedream-armed hackers being ready to strike the electricity and natural gas supply facilities with the possibility of damaging real industrial objects.

#2. Clop Ransomware Attacks

Like any other ransomware, Clop encodes the targeted data files, making them inaccessible. Then the user finds a ransom note wherein racketeers tell where to send money (in the form of cryptocurrency) to get a decryption key. Clop ransomware is extremely dangerous as it works on most versions of Windows, highly evasive regarding security programs.

Note: Clop ransomware (sometimes stylized as “Cl0p”) has been one of the most prolific ransomware families in the last three years.

After the malware infiltrates the system, it gets escalated privileges and gains permission to alter and overwrite system files. Clop creates an entry in the Windows registry that broadens its capabilities.

Afterward, it sends data about the system right to the crooks. Clop then begins to scan the computer looking for files to encode. The target is images, videos, text documents, mp3, and other data files. The malware settings may vary, though.

Since Clop ransomware aims mainly at corporations, the range of ways it infiltrates the victim’s devices can probably be narrowed to links and attachments in messages and emails pretending to be sent by recognizable companies. Theoretically, ransomware can penetrate the system in many ways, though.

#3. Agent Tesla Malware Attacks

Agent Tesla is a highly elusive multifunctional malware complex combining features of spyware and stealers. It is an example of a harmful program that can be ordered as a service. That means Agent Tesla is a highly targeted weapon.

Agent Tesla is spyware that collects information about the actions of its victims by recording keystrokes and user interactions. On a special website that sells this malware, it is incorrectly positioned as legitimate software. Unpacking the final payload after the malware’s primary injection is a sophisticated process that involves steganography and unfolds in several stages. Such complexity allows Agent Tesla to avoid signature-based detection by security software.

The list of malicious functions of Agent Tesla is impressive: collecting and stealing device and system data, keylogging, screen capture, form-grabbing, stealing credentials, stealing browser data, etc.

#4. Ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS)

Ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) is not anything that substantially differs from the usual ransomware. What makes the difference is what happens behind the scenes. RaaS is a business model wherein one side provides the software and the infrastructure for paying the ransom (bitcoin wallet and technical support for victims). In contrast, the other side deals with delivering ransomware and provides the prey likely to fall victim to ransomware.

AS A FACT: I want to remind you that the introduction of ransomware is one of the most dangerous forms of cyberattacks. These include: Conti ransomware, Matrix ransomware, Makop ransomware, STOP/Djvu ransomware, etc.

RaaS does not guarantee the campaign’s success as it works just as usual in a software-as-a-service scheme. However, such a commercial attack is more likely to succeed because it is less random. The one who orders a service has a better approach to the victim, unlike a ransomware author trying to perform an attack by guesswork.

#5. AlienBot Malware Attacks

AlienBot malware is a password stealer targeting Android devices. It is a part of a malware-as-a-service scheme. AlienBot compromises legitimate banking applications, and although its primary goal is to harvest logins, passwords, banking credentials, and other fillable forms data, AlienBot provides criminals with a much broader range of possible malfeasance.

If Alienbot infiltrates the system, it lets criminals download any applications, backup data, control the device via TeamViewer, etc. .

Alienbot inhabited nine applications that crooks distributed via Google Play. This vulnerability has been fixed, and such a flagrant campaign is impossible with this malware. Nevertheless, users are still endangered if they carelessly follow dubious links and download unchecked applications onto their Android devices.

#6. Cryptojacking Malware Attacks

Cryptojacking is a state-of-the-art and relatively light type of attack. The already mentioned coin miners are a type of cryptojacking. However, we are talking now about a different case – when victims receive no malicious code on their computers.

Cryptojackers perform their attacks by luring users to click on banners and links, leading them to the script-wired web pages. The security software will not allow malicious scripts to run if the victim uses an antivirus program. It will simply block the dangerous webpage from opening.

However, if the victim has no protection – the enslaved processor will keep working for the sake of criminals until the end of the session. The crooks count on the massive quantities of people who will click this dangerous link.

#7. Social Engineering Attacks

Social engineering is an indispensable tool in a wide range of frauds aimed at fishing critical data such as logins and passwords for social media accounts from the victims without even employing malware. These campaigns are called phishing, and they most often use deceptive emails that make people think they are dealing with an actual company. Frauds disguise themselves as social media platforms, delivery services, banks, money transfer services, etc.

Phishing attacks are often combined with spoofing – the visual design of emails and fake websites that aims at the same goal – to make a person believe that the site they are viewing is what it tells it is.

