What is a Security Breach?

First of all, let’s have a look at the definitions. A security breach is when an intruder bypasses security mechanisms and gets access to data, apps, networks, or devices. Despite their close relations, there’s a difference between security breaches and data breaches. A security breach is more about getting access as such – like breaking into someone’s house. On the other hand, the data breach results from a security breach – as the latter may aim at tasks other than leaking data. It is instead a specific consequence of security breaches.

What are the types of Security Breaches?

Threat actors may create a security breach in different ways, depending on their victim and intentions. Here are the three most important ones.

1. Malware injection

Cybercriminals often employ malicious software to infiltrate protected systems. Viruses, spyware, and other malicious software are transmitted via email or downloaded from the Internet. For instance, you might receive an email that contains an attachment – generally, an MS Office document. Moreover opening that file can end up infecting your PC. You may also download a malicious program from the Internet without any tricky approaches. Often hackers will target your computer to get money and steal your data, which they can sell on the Darknet or other appropriate places.

2. Man-in-the-Middle-attack

As the name says, the assailant’s route is in the middle. Now we’ll determine what it means. Also hacker can intercept communications between two parties, which results in one party receiving a false message, or the entire communication log may be compromised. Such an attack is often carried out due to hacked network equipment, such as a router. However, some malware examples may fit that purpose as well.

3. Insider threat

Insider threat is the danger of a person from within the company using their position to utilize their authorized access to commit a cybercrime. This harm can include malicious, negligent, or accidental actions that negatively affect the organization’s security, confidentiality, or availability. Other stakeholders may find this general definition more appropriate and valuable to their organization. CISA defines an insider threat as the danger that an insider will knowingly or unknowingly misuse his authorized access. It does so to harm the department’s mission, resources, personnel, facilities, information, equipment, networks, or systems. This danger can be manifested through the following behaviors of insiders:

• Corruption, including participation in transnational organized crime
• Terrorism
• Sabotage
• Unauthorized disclosure of information

4. Advanced persistent threat

An advanced persistent threat is a persistent cyberattack that employs advanced tactics to remain undetected in a network for an extended time to steal information. An APT attack is meticulously planned and executed to infiltrate a specific organization, circumvent existing security measures and remain undetected. Also APT attacks are more complex and require more advanced planning than traditional cyberattacks. Adversaries are typically well-funded, experienced teams of cybercriminals that target organizations with a high value. They’ve devoted significant time and resources to investigating and identifying vulnerabilities within the organization.

Examples of Security Breaches

Recent high-profile breaches include:

• Facebook: In 2021, the personal information of over half a billion Facebook users was leaked, including phone numbers, dates of birth, locations, email addresses, and more. As a result, the attack was a zero-day exploit that allowed hackers to harvest a large amount of data from the company’s servers.
• Equifax: In 2017, the US credit bureau Equifax experienced a security breach via a third-party software vulnerability that was similar to the EternalBlue exploit. Fraudsters gained access to the personal information of over 160 million people; this is considered one of the most significant identity theft cyber crimes to date.
• Yahoo!: In 2016, 200 million Yahoo users were active. A schedule of usernames and passwords for Amazon accounts posted for sale on the dark web. Yahoo! The company blamed the breach on “state-sponsored hackers,” who could manipulate cookie data to gain access to user accounts.
• eBay: In 2014, it experienced a severe security breach resulting in the widespread disclosure of personal information.

How to help Protect yourself from a Security Breach

Monitor your accounts and devices

After a security incident, closely monitor your accounts and devices for any unusual activity. If one is present, ask the site administrator to suspend your account and help prevent the threat actor from accessing it.

Change your passwords

Choose complex passwords on all devices that need configuring. Ensure that you pay special attention to routers and utilize public Wi-Fi. Remember to update your password frequently. The password must include all upper and lower case letters, numbers, and special characters.

Contact your financial institution

Contact your bank immediately to prevent fraudulent transactions if your credit card or other financial information is compromised. They can tell you what the problem is and how to fix it. Sometimes, it may take time to resolve issues with your card. The best thing to do in these cases is to block your card so that fraudsters can’t withdraw money from it.

Perform an antivirus scan

If someone has gained access to your computer or home network, they may be infected with malware. Use a reliable antivirus software to identify and remove any threats that may be present. Run an initial scan to determine if your computer has any issues or bugs. Depending on the scan you run, it may take time for the scan to complete. The default is to run a quick scan. The standard scan is recommended, but it takes longer.

Report the incident to the appropriate authorities

Contact your local law enforcement agency if you’ve been the victim of identity theft or fraud. They will assist you in the necessary steps to regain control over your accounts.

You should know that avoiding any attack is possible if you take the proper steps to protect yourself. This requires creating strong passwords, using two-factor authentication, and keeping track of your credentials with a strong password manager.

Good digital hygiene also includes using comprehensive security and privacy software to prevent threats from infiltrating your devices and protecting your data. This makes it harder for hackers to enter your device, get your data, and sell it on third-party paywalls.

The post Security Breach appeared first on Gridinsoft Blog.

What Does a Factory Reset Do?

Factory reset means a complete removal of all information on your device and restoring the software to its original state (as it was from the factory). No matter what type of device you use, phone or laptop, your apps, photos, videos, and other information will disappear. But all applications that the manufacturer has installed will be restored. The list of electronic devices on which it is possible to reset settings includes printers, TVs, GPS devices, etc.

Why would you do a factory reset?

Actually, reset option is needed to solve different tasks. System issues, selling your computer or the need to wipe out the information on your disk – you can complete this list with a dozen of personal reasons. Here is the explanation for some of them:

Device sale. It would be logical to do that before giving or selling your device to someone. You can back up all data and safely delete it. This way, you will protect the integrity of your privacy.

Device performance improvement. You can use the reset settings if your device has become defective to perform tasks and loads some functions slowly. But this should be done only in case of emergency and only after you try to do the cleaning manually. If, after this action, the problem will be in the hard drive or the OS, then take extreme measures.

