Just don’t download any apps..

Guys, I have long told people, if you don’t absolutely need it, don’t install it (and you sure as shooting don’t need five media players..). Well now there’s even more reason to repeat that advice.

* More than 1,000 Spyware Apps Found On Android App Stores

“If you think you are downloading apps from Google Play Store and you are secure, then watch out! Someone has managed to flood third-party app stores and Google Play Store with more than a thousand malicious apps, which can monitor almost anything a user does on their mobile device from silently …” Read More..

Update: 500+ Android apps found containing program that can download spyware plug-in

“More than 500 mobile apps on Google Play were recently discovered containing an advertising software development kit capable of downloading malicious plug-ins that can spy on Android users’ call histories.. Apps using the ad SDK, a product called Igexin, were downloaded over 100 million times by Android device owners before Google removed these programs from its store..” Read more..

Tell your friends.

Addenda: I have been asked my thoughts on Wikileaks and the (alleged) CIA hacking tools (such as this one, posted today) often enough now that I think I should mention them here.. please don’t think the CIA are the only folks who can do/are doing these ‘exploits’. They basically copied from the hackers. These things are possible because all our devices/technologies are inherently, fundamentally, insecure. (Don’t believe me? Read this.)

* * *

Today’s quote: “I am thankful the most important key in history was invented. It’s not the key to your house, your car, your boat, your safety deposit box, your bike lock or your private community. It’s the key to order, sanity, and peace of mind. The key is ‘Delete.'” ~ Elayne Boosler

Copyright 2007-2017 © “Tech Paul” (Paul Eckstrom). All Rights Reserved.

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Make yours great ones. Ones to be proud of.

Poisoned E-mail From Amazon

Transaction Notice Has Virus Attachment

Cybercriminals have started using an old trick with a new twist — sending spam e-mails purporting to be from a real company regarding a “recent transaction” (or shipment). The e-mail has an attachment claiming to be a summary, receipt, or ‘required’ form.

Of course, the attachment is a virus, and “opening” it infects your computer.
(Many security experts would have told you this method was obsolete and no longer being used..)

In this most recent wave of spam attack, the company being spoofed is Amazon.com. It reads:
Your transaction has been processed by WorldPay, on behalf of Amazon Inc.
The invoice file is attached to this message.
This is not a tax receipt.
We processed your payment.
Amazon Inc has received your order,
and will inform you about delivery.
Sincerely,
Amazon Team

This confirmation only indicates that your transaction has been processed successfully.
It does not indicate that your order has been accepted.
It is the responsibility of Amazon Inc to confirm that
your order has been accepted, and to deliver any goods or services you have ordered.

Remember folks, your clicking bypasses your security, so resist your curiousness. Never click the links in unexpected/unsolicited email. Best yet, don’t even open them.

Copyright 2007-9 © Tech Paul. All rights reserved. post to jaanix

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Video Demonstration of Poisoned Search

Cybercriminals are manipulating the Internet to cause their poison websites to appear at the top of search results.

When people click the link, a bogus “scareware” window opens, as I have warned about in several prior articles.
(please see Security Alert — An Infection Has Been Detected!)

This installs a “rogue” anti-malware application. This video from security firm Panda Security shows exactly how this is done, and in this case, the criminal is trying to install MS Antispyware 2009.. which is just one of the thousands of these “rogues”.

I highly recommend that you watch it, as it is showing you two (increasingly common) attacks.. and exactly how a “rogue” looks and acts.

Vodpod videos no longer available.

more about “untitled“, posted with vodpod

Please note: I have one, MAJOR, complaint about this video: it pretty much says that if you have an up-to-date anti-malware (such as an antivirus) on board, you’ll be protected from these things. WRONG! Once you click the links, ignore the the warnings, and click “Run”.. you’re hosed. (And you did it to yourself.)
Telling your machine to ‘run it’ bypasses all your protections.. even Vista’s annoying UAC.

Today’s free link: ErrorRepairTOOL Computer Infection? – Blame Your Search Engine!

Today’s free download(s): The best defense is to NOT click “Run” when you’re not sure. But there are tools you can add to your web browser to help you detect and avoid these poisoned websites in the first place — known as “anti-phishing”. I suggest installing both:
WOT: (Web Of Trust) is a free Internet security add-on for your browser. It will help keep you safer from online scams, identity theft, spyware, spam, viruses and unreliable shopping sites. WOT warns you before you interact with a risky Website. It’s easy and it’s free.
Link Scanner Lite: Automatically inspect search results for exploits, hacked sites, fraud/crimeware, and other online threats. Includes right-click, on-demand scanning of any URL you choose.

Copyright 2007-9 © Tech Paul. All rights reserved. post to jaanix

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Bummer. I only won 200,000 Euros this time…

YOUR E-MAIL ID HAVE WON.‏

From: sugerencias (sugerencias@presidencia.gov.py)

Sent: Tue 1/27/09 6:57 PM
To:

ANNOUNCEMENT YOUR EMAIL ID HAVE WON.
ANNOUNCEMENT MICRO WORD.COM CORPORATIONS.