Then the victim does not fear inputting their credentials in the signup form or any other trap. The login and password, or it might be the banking data or credit card details, go right to the crooks.

#8. Gameover ZeuS Virus

Zeus Gameover is a botnet that steals banking information from browsers by keylogging and form-grabbing executed by a Trojan. The main danger of malware attacks is its antivirus-evasion method.

NOTE: Often, botnets will launch a spam campaign on someone’s social media page or do it under someone’s YouTube video.

Unlike its predecessor, ZeuS, Zeus Gameover connects to its command and control servers via an encrypted peer-to-peer communication system. That makes the Trojan much harder to detect.

As the connection is established, besides stealing their victims’ credentials, hackers can control the system of the infected device up to installing and removing programs. Another menace comes from an extra function of Zeus Gameover – distribution of the Cryptolocker ransomware.

#9. Browser Hijacking

Browser hijackers are not a new phenomenon, but they are still active and dangerous throughout the web. The main characteristic of this type of malware is that it modifies the settings of the infected PCs’ web browsers. Usually, the user notices that the browser homepage and default search engine are suddenly changed. Other effects may vary.

A browser hijacker is a vehicle for the malicious payload, most likely spyware, adware, or both. Spyware collects data from the user and sends it to the threat actors. The consequences range from the data sold to third parties to identity theft and tangible harm.

Adware is a different thing – it throws pop-up banners with advertising right over webpages, opens unwanted pop-ups, and adds hyperlinks on webpages where they have not existed initially. It might seem that adware is comparatively harmless, but it is not so since any ad banner rendered by adware is also a menace.

Avoiding Virs Malware Attacks: Choosing a Security Solution

Modern security software is a must-have for today’s Internet users. Despite not being a panacea, for the malware is constantly transforming and antiviruses have to catch up, a decent security program protects its user from most malware specimens. GridinSoft Anti-Malware is a technically masterful and economically beneficial solution. It is a versatile program that can serve as a primary antivirus or an auxiliary scanning utility alongside another security system.

GridinSoft Anti-Malware features on-run defense (background protection,) Internet protection (blocks dangerous and warns about suspicious webpages) and deep scanning. The program is regularly updated, especially paying attention to the latest ransomware.The World Wide Web is not a hostile realm by itself, but any Internet user should be aware of the dangers lurking on the Net. If earlier harmful software was just fun for the hackers or vandalism in the worst case, today, malware attacks are a viable business model.

The commercial element makes the danger more tangible and more serious. Let us list and describe the nastiest and most dangerous malware attacks in all areas likely to cause trouble in 2022.

#1. Attacks by Nation-State Threat Actors

Nation-state threat actors are the most dangerous cyber criminals on the Web. There are several reasons for thinking so. Nation-state hackers are professionals. They possess the best available technology. They work together with the countries’ secret services and can afford long-term preparations. They are legal in their own countries, and finally, they stake on stealth, so it is hard to detect them.

For example, the malware used by nation-state hackers recently discovered Pipedream is not targeting private computers. The aim of such attacks is industrial objects and programmable logic controllers on plants, factories, gasworks, etc.

These actors can also target banks or various state registries. However, the most shocking news was the warning by the US authorities about Pipedream-armed hackers being ready to strike the electricity and natural gas supply facilities with the possibility of damaging real industrial objects.

#2. Clop Ransomware Attacks

Like any other ransomware, Clop encodes the targeted data files, making them inaccessible. Then the user finds a ransom note wherein racketeers tell where to send money (in the form of cryptocurrency) to get a decryption key. Clop ransomware is extremely dangerous as it works on most versions of Windows, highly evasive regarding security programs.

Note: Clop ransomware (sometimes stylized as “Cl0p”) has been one of the most prolific ransomware families in the last three years.

After the malware infiltrates the system, it gets escalated privileges and gains permission to alter and overwrite system files. Clop creates an entry in the Windows registry that broadens its capabilities.

Afterward, it sends data about the system right to the crooks. Clop then begins to scan the computer looking for files to encode. The target is images, videos, text documents, mp3, and other data files. The malware settings may vary, though.

Since Clop ransomware aims mainly at corporations, the range of ways it infiltrates the victim’s devices can probably be narrowed to links and attachments in messages and emails pretending to be sent by recognizable companies. Theoretically, ransomware can penetrate the system in many ways, though.

#3. Agent Tesla Malware Analysis

Agent Tesla is a highly elusive multifunctional malware complex combining features of spyware and stealers. It is an example of a harmful program that can be ordered as a service. That means Agent Tesla is a highly targeted weapon.