Malware on the device. When performing a cyberattack, hackers carefully hide their presence on the user’s device. Therefore, it will be difficult for ordinary users to trace and remove viruses. For example, if you notice that the windows on your desktop open themselves, the PC is heated without any reason; it may be a sign of a virus activity on your device. Resetting your settings may help you remove them.

How Do Some Viruses Survive Factory Resets?

As we have already mentioned above, intruders carefully approach the malware distribution issue. Because some viruses manage to survive after resetting their settings, read below how this happens.

1. Your backup is infected

If your device is infected, it’s likely that the backup of all the data will also be infected. In that case, you should be more careful. Before moving all data from the backup to recover the wiped system, check it for malware. Otherwise, it can cause repeated problems for your OS, data, and everything else.

2. The malware is on your recovery partition

The factory settings of your device are stored on the hard drive. In some cases, malware may inject its code into these settings, leading to its recovery even after the PC was reset. That could be some addings to the config files that force your PC to connect to the malware command server, and retrieve the virus back.

3. You might have a bootloader virus

A bootloader virus aims to gain deep access to your computer. Such malware aims at leaving the anchors not only in your operating system, but also in the BIOS/UEFI – the firmware of your motherboard. In such a case, a factory reset will not help you unless you reset your motherboard – which requires way more careful and time-consuming approach.

4. Other devices in your network are infected

Check all devices that connect to your target device for malware. Since malware can infect additional devices (such as a printer) without your knowledge, you can infect your PC when you reconnect to it. This will happen regardless of whether you reset your settings or not.

Prevention is better than cure

Resetting settings is useful if your PC needs a reboot after an attack. But using it to destroy malware or viruses is a last resort. After all, there are several rules by which you can avoid infecting your device. Here are some of them:

• Stay up to date on all the latest fraud and cybersecurity threats
• Create strong passwords for your accounts
• Constantly update your operating system and applications that require it
• Save backups of your files and other important information
• Install antivirus software that will not only scan your traffic, but also protect you from unwanted malware.

GridinSoft Anti-Malware Protection 2022

Previously, we mentioned that reset settings could not permanently rid you of unwanted malware. To avoid this, you can use reliable protection from GridinSoft Anti-Malware. This protection is designed to detect and remove all types of malware and viruses, such as spyware, adware, trojans, rootkits, and others. It will carefully scan everything that comes to your PC and monitor your activity on the network. This program works with other antivirus programs and as additional antivirus software.

The post Does a Factory Reset Get Rid of Viruses? appeared first on Gridinsoft Blog.

On November 11, 1983, the first virus was written, which ushered in a new era of dangerous programs for computers. An American student at the University of Southern California, Fred Cohen, wrote a program that demonstrated the ability to infect a computer at a virus reproduction rate of 5 minutes to 1 hour.

The first non-lab virus, called “Brain,” capable of infecting only floppy disks, appeared in January 1986 and was of Pakistani origin. And the first antivirus program was developed in 1988. The following year, Cohen wrote a paper in which he anticipated the dangers of viruses spreading through computer networks and talked about the possibility of creating antivirus programs. Let us remember which viruses were the most destructive in the short history of computer networks.

MyDoom virus

The first version of the worm, MyDoom, appeared on January 26, 2004, and was distributed via e-mail and peer-to-peer networks. The program was written in C++. It created a backdoor (a flaw in the algorithm deliberately put there by the programmer) in the victim’s operating system and triggered a denial of service (DDoS) mechanism. Within a very short time the worm had invaded the Internet, and in 2004 about 16 – 25% of all e-mails were infected with MyDoom. The worm’s host file weighs only a few tens of kilobytes and contains the following line: “sync-1.01; andy; I’m just doing my job, nothing personal, sorry.” When infected, the worm modifies the operating system, blocking access to sites of antivirus companies, news feeds, and various sections of the Microsoft portal. It attacked DDoS in February of the same year.

In 2011, McAfee recognized MyDoom as the most “expensive” malware in history: losses associated with infection by the virus due to major spam campaigns ultimately amounted to $38 billion. Researchers note that MyDoom is entirely self-sufficient and autonomous. The worm can spread forever if people keep opening email attachments.

CryptoLocker

Ransomware appeared in September 2013. The virus was spread via email. Once the user opened the email, a program attached to it automatically launched and encrypted all the files on the PC. To restore access to the files, the victim had to pay a not-insignificant sum in bitcoins. After paying, the user should have received a private key to restore access to the files. However, people did not know that once infected, the files are lost forever. To avoid getting infected with the CryptoLocker virus, you should:

• First, constantly update your antivirus software.
• Ignore suspicious emails with attachments; do not click on random unrecognized links.
• Finally, backup your files regularly.



ILOVEYOU virus

After the victim opened the attachment, the virus sent a copy of itself to all contacts in the Windows address book and the address specified as the sender’s address. It also made some malicious changes to the user’s system. The virus was sent out to mailboxes from the Philippines on May 4-5, 2000; the subject line contained the “ILoveYou,” and the script “LOVE-LETTER-FOR-YOU.TXT.vbs” was attached to the letter. The “.vbs” extension was hidden by default, which made unsuspecting users think it was a simple text file. In total, the virus affected more than 3 million computers worldwide. The estimated damage the worm caused to the global economy is estimated at $10 – 15 billion, for which it entered the Guinness Book of World Records as the most destructive computer virus in the world.

Morris Worm

The Morris worm is considered the virus that started it all. The first computer worm’s widespread use in the real world was much more destructive and spread faster than expected. In 1988, a virus-infected a network of 60,000 computers (about 10% of the UNIX machines of the time), preventing them from functioning correctly. The worm did not destroy the files, but it was throwing punches. Vital military and university functions were severely slowed down. Emails were delayed for days. The damage from the Morris worm was estimated at $96.5 million.

The creator of the virus, Robert Morris, had kept the program code well hidden, and it was unlikely that anyone could prove his involvement. He used a loophole in the Internet email system and a bug in the “finger” program that identified network users. It was also designed to remain hidden. But his father, a computer expert for the National Security Agency, felt it was better for his son to confess to everything. At trial, Robert Morris faced up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. However, considering extenuating circumstances, the court sentenced him to a $10,000 fine and 400 hours of community service.