CUSTOMER SERVICE:
MADRID SPAIN/ESPANA.
APARTADO DE CORREOS 48, 28230 las Rozas,

REFERENCE NO: MSFT-2008-X74-RS
BATCH NO: MSFT-2008- GM-0221

OFFICIAL WINNING NOTIFICATION.

Welcome to Microword.com Corporation end of year promotions, We are
pleased to inform you of the released results of Sweepstakes Promotion
organized by Microword.com Corporations, in conjunction with the
foundation for the Promotion of software products, held this Jan 24th
2009, here in Madrid-Spain.

Your email address emerged as one of the on-line Winning emails, in the
1st category and therefore You have been approved for a cash award
200,000.00Euros (TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND EURO) this is from a total cash..

* Micro Word??? Who are we trying to sound like?

Today’s free link(s):
Google Video search results poisoned to serve malware
This article is a bit difficult to read, and assumes the audience is security-savvy, but if you’re willing to look past that, you will see some frightening facts spelled out that tell you just how broken and insecure the Internet is.

Security Fix Pop Quiz, Reality-Show Style
“I want to give readers more perspective about why applying these updates are so critical, by looking through the lens of the criminal masterminds behind “Grum,” one of this year’s largest spam botnet..”

Copyright 2007-9 © Tech Paul. All rights reserved. post to jaanix

It Said I Was Infected

There is an epidemic of fake anti-malware software on the Internet– which is collectively called “rogue anti-malware”

Marketed under hundreds of different names, such as VirusRemover 2008 and Antivirus XP 2009, this type of rogue software scares people by giving false alarms, and then tries to deceive them into paying for removal of non-existing malware.

This video (produced by the good folks at WOT*) shows what happens when a legitimate site gets infected and redirected to one of these bogus anti-malware scams.
Yes, folks, legitimate websites.

The people behind this scourge use many different ways to try to entice you to click– realistic pop-up windows appear, offers of “free trials” arrive in e-mail, and “free scan” buttons on legit-looking ‘fight malware’ websites, etc..

As this video shows, the user is tricked into (scared into, really) providing their credit card # (oops.. might want to cancel that card..) to clean infections that weren’t there before they clicked.
* The ‘false positives’ are not “cleaned” BUT, more adware and spyware is installed.
* A good percentage of my calls at Aplus Computer Aid are folks needing help with getting rid of these rogues. Because they use the latest techniques to combat removal, and it can be quite tough.. if not impossible.. to remove them without formatting your hard-drive.
* Is that anti-spyware program really spyware?
* A Website dedicated to combating this epidemic is Spyware Warrior. It has a pretty good list of known rogues, and much more detailed information.

Today’s free download:  WOT is a free Internet security addon for your browser. It will keep you safe from online scams, identity theft, spyware, spam, viruses and unreliable shopping sites. WOT warns you before you interact with a risky Website. It’s easy and it’s free.

• Ratings for over 20 million websites
• Downloaded 1 million times
• The WOT browser addon is light and updates automatically
• WOT rating icons appear beside search results in Google, Yahoo!, Wikipedia, Gmail, etc.
• Settings can be customized to better protect your family
• WOT Security Scorecard shows rating details and user comments

Copyright 2007-8 © Tech Paul. All rights reserved. post to jaanix

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Skype says I’m infected with malware…

Yesterday a “chat” window (Skype) opened on my machine, and presented me with a dire warning from someone named “Software Update”. It said that “WINDOWS REQUIRES IMMEDIATE ATTENTION” and, it provided me with a solution.

(Click on image to see large version)

Please, folks, tell me you have spotted this for what it is.

Please tell me that you knew –instantly– that this is a cybercrime attempt.. that it is Phraud-ulent.

Please tell me that you know what will happen if the link provided in this message is clicked; and, please, please, please tell me you would never click the link.

Just in case you aren’t sure…
* “Software Update” doesn’t exist.
* “www.onlinemonitor.info” is not registered in ARIN (the registry of Internet addresses)
* clicking the link will allow scripts to run and/or take you to a poisoned Website which will install malware on your machine.. or/and, it may take you to a site that will sell you a rogue antispyware program (please read my article, Is that antispyware program really spyware).. all of this so that the hacker can take control of your machine.
* Microsoft DOES NOT alert you via Instant Messaging. No legitimate company does.

This is a classic example of a hacker’s attempt to get you to click their link. Please point your less-savvy friends and family to this article and educate them to the dangers of spam (unsolicited) messages and tell them–
NEVER CLICK THE LINK.

[addenda: Peter Parkes (Skype Blogger) wrote and asked me to remind my readers to, quote, “Please report users who send these messages to abuse@skype.net – that will help us to block them where appropriate.”]

Today’s free link(s): I have assembled on my Website a collection of links to the best free anti-malware programs to help you prevent infection.. and clean up if you’ve been infected. To see them, click here. Also, Bill Mullins has posted a very complete tutorial, Think You Have A Virus?– Some Solutions, which is quite probably the best one-stop lesson on malware I have ever run across. (I also recommend his How Fake/Rogue Software Affects Real People.)

Copyright 2007-8 Tech Paul. All rights reserved. post to jaanix

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