Agent Tesla is spyware that collects information about the actions of its victims by recording keystrokes and user interactions. On a special website that sells this malware, it is incorrectly positioned as legitimate software. Unpacking the final payload after the malware’s primary injection is a sophisticated process that involves steganography and unfolds in several stages. Such complexity allows Agent Tesla to avoid signature-based detection by security software.

The list of malicious functions of Agent Tesla is impressive: collecting and stealing device and system data, keylogging, screen capture, form-grabbing, stealing credentials, stealing browser data, etc.

#4. Ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS)

Ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) is not anything that substantially differs from the usual ransomware. What makes the difference is what happens behind the scenes. RaaS is a business model wherein one side provides the software and the infrastructure for paying the ransom (bitcoin wallet and technical support for victims). In contrast, the other side deals with delivering ransomware and provides the prey likely to fall victim to ransomware.

AS A FACT: I want to remind you that the introduction of ransomware is one of the most dangerous forms of cyberattacks. These include:Conti ransomware, Matrix ransomware, Makop ransomware,STOP/Djvu ransomware, etc.

RaaS does not guarantee the campaign’s success as it works just as usual in a software-as-a-service scheme. However, such a commercial attack is more likely to succeed because it is less random. The one who orders a service has a better approach to the victim, unlike a ransomware author trying to perform an attack by guesswork.

#5. AlienBot Malware

AlienBot malware is a password stealer targeting Android devices. It is a part of a malware-as-a-service scheme. AlienBot compromises legitimate banking applications, and although its primary goal is to harvest logins, passwords, banking credentials, and other fillable forms data, AlienBot provides criminals with a much broader range of possible malfeasance.

If Alienbot infiltrates the system, it lets criminals download any applications, backup data, control the device via TeamViewer, etc. .

Alienbot inhabited nine applications that crooks distributed via Google Play. This vulnerability has been fixed, and such a flagrant campaign is impossible with this malware. Nevertheless, users are still endangered if they carelessly follow dubious links and download unchecked applications onto their Android devices.

#6. Cryptojacking Malware

Cryptojacking is a state-of-the-art and relatively light type of attack. The already mentioned coin miners are a type of cryptojacking. However, we are talking now about a different case – when victims receive no malicious code on their computers.

Cryptojackers perform their attacks by luring users to click on banners and links, leading them to the script-wired web pages. The security software will not allow malicious scripts to run if the victim uses an antivirus program. It will simply block the dangerous webpage from opening.

However, if the victim has no protection – the enslaved processor will keep working for the sake of criminals until the end of the session. The crooks count on the massive quantities of people who will click this dangerous link.

#7. Social Engineering Attacks

Social engineering is an indispensable tool in a wide range of frauds aimed at fishing critical data such as logins and passwords for social media accounts from the victims without even employing malware. These campaigns are called phishing, and they most often use deceptive emails that make people think they are dealing with an actual company. Frauds disguise themselves as social media platforms, delivery services, banks, money transfer services, etc.

Phishing attacks are often combined with spoofing – the visual design of emails and fake websites that aims at the same goal – to make a person believe that the site they are viewing is what it tells it is.

Then the victim does not fear inputting their credentials in the signup form or any other trap. The login and password, or it might be the banking data or credit card details, go right to the crooks.

#8. Gameover ZeuS Virus

Zeus Gameover is a botnet that steals banking information from browsers by keylogging and form-grabbing executed by a Trojan. The main danger of this malware attacks is its antivirus-evasion method.

NOTE: Often, botnets will launch a spam campaign on someone’s social media page or do it under someone’s YouTube video.

Unlike its predecessor, ZeuS, Zeus Gameover connects to its command and control servers via an encrypted peer-to-peer communication system. That makes the Trojan much harder to detect.

As the connection is established, besides stealing their victims’ credentials, hackers can control the system of the infected device up to installing and removing programs. Another menace comes from an extra function of Zeus Gameover – distribution of the Cryptolocker ransomware.

#9. Browser Hijacking

Browser hijacker is not a new phenomenon, but they are still active and dangerous throughout the web. The main characteristic of this type of malware is that it modifies the settings of the infected PCs’ web browsers. Usually, the user notices that the browser homepage and default search engine are suddenly changed. Other effects may vary.

A browser hijacker is a vehicle for the malicious payload, most likely spyware, adware, or both. Spyware collects data from the user and sends it to the threat actors. The consequences range from the data sold to third parties to identity theft and tangible harm.