Melissa virus

“An $80 Million Cyber Crime in 1999” – FBI Mellisa was distributed under the guise of a plain text document, which, when opened, was passed on to the victim’s first 50 email contacts. The document contained information that could interest users: passwords for access to pay sites or links to popular cartoon series. The program was not designed to steal money or information, but it caused quite a bit of damage. The virus hit more than 300 corporations and government agencies, including IT giant Microsoft, which shut down several times due to email overload. In addition, the malware generated enormous Internet traffic and slowed down already overloaded servers. Although it was localized within days, the damage had already been done. At a conservative estimate, about $80 million was spent to clean up and repair the damage caused by the program.



Zeus

Zeus/Zbot is a malicious package that uses the client/server model. It is used to create massive botnets. It was first detected in 2011. This application is a type of malware targeting the Microsoft Windows operating system. The two main methods of infection are spam messages and hidden downloads. The primary purpose of Zeus is to gain access to confidential details of a victim’s bank account and debit it. The virus can bypass the protection of centralized server systems and scan the user’s personal information. Users can’t even trace the channels their stolen data travels through. Also, in some cases, Zeus can download ransomware that encrypts files and demands money in exchange for unlocking them. Zeus has infected about 3 million computers in the U.S. and compromised significant organizations, including NASA and Bank of America.

Technically, Zeus is a Trojan, a malware masquerading as legitimate software. It uses keylogging and website tracking to steal passwords and financial data. For example, when a banking site is used, or a financial transaction is made, it can record keystrokes during authorization. Zeus initially only worked on Windows, but now some variants can compromise Android phones.

Code Red

The Code Red worm was first discovered by two eEye Digital Security employees, Mark Meiffret and Ryan Perme. They named the found malware after their favorite soda, Code Red Mountain Dew. Appearing in 2001, it targeted computers with the Microsoft IIS Web server installed. By infiltrating the computer, Code Red makes hundreds of copies of all the data. Eventually, it consumes so many resources that the system fails and crashes. A denial-of-service attack algorithm is then launched, and remote access to the infected server is granted via a backdoor.

The most famous Code Red cyber attack was the attack on the White House website. That same year, 2001, the red worm infected more than 250,000 computer systems. According to experts, it resulted in lost productivity and a whopping $2 billion damage.
Microsoft developed a “patch” designed to protect computers specifically against Code Red to keep government agencies and the general public safe from this malware.

Stuxnet

The Stuxnet worm appeared online in 2010 and initially targeted Iran’s nuclear facilities. The virus destroyed more than 1,000 centrifuges at Iran’s Natanz uranium enrichment facility, an affiliate of the large company Foolad Technic. Stuxnet spreads via USB sticks and Windows computers. The Stuxnet Trojan is based on a search for a specific model of the programmable logic controller (PLC) manufactured by Siemens. These small industrial control systems perform all sorts of automated processes, such as those in chemical plants, manufacturing plants, oil refineries, and nuclear power plants. Computers control these PLCs, which is the Stuxnet worm’s primary target. It has been reported that the worm has already infected more than 50,000 computers. The German company Siemens said 14 infected control systems were mainly in Germany.

Conficker

The Conficker worm was first attacked in early 2009. Within days it had infected ten million computers. The botnet formed by the infected computers was one of the largest in the world. Microsoft offered a reward of $250,000 for information that could help catch the author or authors of Conficker. Microsoft also agreed to partner with several organizations to take down the worm. This rapid spread of the worm is related to a network service. Using a vulnerability in it, the worm downloaded itself from the Internet.

Interestingly, the developers of the worm learned how to constantly change its servers, and something attackers had not managed to do before. Also, the worm spread itself via USB sticks, creating an executable autorun.inf file and a RECYCLED\{SID}\RANDOM_NAME.vmx file. On the infected system, the worm logged itself into services. It was stored as a DLL file with a random name consisting of Latin letters. The worm took advantage of a buffer overflow in a Windows operating system and executed a malicious code with a bogus RPC request. It also disabled some services, such as Windows Automatic Updates, Windows Security Center, Windows Defender, and Windows Error Reporting. It blocked access to the websites of several antivirus vendors.

As you can see, all of the viruses discussed above appeared at the beginning of the 21st century, when most modern cybersecurity technologies were in their infancy. Now the situation has fundamentally changed. Modern operating systems and advanced antivirus applications protect against most malware. However, we should not relax because even malware from this list is still roaming the net. On the other hand, rampant cybercrime leads to an ever-increasing need for protection specialists.

The post Which Deadliest Virus in History? Types to Remember appeared first on Gridinsoft Blog.

]]> https://gridinsoft.com/blogs/which-deadliest-virus-in-history-types-to-remember/feed/ 1 9271 https://gridinsoft.com/blogs/does-my-phone-have-a-virus/ https://gridinsoft.com/blogs/does-my-phone-have-a-virus/#respond Thu, 07 Jul 2022 08:15:06 +0000 https://gridinsoft.com/blogs/?p=9211 Phone malware is obviously less widespread – and discussed – as a computer one. Nonetheless, its dangers and attack methods do not differ a lot. So, what is a phone virus? And how can you understand that you’ve got one? Let’s figure out. Are phone viruses real? Well yes and no at the same time.… Continue reading Does My Phone Have a Virus? Phone Viruses Explained

The post Does My Phone Have a Virus? Phone Viruses Explained appeared first on Gridinsoft Blog.

]]> Phone malware is obviously less widespread – and discussed – as a computer one. Nonetheless, its dangers and attack methods do not differ a lot. So, what is a phone virus? And how can you understand that you’ve got one? Let’s figure out.

Are phone viruses real?

Well yes and no at the same time. To begin with, it is worth clarifying that, unlike its original meaning, the term “virus” today is abstract and implies any malware. Due to the peculiarities of mobile operating systems, classic viruses cannot fully function on them. On the other hand, there are plenty of other malicious stuff that will happily run on the smartphone. Most commonly, phone viruses are represented with stealers, spyware and adware of different kinds.

Two mobile operating systems, Android and iOS, differ hard enough to demand a completely different approach for the attacker. This creates a strong borderline between any talks about malware. And yes, when people talk about phone viruses and trying to search for signs your phone has a virus, they mostly talk about Android. By the way, what are these signs?

Signs your phone has a virus

Here are a few clues that a virus has infected your phone:

• New suspicious apps. You may have apps on your phone that you didn’t download. Check your app list for any unrecognized ones.
• System instability. Your phone crashing regularly may not be due to a virus if it happens once with no other symptoms, but if it becomes frequent, it’s likely a virus.
• Abnormal battery discharge. Your phone’s battery drains faster than typically when you use it.
• Pop-up ads. You are receiving unusually high pop-up ads, which a virus may cause.
• Increased mobile data usage. Data usage spikes without explanation. If your phone bill shows increased data usage, a virus may be the cause.
• Outgoing sms you didn’t send. You may see additional charges on your bill due to malware sending texts to premium numbers.

Hint: Sometimes, some of the above symptoms may indicate that your phone is out of date. In this case, the attackers have nothing to do with it; you just need to update your phone.

Common types of phone malware and viruses

As I said, phone viruses are generally represented with adware, spyware and stealers. However, the specificity of mobile platforms allowed for the emergence of unique types, such as chargeware. Let’s review them all.

Chargeware

Chargeware is malware that can charge you money without your explicit consent or clear notification beforehand. This can be a serious problem because you may not know you are being charged until you see your bill.

Spyware

Spyware is designed to track, collect, or use your private data without your permission. This can include phone call history, browser history, text messages, user location, contact list, email, and personal photos. The stolen information could be used for identity theft or financial fraud, so it’s essential to protect your data.

Stealers

Stealers are another kind of malware designed to steal sensitive information from a victim’s device. They can steal passwords, credit card numbers, photos, videos, and other sensitive data. Unlike spyware, the purpose of a stealer is to steal data, not to observe the victim.

Adware

Adware is malware that often appears as unwanted advertisements on your device. While encountering pop-up ads online is common, adware can display unwanted ads even on trusted websites or apps where they don’t usually appear. Aggressive adware may show ads on your lock screen and trigger video and audio advertisements. At the same time, the phone is asleep and displays out-of-app ads that interfere with other applications. Adware may also collect information about you and target you with ads based on this information.

What should you do if you have a virus?

Delete suspicious apps in safe mode

If you suspect malware on your phone and can’t delete the apps, restart it in safe mode to remove malicious apps before they start. Search online for your phone’s exact procedure, but for many models, press and hold the Power button from the lock screen until you see the shutdown screen, then tap and hold the Power Off button to restart in safe mode. When the phone reboots in Safe Mode, third-party applications (including most malware) are disabled. This allows you to find all potentially unwanted applications and uninstall them.

Turn on Google Play Protect

Google’s Play Protect is a free anti-malware app that scans your phone for malicious apps and behavior. It checks third-party apps for malware-like behavior and prevents them from harming your device. If you haven’t enabled Play Protect, we recommend doing so immediately from the Google Play store.



Scan your phone with an anti-malware solution

You can use our mobile scanner to ensure your Android device is immaculate. In case there is still an infection, Trojan Scanner will remove it. You can download Trojan Scanner from Google Play or directly from our website.

Phone Viruses on iOS – Do They Exist?

It’s very unlikely for iPhones to get a virus. Although technically possible, only a few iPhone viruses have been developed, primarily for academic and research purposes. Apple designed iOS to restrict apps from communicating with each other and the operating system, which reduces the risk of viruses on iPhones. Although there are exceptions. Additionally, users can only install approved apps from the App Store, which Apple evaluates for viruses and other issues before making them available. In addition, there are no antivirus programs available in the App Store. However, security apps from major antivirus companies focus on securing your browsing, privacy, and data backup.

If you notice any unusual behavior, it may be due to a buggy app that needs to be updated or removed. However, if your iPhone has been jailbroken, it may have been infected with a virus. The risk of jailbroken iPhone infection increases significantly, the same as if an Android device were rooted. In such cases, getting rid of the virus can be difficult, but you can try the following steps:

• Delete any apps that you suspect may have carried the virus.
• Restore your iPhone from an uninfected backup.
• Restore your phone to its factory settings, but back up your data before doing so. Do not create a restore point – it will have the infection inside, so all the manipulations will not make any sense.

The post Does My Phone Have a Virus? Phone Viruses Explained appeared first on Gridinsoft Blog.

]]> https://gridinsoft.com/blogs/does-my-phone-have-a-virus/feed/ 0 9211 https://gridinsoft.com/blogs/heuristic-virus/ https://gridinsoft.com/blogs/heuristic-virus/#respond Wed, 08 Jun 2022 13:33:01 +0000 https://gridinsoft.com/blogs/?p=8372 This article targets individuals who have received a computer notification indicating the presence of a heuristic virus in their system. What exactly is this “heuristic virus”, and is it a threat? Let’s first examine the original definition of the term “heuristic” before delving into the nature of this virus. Heuristics is a scientific discipline that… Continue reading The Heuristic Virus & Analysis: Everything You Need To Know

The post The Heuristic Virus & Analysis: Everything You Need To Know appeared first on Gridinsoft Blog.

]]> This article targets individuals who have received a computer notification indicating the presence of a heuristic virus in their system. What exactly is this “heuristic virus”, and is it a threat? Let’s first examine the original definition of the term “heuristic” before delving into the nature of this virus. Heuristics is a scientific discipline that explores methods, techniques, and simplifications to uncover novel discoveries. It is a process that facilitates the resolution of intricate problems.

What is Heur.Invader: A Heuristic Virus?

A heuristic virus refers to a form of malware known as Heur.Invader. This malicious program is designed to bypass anti-malware defenses, alter security configurations, and distribute additional malware onto the victim’s computer. Variants of heuristic viruses encompass Trojans ¹, as well as adware.