Adware is a different thing – it throws pop-up banners with advertising right over webpages, opens unwanted pop-ups, and adds hyperlinks on webpages where they have not existed initially. It might seem that adware is comparatively harmless, but it is not so since any ad banner rendered by adware is also a menace.

Avoiding Malware: Choosing a Security Solution

Modern security software is a must-have for today’s Internet users. Despite not being a panacea, for malware attacks are constantly transforming and antiviruses have to catch up, a decent security program protects its user from most malware specimens. GridinSoft Anti-Malware is a technically masterful and economically beneficial solution. It is a versatile program that can serve as a primary antivirus or an auxiliary scanning utility alongside another security system.

GridinSoft Anti-Malware features on-run defense (background protection,) Internet protection (blocks dangerous and warns about suspicious webpages) and deep scanning. The program is regularly updated, especially paying attention to the latest ransomware.

The post TOP 9 Malware Attacks: Compilation 2022 appeared first on Gridinsoft Blog.

*Before understanding how to avoid and neutralize, you need to understand how to decrypt ransomware and what it is.

Why Ransomware Protection Matters?

The problem of ransomware protection is pretty hot since more than a dozen ransomware groups target different categories of users. Each has different spreading ways, disguises, and toughness. Some of the ransomware¹ attacks may be decrypted due to the recklessness of its developers, some have design flaws that make the cipher decryptable with the simple brute force.

RECOMMENDATION: You can try the best ransomware protection tool – Gridinsoft Anti-malware. This anti-ransomware tool detects, removes, and prevents ransomware.

To avoid such reactions, we will show you how to protect yourself when you are an individual user and in the corporation, bearing on typical tricks they use. Moreover, we’ll also explain the working steps of protecting against ransomware.

Is Protect Against Ransomware Your PC Important?

First, let me explain why ransomware attack is such a bad omen. It is not only about making your data inaccessible. Several other malware types prevent the users from accessing the files. However, they did not get any significant spreading. Things like screen lockers, archiving, and shortcutting malware ceased to exist – not just because of a bad accident. That is why it is vital to find a good and working ransomware attack protection solution.

Ransomware (at least most) uses a tough cipher that makes it almost impossible to get your data back. Even if you use a modern quantum computer, you’ll probably spend several thousand years decrypting this cipher.

NOTE: The list of dangerous ransomware includes: avaddon ransomware², STOP/Djvu ransomware, lockBit ransomware³, makop⁴, etc.

But it is still not the only disaster – some ransomware samples carry spyware attacks together with their main payload and collect all credentials it can reach. Unfortunately, nobody (despite crooks on their own) can delete the stolen credentials. That is why it is important to find working solutions for best ransomware protection software to be armed.

At, file recovery after a ransomware attack is complicated if you are not going to pay the ransom. Modern ransomware variants can disable Volume Shadow Copies, OneDrive backups, and other popular backup methods. Crooks often scare the victims that any attempt at file recovery will lead to data loss.

They may also say that your data will be deleted if the ransom payment demand is unmet. While the first thing is partially true, the second is a complete lie – to scare you and force you to pay the ransom. However, dealing with the consequences of an attack is never a pleasant case. Let’s figure out how to prevent ransomware attacks.

You can explore some working tips to protect yourself from ransomware in the picture above.

Tips to Prevent Ransomware Attacks

The advice on how to stay secure depends on your environment. Crooks will apply different approaches to attack the individual user or company employee. Even when you are working from home on your personal computer, you will be attacked differently when crooks aim at your PC and the whole company.

1. Don’t use dubious/untrustworthy sources of software, films and other risky stuff. Around 90% of ransomware cases are accounted for by the use of third-party sites to get the program or film they want without paying a penny.
2. Remember – the only thing for free is a piece of cheese in a mouse trap. Major players of the ransomware market, such as STOP/Djvu, even create their one-day sites that mimic the forums with hacked software or pages with new films to download for free. Torrent trackings that are spread through these sites contain a payload that executes as soon as the downloading is over.
3. Don’t open email attachments from unknown senders. Crooks will try to mask their email addresses to look legitimate, but an attentive look at them will show you the truth.
4. If you are not sure if the email from Amazon you’ve received is a real one, don’t be lazy to check the list of real Amazon support/delivery email addresses. And don’t be naive – no one will offer you to get a prize for a lottery you never took part in.
5. Be careful with software you’ve found on the forums or social networks. Not all of them are dangerous, and not all of the dangerous ones carry ransomware. But still, using such programs is like buying drinks in a dirty doorway.
6. You never know if it is good or counterfeit, but you definitely know who to blame for your heavy hangover the next day. This spreading way is rare but must not be crossed out, especially considering the high trust in such apps.

Tips to Prevent Ransomware Injection in Corporation

These tips will be useful for both administrators and employees who have to deal with potential attack surfaces. Generally, attacks on companies are committed with specific methods and ones that repeat the attack vectors on individuals. Thus, you may see the things that are common in both situations.

• Use the protected RDP connection. RDP brute force attacks are one of the most widespread attack vectors. They are used to deploy ransomware, spyware, advanced persistent threats, and only God knows what else.
• Controlling this moment is essential; it will be ideal if system administrators will set all RDPs by their own – to prevent any wrong moves. Brute forcing the RDP connection is available only when the ports used to establish the connection are not secure. Unfortunately, these ports are used by default, so inexperienced users who set up the RDP for the first time will likely choose them
• Cluster the internal corporate network. Most companies have all the computers connected to a single local network inside a single office. Such a step eases the management but makes it much easier to infect. When there are 4-5 pieces, each of them controlled by a separate administrator PC, and only then – by the domain controller, hackers will likely fail to make it through.

Sure, one segment of this network will likely be down, but all others will be OK, and your office will not be idle, having any ability to use the computers.

The picture above shows tips and ransomware prevention best practices that can help.

• Apply the 2FA for logging into all vulnerable places. To extend their presence in the infected network, attackers try to steal credentials or brute force all places that may be used to spread the malware in the network. Their final target is the domain controller – the computer which handles the whole network and has access to the servers. Its protection must be as high as possible.
• Initiate regular password changes among the personnel. Some known attacks happened after the password leak from one of the networks. Besides that, advanced attacks may last for several months – and suddenly changed passwords will confuse their cards.
  So changing the passwords on the internal accounts is about to happen each 4-6 weeks. It may look like it too often, but believe me – that’s worth it.

As a post scriptum, I want to recommend avoiding some common passwords – “qwerty,” “12345”, or something like that. The success of brute forcing particularly bears upon such easy passwords. Even the cheapest (or free) password databases for brute forcing contain them. Use strong passwords so that they cannot be cracked – this is one of the main the key to success.

* PLEASE NOTE: Another widespread mistake is adding some personal information to the passwords. Your or your spouse’s birth date, the name of your pet, and the date you joined the company are all effortless to figure out with open-source intelligence. Keep that in mind when creating such an important thing!

Show the employees how to distinguish the counterfeited email. While individuals rarely fall victim to email scams, companies are the primary targets of such an event.

*Cybercriminals are not lazy to create some ingenious disguise for their emails. They may mimic the requests to your tech support, offers from other companies, notifications about the bills the company needs to pay, and so on. There is nothing dangerous in seeing the exact message, but any links in it and attached files expose you to potential danger.

It is better to avoid interacting with them at all, but if it may inflate your working process, check the sender’s address meticulously. Companies’ officials never text you from personal email addresses and never contact you.

*I WANT TO REMIND: it is essential to choose the best ransomware protection solution for yourself to protect yourself and your PC. After studying the necessary materials and research, you protect your PC from adware, spyware, ransomware, and other threats.

The best anti-ransomware protection is possible when you have constant database updates and, more importantly, proper proactive protection. These two things will already give you a pretty high protection ratio.
Nonetheless, the problems of most of the mass-market antiviruses don’t disappear: they still may overload your CPU/RAM, as well as scatter your privacy by sending a lot of telemetrics.

That’s why I’d recommend you the one that does not have both of those disadvantages – Gridinsoft Anti-Malware. Its databases are updated every hour, and the overall CPU and RAM consumption is low enough to fit even the weakest systems.

Proactive protection, based simultaneously on heuristic engine and neural network, will make your device much more protected from most of the malware types.

The post The Best Ransomware Protection – Steps to Help appeared first on Gridinsoft Blog.

Many people don’t realize it but using public Wi-Fi puts you at a great risk of losing confidentiality of your data and many other unpleasant consequences of poor cyber hygiene. A wireless access point (WAP) or just access point (AP) allows you to connect as many as possible wifi devices to a wired network.

The danger comes from within. In all public places like hotel rooms, public transport, libraries, coffee shops, restaurants, airports, shopping malls, etc. often lack some important security measures. And we are not talking here only about passwords. 

Why is Public Wi-Fi Insecure?