Heuristic Virus vs. Heuristic Analysis

Before addressing a heuristic virus, it’s important to understand the concept of heuristic analysis. By examining their distinctions, we can avoid mistakenly equating the two. Hence, we now possess an understanding of the Heuristic virus.



What is Heuristic Analysis?

Heuristic Analysis refers to a method of virus detection that involves examining code for suspicious attributes. The traditional approach, known as signature detection, relies on comparing program code with known virus signatures to identify malware. However, as the number of emerging threats continues to rise, the effectiveness of signature detection has become increasingly limited.

This is where heuristic analysis comes into play. It aids in the identification of suspicious characteristics in unfamiliar viruses, malware samples, and modified versions of existing programs. With the ever-evolving landscape of technology, characterized by a constant stream of new cybercriminal attacks and threats, heuristic analysis is capable of handling the influx of such threats effectively. It also stands as one of the few methods for combating polymorphic viruses. Polymorphic viruses are malicious code that can undergo constant manual or automatic changes and adaptations.

READ AlSO
A computer virus is a type of computer program that, when run, modifies other existing programs. Warning signs that your computer is infected: whether there are viruses on your computer.


How Does Heuristic Analysis Work?

Let’s delve into the mechanics of signature detection. Previously, this method relied on a list of known viruses, comparing computer code against this catalog to determine whether the computer was infected. However, this approach falls short when dealing with modern malware. Relying solely on signature detection cannot guarantee the most robust protection for devices. To effectively address the multitude of viruses, a fresh approach to detection is required.

This is where heuristic analysis shines, as it fulfills this need for a new detection methodology, garnering increased demand. Heuristic analysis possesses the capability to identify files exhibiting suspicious code structures or behaviors, subsequently flagging them as potentially hazardous viruses. Let’s explore how heuristic analysis operates:

• Dynamic scanning: This is testing or emulation of files that analyzes and checks the behavior of a file in a controlled environment. This process takes place to determine how the virus behaves and, if necessary, mark it as dangerous.
• File analysis: This process analyzes the intent of files and marks files that want to hurt others.
• Multicriteria analysis (MCA) – this analysis analyzes the virus and decides whether it is worth marking it as a pest.
READ AlSO
Cybercrime is a whole world, an organization. The most common cyber attacks today: protection tips pay attention.


Heuristic Scanning Sensitivity

Before initiating heuristic scanning on your device, it is important to adjust the sensitivity level of your antivirus software. This adjustment enables the detection of potential threats, with higher sensitivity levels facilitating quicker identification but also increasing the likelihood of false positives—instances where protected files are erroneously labeled as dangerous.

Conversely, lower sensitivity levels may result in the software overlooking certain suspicious elements that are only mildly so. Ultimately, the choice of sensitivity level depends on your preferences. To modify the sensitivity level of your software, follow these steps:

• You need to open your program’s settings.
• Identify scan properties, then enable Heuristic scans.
• Choose preferred sensitivity level.

How to Remove and Identify a Heuristic Virus

You should use an antivirus program to find and remove the virus on your PC. You may have seen the first signs of a virus on your device. Then you should take a few steps to check for malware. So, the most common heuristic discoveries are:

• Trojan virus – Win32 Heur
• Adware – Pup.Adware.Heuristics
• Trojan virus – HEUR/QVM06.1.0000.Malware. Gen

To remove malware or Heur.Invader, you should take the following steps:

• Set off device in safe mode
• Using your antivirus software, you need to launch an antivirus scan
• Don’t delete files that were flagged with your software. You need to check each one manually to make sure you don’t remove false positives.

How to Enable Safe Mode

Enable safe mode before starting antivirus scanning. Because the safe mode will ensure you run only the essential programs on your PC and, at the same time, will disable all unnecessary, even malicious, software. This way, you simplify the antivirus tabulation task to make removing malware faster.

Enable safe mode on PC:

1. Reload your PC
2. After the sign-on screen appears, press the Shift key and hold it, then click Restart
3. After rebooting your PC, your computer will suggest you Select option, select Troubleshoot, then Advanced Options, and by Startup Options
4. After that, on the next window, tap the Restart button and wait
5. Then you will see the Startup options menu. Choose number 4 or F4 for reloading your PC in safe mode.

Enable safe mode on Mac:

1. Reload your Mac, then hold the key “Shift”. You will see the Apple logo and loaded bar below.
2. Release the Shift key until you see the login window. If you get a warning about a problem, Apple will give you discreet instructions on running a diagnostic.
READ AlSO
Most currently widespread viruses can be removed from your PC without additional settings. Remove viruses from your computer in safe mode.


Recommendation & Tips to Prevent Viruses

There are plenty of viruses and the greater certainty that they can spread to your PC. But to prevent this, several recommendations will help reduce the risk of infection with the virus on your PC. Below we will give you some tips to avoid this threat.

• Think before you click. Many kinds of malware on the Internet are distributed through pop-ups, spam messages, and other methods. Each of these methods often invites the user to follow a link and click on one to see what the best offers are. Please take it as a habit not to press all the 100 you offer online. But if you think this is addressed to you and necessary, check the URL of this link and only go.
• Use unique passwords and change them often. Try to create strong passwords. Password combinations should not be your name, dog name, or numbers 1 through 9, and different characters, capital letters, and uppercase letters. Note also the installation of two-factor authentication. It provides better protection for your account.
• Update software regularly. Software updates appear when new cyber threats occur. If you see your device requesting permission to upgrade, do not neglect this. Yes, it will take some time, but it will be better for you.
• Periodically run antivirus scans. Antivirus tests are designed to detect malware and protect the PC from the threat of infection. Installing this process will take a few minutes, but after that, you don’t have to worry about the security of your computer and all the data on it.
• Keep an updated backup hard drive. Backups don’t protect your computer from threats but protect your data. With any data leak from your device, the backup will save what you have downloaded. so that even if you try to hack or attack, your data will not disappear without a trace.

The post The Heuristic Virus & Analysis: Everything You Need To Know appeared first on Gridinsoft Blog.

]]> https://gridinsoft.com/blogs/heuristic-virus/feed/ 0 8372 https://gridinsoft.com/blogs/malware-vs-virus/ https://gridinsoft.com/blogs/malware-vs-virus/#respond Wed, 22 Dec 2021 15:41:22 +0000 https://gridinsoft.com/blogs/?p=6726 The topic of this small post is malware vs. virus conceptual clarification. We remember times when people used to call any harmful program a “virus”. Today this “malware” term popped out! How do these words correlate? People seem to use them freely and arbitrarily. But is such usage correct? Let’s investigate. For those who are… Continue reading Malware vs. Virus. Difference explained

The post Malware vs. Virus. Difference explained appeared first on Gridinsoft Blog.

]]> The topic of this small post is malware vs. virus conceptual clarification. We remember times when people used to call any harmful program a “virus”. Today this “malware” term popped out! How do these words correlate? People seem to use them freely and arbitrarily. But is such usage correct? Let’s investigate. For those who are not interested in a more thorough explanation, let’s say that a virus is a particular case of malware. Under malware, we understand any software created to harm data, computers, networks, and, financially and reputationally, the users it targets. But even this seemingly strict definition has its nuances. Let’s get to it!

Good news, everyone: US Cyber ​​Command confirms cyberattacks against ransomware.

What is a computer virus?

Let us begin by saying that “computer virus” is often a misused term. Viruses are a kind of infectious malware that is almost extinct thanks to the progress in security software development. However, the word “virus” became a popular name for any harmful software since viruses were the first malware people encountered.

A computer virus is a self-replicating entity. This feature was the one that gave it its name. But self-replication, also Internet worms’ feature, for example, is not the only thing! Computer viruses are similar to biological cell-parasitizing agents and need hosts to infect. Data files or executables can serve as hosts, but some viruses spread through disk boot sectors. The latter are records that the computer reads as it finds the disk; boot records are not files. By the way, Brain, the first computer virus to cause a real epidemic was a boot sector virus.

As for the means of spreading, the viruses in their prime (the ’80s and ’90s) traveled on diskettes people often exchanged. Viruses could infect either files or the floppies themselves. An infected document could travel via email by accident, but, at first, nobody designed viruses for that. However, later on, email-aware viruses emerged as well. That means that being sent by email has become a part of these viruses’ code.

Infectious agents

Let’s clarify this: viruses, Trojans, and Internet worms are the three types of infectious agents. All other malware that exists, besides the possibility of manual installation by a malefactor, arrives at targeted computers with the help of either of these three, whose work is to penetrate the victim’s system somehow. The scheme below shows the difference between them. The scheme below shows the difference between them.



Viruses are self-replicating pieces of code that reside in files or boot records. Worms are separate self-replicating files designed to spread via the Internet. Trojans, the third type, are not replicating stand-alone files that end up on a victim’s PC disguised as a different item.

Theoretically, these infectious agents can be harmless, but they are malware since they are trespassers anyway. In reality, they usually have their evil payload.

What is malware?

All malicious software is signified as “malware.” Not only the infecting programs are malicious. Various tools that can be, as a matter of fact, used for legal purposes are considered malware when they are a part of tamperers’ schemes. These can be backdoors, rootkits, mining software, keyloggers, etc.

Related reading: Coin Miner Investigation: When, Why, For What.

Classified by the damage inflicted by it, malware can be called ransomware, spyware, coin miner, vandal program, etc. There are also potentially unwanted applications (PUA), usually not considered malware by antivirus programs but exploitive. They usually sneak into your PC or browser through barely noticeable consent tick boxes. Be wary not to install useless applications that slow down your computer and flood you with advertisements.

Annoying PUA detections: Is uTorrent safe?

Adware. Is it malware?

There are two senses of the word “adware” – the first one is the free programs that contain advertising. That’s good sense, considering the software is helpful. The bad case of adware is the unwanted software that you don’t even remember where you got, which aggressively invades your web browser or even the operating system itself with ad banners. That is almost malware, but since adware doesn’t bring direct damage and is usually easily uninstallable, most safety programs classify it as PUA, not malware.

Conclusion

As you can see, there are different criteria to classify malware. Viruses are one of three types of infectious agents, although malware multitudes are not exhausted by them. Harmful software uses non-infectious programs, which are also malware. Potentially unwanted applications border with malware, yet the security vendors don’t refer them to malware.

Consider reading: What is the worst computer virus? Figuring out.

The post Malware vs. Virus. Difference explained appeared first on Gridinsoft Blog.

]]> https://gridinsoft.com/blogs/malware-vs-virus/feed/ 0 6726 https://gridinsoft.com/blogs/virus-protection-hints/ https://gridinsoft.com/blogs/virus-protection-hints/#respond Wed, 27 Jan 2021 09:05:55 +0000 https://blog.gridinsoft.com/?p=3005 Tired of your OS Widows behaving strangely and slowing down suddenly? I can understand the pains of removing the viruses infecting your system and then sustaining the damage done by them. According to a recent survey worldwide, malware expenses have increased up to $20 Million. Google research adds to the worries by telling us that… Continue reading Virus Protection Hints & Advices in 2023

The post Virus Protection Hints & Advices in 2023 appeared first on Gridinsoft Blog.

]]> Tired of your OS Widows behaving strangely and slowing down suddenly? I can understand the pains of removing the viruses infecting your system and then sustaining the damage done by them. According to a recent survey worldwide, malware expenses have increased up to $20 Million. Google research adds to the worries by telling us that one in every ten websites is infected with ‘drive-by’ malware.

Seeing these stats, it becomes essential to protect your computer against all such viruses, malware, and automatically installed unwanted programs (PUPs). If you think you are safe by having an antivirus program on your PC, then I would frankly tell you that you are delusional! There are more than enough viruses and malware that can easily get through your antivirus program and firewall. It is good to have an antivirus program on your system, but you also need to learn more. Hence, it is an absolute necessity for you to learn the most effective ways of virus protection. It is better to stay safe than to cry over spilled milk.

With this in mind, I have researched extensively and, after careful administration and use, have come up with some of the most effective ways to prevent viruses from entering your system.