The public Wi-Fi network can be considered insecure for several reasons that can lead to further compromise of your device and data. Any public wifi will surely have some of them that you should be aware of in order to have some countermeasures already prepared in case you would need to use a public wifi network. You also would not necessarily have some of them immediately but rather when there’s one then here comes the another. Using tips and tricks you will be able to protect yourself and use public Wi-Fi safely. To be short, here are the reasons why it is important to secure your Wi-Fi network:

1. Theft of personal information. If you get hacked on any public wifi network the most serious loss could be of your personal info including banking logins, social security number, etc. Once a threat actor manages to obtain some of them they can infer further damage to you.
2. Potential cyberattacks. We mean here the risk of getting malware that depending on the nature of it can also bring no less “pleasant” consequences. It can be something like an infostealer or trojan but sometimes other interesting representatives of this specific fauna.
3. Unencrypted connection. Some websites have unencrypted connections that puts a user on the public wifi to significant risk.
4. You don’t control network network security settings. You have not set up passwords and also don`t know if there`s encryption in place.
5. Outdated router software. If it’s outdated then there’s a huge amount of exploits for anyone willing to go after your device and data.
6. Misconfigured Wi-Fi routers. Configuration means setting general wifi router settings like LAN (Local Area Network) Setting, DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) Setting, WAN (Wide Area Network) Setting, etc. For those threat actors who would know how to exploit any of the security breaches in one of these elements, misconfiguration of them gives an excellent try.

IMPORTANT: The Emotet Trojan tries to spread through available Wi-Fi networks¹. Once it finds an available network, Emotet tries to guess the credentials to access it. If the attempt is successful, the malware searches the new network for all Windows machines that might also be infected.

Hackers Can Use Public Wi-Fi

How to use Wi-Fi for free and keep your data private² is a very important topic to research. If you are intrested how exactly you can get hacked while using public wifi then it`s the next “challenge” for threat actors:

• You can get your session hijacked. During a session between your computer and some website an attacker can intercept the connection and pretend to be on the backend of the website you were connecting to. Because you’ve already logged in the attacker can have all the access, for example, to your banking account.
• You can get infected with a malware³. If you use public wifi you put yourself at a risk of a malware infection. It can be ads on the websites you visit that usually don’t have ads or it can be a much more serious threat like some info stealer.
• You can have your packet sniffed. It may sound funny but actually it’s not as funny as you’d think. In simple words anyone that is on the same connection as you can view what you are transmitting over the wifi network. Of course it’s possible if the connection is unencrypted, which in most cases is true for the public wifis.
• You can become victim of a Man-In-The-Middle Attack. When conducting this type of an attack the threat actor will set their own hotspot similar to the one, for example, of a hotel you`re currently staying in. The hotel named their wifi WellSleep but the attacker`s could be named WellSleap. Everything you will do while connecting to this fake public wifi will be on the attacker`s computer like login information,personal info, passwords, etc. Pay attention to this so that you can use public Wi-Fi safely and without threats.

Protect Your Information: Use Public Wi-Fi Safely

We’d say it’s better to use your own smartphone as a hotspot but if it can`t  be an option then a user should stick to some security measures to have safe and secure usage of public wifi. In all their bad light public wifis can sometimes really help you when you urgently need to connect to some website or just check the currently needed information. Don`t forget to use them every time you decide to connect to any public Wi-fi in a hotel or airport:

1) Use Antivirus. The most basic thing of today`s cyber hygiene. Use a special antivirus solution to protect your device in case of a malware cyber attack. Also don’t forget to check if you will be running the latest version of an antivirus solution. Set an alert for any future malware encroaching on your device`s safety and security. One of the profitable and working methods is Gridinsoft Anti-malware.

2) Also use a firewall. Firewall doesn’t allow any external threats to come to your system. It can be considered a complete protection but having one on the security guard of your device won’t be a waste of time and effort. You already have the inbuilt firewall in your system just go to check if it’s enabled or not. This is one of the recommendations that will help you use public Wi-Fi safely.  

3) Use HTTPS.  If you don’t use VPN then it’s very important for you to look only for those sites that have the encryption in place. The encryption means that the connection between the web server and browser is secured and no one except you can access the shared data. Most browsers will have a padlock to show that the connection on this website is secured.

4) Use  Virtual Private Network.  A VPN (Virtual Private Network) allows you anonymously to surf through the internet without anyone knowing your actual location. The tool also helps you to encrypt your data traffic so when you are using an unencrypted connection on some website your data will be secured. It creates a protected tunnel that your data will be passing through making it unobtainable by threat actors. Using a VPN will help you use public Wi-Fi safely and without threats to your personal data. 

5) Verify public wifi network,  configure it and turn off sharing option. Before you connect to any public wifi network go and ask for the right name for it. Check with an employee if that is the right wifi hotspot you are looking for. If you have this set then put the important for your safety security settings like disable sharing file option, right after you are done working with the public wifi network put the optin forget it so you won’t be automatically connecting to it once you will come to the place again. 

6) Don’t access or send any sensitive data. To be hundred percent sure your highly sensitive data won’t get exposed while you are using a public wifi network it will be better not to work with it at all. Simply because you don`t know for sure if the apps you are using don’t have any flaws themselves that will allow threat actors to access your sensitive data. 

7) Use 2-Factor Authentication. In case a threat actor will manage somehow to obtain your login information they still could not use it. Because in this security method apart from entering your login information you will also have to enter a code sent to your phone to additionally check your identity. Any website that deals with highly sensitive information will have this one that works as a secondary authentication method.

8) Pay attention to any warnings arisen. Always attend to any notifications that will appear on your phone as they might indicate the compromise of your device, let it be fake notifications created by malware or the actual system alert. The same goes for the websites because most browsers will warn before you proceed to the website you want to visit. Don’t just be careless and instead be your own first security guard. 

8) Install browser add-ons or plug-ins that will help you to boost the security. You can use special add-ons in your browser to help you with the encryption of website connection. For example in the Firefox browser you can install HTTPS-Everywhere and Force-TLS that makes the browser apply the encryption on popular websites that don’t have it. But they do not work on every website so you still have to look for the padlock in the address bar. 

The post How To Use Public Wi-Fi Safely: Risks To Watch Out For appeared first on Gridinsoft Blog.

What is Computer Viruses & Why is it Dangerous?

A computer virus is a type of computer program that when executed modifies the other existing programs. What it does is that it replicates itself and inserts its own code. The areas of the program affected in such a way by the malicious program are said to be infected.

Some computer viruses can steal your data, alter it or encrypt it to demand a ransom for it. The other kinds of malicious programs like cryptominers render your machine completely unusable. Not to mention that there exist quite an aggressive form of malware who once gets on the machine completely destroys the data with no recovery possible.

IMPORTANT FACT: Malware is a term for any type of computer software with malicious intent that does great harm to your PC. Among the most dangerous are: Coin miner, browser hijackers, adware, spyware, etc.

How to Detect a Computer Virus: Pay Attention

Despite the myriad of computer viruses existing out there in the world you will know when you get infected with some of them. Because in case of a computer infection everything that doesn’t work properly may hint at it. But more precisely it is the following:

• Browser lags or makes unwanted redirects;
• You noticed that from your account has been sent emails that you clearly remember you didn`t write and send;
• You also noticed that the hard drive seems to be working overly when you even don’t do that much;
• New applications (toolbars, etc.) appeared without you actually downloading them;
• Unexpected pop-up windows started to annoy you increasingly;
• The system began frequently to crash and message error;
• You started to have missing files;
• You also started to have shutting down or restarting system;
• Your computer performance significantly slows down ( It takes to much time to start up or open programs;
• Antivirus programs or firewalls don’t work or work problematic.

Prevent Computer Viruses: Useful Tips

Of course the old rule says it’s better to prevent a problem than deal with it. In case of computer safety and security the same rule also applies. The bad security hygiene makes the way for the various kinds of viruses to infect your computer and interfere with its work. For the responsible user, cyber security hygiene is one of the top priorities if not the first. Make yourself a note to always keep up to the next points:

#1. Have additional security solutions. Apart from having your main antivirus and firewall, consider buying another antivirus or firewall. Just in case the main security solution fails you will always have the backup of your security tools;

#2. Make it a habit to do regular backups of all important data you have on your computer. You can store it securely in the cloud or on the hard drive. In case of a compromise you won’t get your data completely lost;

#3. Use a firewall. If you have some antivirus solution it doesn’t necessarily mean you have a firewall. But both PCs and Macs have pre installed firewall software so make sure you have that activated on your computer;

#4. Use antivirus software. There’s not that much to say that`s basically the most essential thing in your cybersecurity. Don`t leave yourself without  an antivirus solution at all.

#5. Use strong passwords. Strong password will consist of symbols, letters, numbers and is at least eight characters long. And don`t reuse your username and password because once a hacker obtains them they can access all your accounts you have the same username and password on.