You can avoid getting infected and can enjoy the internet on your terms by following these methods meticulously.

System updates for virus protection

It does not matter which operating system you are using. It can be Windows, MAC, Linux, or any OS. But what matters is that your operating system should be up to date. Always try to use the latest system and update it regularly. OS releases updates to fix security leaks and faults in the system. So this regular update can help you keep your system secure and safe.



Install GridinSoft Anti-Malware

It is not the only thing that keeps you safe, but this goes almost without saying that having an antivirus on your system is the essential step to avoiding viruses and securing your operating system. Also, do not forget to regularly update Gridinsoft Anti-malware¹ to maintain a database that helps you to fight against all new viruses, adware, trojans and others.

Perform Daily Scans

You should perform daily scans on your system. Sometimes it is hard to do, and you cannot work while the virus scanner is running, so if you find the process irritating, then it is recommended that you schedule a weekly scan on your software or set up a nighttime scan working on your computer. In this way, your system can be cleaned out regularly, making you less susceptible to viruses.



Disable auto-startup on your PC

Many devices act as sponges and attach themselves to external hard drives, USBs, or any other kind of portable media. The minute you connect an external device to your computer, the viruses launch themselves and start propagating and spreading in your system.

If you want to improve your virus protection, it’s in your best interest to disable the auto-run feature in your system. Depending on your operating system, you can follow the steps given by Microsoft to disable this feature.



Use a Standard User account

It might be a bit of extra work to install every program manually and grant permissions for everything with a standard user account. But a standard user account can also help you stay safe by regulating and monitoring everything that enters your system. You can keep a check on any unwanted program that tries to install itself, and you can also quickly reverse harmful changes. This hint increases your virus protection enormously because of the specification of malware for Windows.

Use a secure Network for virus protection

If your operating system is connected to the printer, wi-fi, or any other network, ensure that you are using a secure connection. Do not connect your computer to an open Wi-Fi___33 network. Always use WPS or WPA 2 protection to secure your network. It will also be good for you not to broadcast your SSID and password.

Avoid Clicking on Anything and Everything

Now, this is a mantra that you need to keep repeating to yourself until it is completely embedded in your brain. It’s a rule that needs to be religiously followed to prevent viruses from entering your system. Do not click on everything. It includes everything; Crafty email messages, email attachments and links, unknown websites, attention-grabbing banner ads, false download buttons, pop-ups, or any such thing that wants you to click on it!

You want to stay safe while on the internet? Do not ignore this rule. If an email is sent by a friend, relative, or colleague, never open it without scanning it first. Do you want to download email attachments? Scan first. Want to click on a download button for software? Verify first that the software is coming from a licensed source.

Make sure that your browser is configured to ask first before running or downloading any program or file because most viruses only attack after you grant permission or “click” on the file containing the virus.

Always beware of nefarious pop-ups and never click on the “X” to close the pop-up.



Surf Smart

Always use a secure internet browser. Do not stay dependent on the old Internet Explorer versions as they are incompatible with modern plug-ins and features. It is best to use an advanced business-class browser. Once you have a good browser in your system, then be smart and make good use of its additional features such as Add-ons and Plug-ins. Many browsers provide you with Add-ons that coordinate with your antivirus program to block harmful sites, cookies, and links.

Install ad blockers and pop-up blockers in your browser to stay safe while browsing the internet. Also, install browser plug-ins to protect you against ‘drive-by’ malware, phishing attacks, fake hyperlinks, and harmful web pages.

It is in the best interest to never enter your personal, professional, and financial information on a page that you have not opened manually and is not a verified link or secure website.



You can also add unchecked to your browser plug-ins to uncheck unnoticeable small checked boxes that install PUPs to your computer. Also, don’t forget to clear the cache of your browser.

Use Multiple Strong Passwords and Back-ups For Everything

It’s better to be safe than sorry. While you are on the internet, a simple virus is not the only thorn in your backside! It would help to stay safe and secure from hacking programs while shopping online or doing banking transactions. It is advisable not to use one or similar passwords on all your social or professional accounts. Also, keep all your data backed up at all times to avoid losing anything to viruses.

Use a Hardware-Based Firewall

The simple software-based firewall provided with your system is insufficient when using the internet or connecting with external networks or devices. It would help if you had a capable and hardware-based solid Firewall to protect your system against viruses, worms, infected network traffic, malicious adware, and other vulnerabilities.

Did you know about all these ways of preventing viruses from entering your system? Use them well and enjoy a virus-free computer and life!

The post Virus Protection Hints & Advices in 2023 appeared first on Gridinsoft Blog.

]]> https://gridinsoft.com/blogs/virus-protection-hints/feed/ 0 3005 https://gridinsoft.com/blogs/use-public-wi-fi-safely/ https://gridinsoft.com/blogs/use-public-wi-fi-safely/#respond Tue, 02 Oct 2018 10:40:38 +0000 https://blog.gridinsoft.com/?p=3045 In a world where almost everything comes with a price it’s sometimes nice to have at least free wifi. But starting with such a poetic intro here actually comes the real concern: how to use Wi-Fi for free and keep your data private.  Many people don’t realize it but using public Wi-Fi puts you at… Continue reading How To Use Public Wi-Fi Safely: Risks To Watch Out For

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

]]> In a world where almost everything comes with a price it’s sometimes nice to have at least free wifi. But starting with such a poetic intro here actually comes the real concern: how to use Wi-Fi for free and keep your data private. 

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.

]]> https://gridinsoft.com/blogs/use-public-wi-fi-safely/feed/ 0 3045 https://gridinsoft.com/blogs/new-times-new-threats-adware-amonetize-investigation/ https://gridinsoft.com/blogs/new-times-new-threats-adware-amonetize-investigation/#respond Fri, 13 Oct 2017 15:38:51 +0000 https://blog.gridinsoft.com/?p=1317 Lately, our Team faced with complaints about Adware.amonetize virus. It hits most of the countries of Europe, the biggest quantity of infections is in China, Azerbaijan, Iran, Italy, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Indonesia. It doesn’t matter Internet Explorer, Firefox, Google Chrome, Safari or other browsers do you use: you will see ads anyway. We investigated… Continue reading New Times, New Threats: Adware.Amonetize investigation

The post New Times, New Threats: Adware.Amonetize investigation appeared first on Gridinsoft Blog.