#5. Keep Everything Up to Date. Just saying, if you have the latest version of the software it means you have a little possible percentage of being hacked. Companies like Oracle and Microsoft regularly do their updates in order to eliminate the bugs that hackers have been already exploiting.

To show an example: If you have bought your operating system like 3 years ago it can be vulnerable against any new viruses developed in this age gap.

How to Remove a Virus: Check for Viruses On PC

So if you suspect that you have a virus on the computer take the steps below immediately to remove the threat:

1. Update your antivirus. Before you do a scan check if your antivirus solution has the latest update. Software vendors regularly do the updates adding to the list new discovered in the wild or in lab threats. If you have not done it yet your antivirus solution may not detect the virus that has infected the computer.
2. Disconnect from the internet. It will be a good idea to disconnect your computer from the internet as some viruses use the connection to do its malicious work. Once you have done it you can proceed further.
3. Do the reboot of your computer into safe mode. In the safe mode you can remove the virus without it returning again. Because in some cases malware tends to return. But this mode leaves only the essential programs to work while disabling all others and of course it will stop the virus.
4. Delete any temporary files. Some viruses initiate when your computer boots up. You may get rid of the virus if you delete the temporary file. But the advice will be not to rely on the deletion and proceed further to have the full proper deletion process.
5. Delete or quarantine the virus. After a scan is finished you can delete or quarantine the found file. Having done the step, run another scan to make  sure there’s no malware left.
6. Reboot your computer. Simply turn your computer on. It doesn’t need to be in Safe Mode any longer.
7. Change all your passwords. If you fear that your passwords may have been compromised, change on all accounts the passwords.
8. Update your software, browser and operating system. By doing so you will ensure that hackers could not exploit the same vulnerability again.

Types of Computer Viruses: What Users Should Beware of

Out of the variety of viruses there are some most common ones. The possibility that it’s this particular virus has got onto your machine is very high. Because they are widely spread it won’t take too much effort to get rid of one of them.  But don’t underestimate them the sooner you detect a virus and erase it the better. So once you know the cause of the problem it should be the matter of time to successfully deal with it:

1. Trojan Virus. At first site a seemingly legitimate looking program but once on the victim’s machine will secretly do its primary job to steal, disrupt or damage the user`s data or network. Trojan can’t replicate itself. A victim should start the execution of it.
2. MedusaLocker virus. A malicious software that is classified as ransomware. It encrypts files and keeps them locked until the ransom is paid. All the encrypted files receive “.encrypted” extension.
3. Macro Virus. A computer virus written in the same macro language as Word or Microsoft Excel. It works with these software applications and doesn’t depend on what OS the victim has. If a macro virus infects a file it can also damage other applications and the system.
4. Resident Virus. A kind of computer virus that hides in memory and from it can infect any program it has been tasked to infect. It loads its replication module into memory that’s why it doesn’t need to be executed to do the work. It activates every time the operating system loads or does a specific function.
5. Multipartite Virus. This virus infects the boot sector and executable files simultaneously. Most viruses infect only one thing either the boot, system or program files. Because of such a double functionality the virus causes much more damage than any other.
6. Browser Hijacker. A malicious software that will change browser`s settings, appearance and its behavior. Browser hijacker creates revenue by dircting users to different websites and constantly showing pop up windows forcing users to click. Apart from such “innocent” things the virus can also collect the victim`s data or do the keystroke logging. Remove it as soon as you notice any changes you didn’t actually remember to make to your browser.

Find The Best Computer Wirus Protection

It won’t be wrong to say that any antivirus protection is still protection. But of course the question is how good that protection is. The best thing to do in order to know which antivirus software has the quality of protection is simply to try it out.

In this way you will see the work of the product in action and will decide for yourself if what this or that antivirus software vendor proposes is enough for your needs.

The search for the ideal antivirus solution won’t be hard if you know what the thing should do. The antivirus solution searches, detects and removes the malware. It’s the basic three-part system of any program that calls itself an antivirus solution. Additionally, most antivirus software have the feature of removing or quarantining the offending malware. Also an antivirus solution works on two principles: either way it scans the programs upon their uploading or checks those already existing.

Now that you’ve secured yourself with knowledge, try to secure your computer with Gridinsoft Anti-Malware. Not a bad start in testing out the various antivirus solutions in the search for that special one. 

The post Warning Signs That Your Computer Is Infected: Does Your Computer Have Viruses appeared first on Gridinsoft Blog.