]]> Lately, our Team faced with complaints about Adware.amonetize virus. It hits most of the countries of Europe, the biggest quantity of infections is in China, Azerbaijan, Iran, Italy, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Indonesia. It doesn’t matter Internet Explorer, Firefox, Google Chrome, Safari or other browsers do you use: you will see ads anyway. We investigated this virus and found that it spreads via a method we call bundling. It means that adware.amonetize sneaks into your system alongside with free software.

How adware.amonetize works?

So what are main symptoms of this adware? Ads, ads and once more ads. You will see disturbing pop-ups, annoying banners, redirects in your browser. It is not a secret that every virus was created to gain profit, adware.amonetize is one of them. It gets pay-per-click revenue, so that is why you see so many ads. Every click and redirects on the sponsored website are coins in the money box. What is more interesting, we’ve noticed that adware.amonetize collects personal information of its victims! Browsing history, emails, messengers, name, locations and even banking credentials can fall into the hands of hackers.

Where it is installed?

Our Analysts Team found out that Adware.Amonetize stored in %programfiles%, in a folder with a random name that contains 10 characters of the English alphabet + digits.
Examples:
% programfiles% \ 04gcs4ypv6 \ 04gcs4ypv.exe (check on Virus Total)
% programfiles% \ 0gp81q2mg5 \ d5wn9p9nf.exe (check on Virus Total)
% programfiles% \ 39rossub2g \ 39rossub2.exe (check on Virus Total)



These files are without a signature and add themselves to the startup list with random names:

“HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run\UPCABJZUFTF7J48” >> “”%programfiles%\04gcs4ypv6\04gcs4ypv.exe””

“HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run\9A00GNV8DAW655S” >> “”%programfiles%\39rossub2g\39rossub2.exe””

“HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run\ZXFX5IAHM64HROQ” >> “”%programfiles%\e0in79xcut\e0in79xcu.exe””

Adware.amonetize is a very tricky, as you may already notice. To hide files on the disc it use software from Nir Sofer – NirCmd (check on Virus Total).

Exe file under the name chipset.exe is in the folder with a random name from the letters + numbers in %appdata%, %localappdata%, %commonappdata% or %temp% and is written in the titles with the name GoogleUpdateSecurityTaskMachine_XX and Optimize Start Menu Cache Files-S-XX (XX stands for any uppercase character).

For example:
Task: “%system%\Tasks\GoogleUpdateSecurityTaskMachine_NL” >> “%localappdata%\Temp\02e22efae9e744b3a1fa6dae595a32e1\chipset.exe exec hide GBCWKWPKVU.cmd ”

Task: “%system%\Tasks\GoogleUpdateSecurityTaskMachine_OO” >> “%commonappdata%\5cd66b2d442541229cdaf3947384919f\chipset.exe exec hide EIUHMIJWVC.cmd “

Task: “%system%\Tasks\Optimize Start Menu Cache Files-S-GZ” >> “%appdata%\92dcc1e5f2854a97b66db725d3492ecf\chipset.exe exec hide IDGSTZEJUB.cmd “

Why is adware.amonetize dangerous?

As we already said, it collects your personal information. This reason should be enough to delete adware.amonetize ASAP. Also, it attracts other viruses to your pitiful system: malware, trojans, adware etc.

Get Adware.Amonetize closer

This is what 255335e18ca3b54c7872f31603de52d527da69c93b485c5aa1e70f2052192ac5.exe (Sx3qqqq.exe) looks like.



Loads the specified manifest resource from this assembly.



Take a look at this command more detailed.
Assembly assembly = Assembly.Load(Convert.FromBase64String(Encoding.Default.GetString(new TripleDESCryptoServiceProvider(). CreateDecryptor(Convert.FromBase64String(gr8AA.vferv58rv85rvrvrvergv),
Convert.FromBase64String(gr8AA.scsce8f7er)).TransformFinalBlock(inputBuffer, 0, inputBuffer.Length))));

To make understanding more easy lets disassemble in parts.


string st = Encoding.Default.GetString(new TripleDESCryptoServiceProvider().CreateDecryptor(KEY, IV).TransformFinalBlock(inputBuffer, 0, inputBuffer.Length));

It creates a symmetric TripleDES decryption object with the specified key (Key) and the initialization vector (IV). With the help of TransformFinalBlock it converts the previously read block of data from the manifest. At the end, it converts everything into a string. The result is an executable file.

How adware.amonetize slipped into your system?

As we already said the most popular way of spreading it is installing alongside with free software. We recommend to be careful and read Terms of Agreement before clicking on “Next” button in a hurry.

[contact-form]

The post New Times, New Threats: Adware.Amonetize investigation appeared first on Gridinsoft Blog.

]]> https://gridinsoft.com/blogs/new-times-new-threats-adware-amonetize-investigation/feed/ 0 1317 https://gridinsoft.com/blogs/understand-pc-infected-alert/ https://gridinsoft.com/blogs/understand-pc-infected-alert/#respond Thu, 20 Apr 2017 13:17:10 +0000 https://blog.gridinsoft.com/?p=300 Something is off with your device and you have the premonitions why. You got infected with a computer virus. But put the panic aside and before you do anything in a rush have some knowledge in order to know where to start dealing with the problem. And actually to learn what the problem is because… Continue reading Warning Signs That Your Computer Is Infected: Does Your Computer Have Viruses

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

]]> Something is off with your device and you have the premonitions why. You got infected with a computer virus. But put the panic aside and before you do anything in a rush have some knowledge in order to know where to start dealing with the problem. And actually to learn what the problem is because as wide and rich the flora and fauna might be, the world of computer viruses is no less wide and rich.

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.

]]> https://gridinsoft.com/blogs/understand-pc-infected-alert/feed/ 0 300