Weekly mini-blogs featuring signs you may be hacked and how to fix them.
Unwanted Browser Toolbars
This is probably the second most common form of exploitation. Suddenly, your browser has multiple new toolbars with names that seem to indicate the toolbar is supposed to help you. Unless you recognize the toolbar as coming from a very well-known vendor, it’s time to dump the bogus toolbar.
WHAT TO DO
You can usually avoid malicious toolbars by making sure that all your software is fully patched and by being on the lookout for free software that installs these tool bars. Hint: Read the licensing agreement. Toolbar installs are often pointed out in the licensing agreements that most people don’t read.
Most browsers allow you to review installed and active toolbars. Remove any you didn’t absolutely want to install. When in doubt, remove it. If the bogus toolbar isn’t listed there or you can’t easily remove it, see if your browser has an option to reset the browser back to its default settings. If this doesn’t work, follow the same instructions for fake antivirus messages below:
WHAT TO DO – BEFORE INFECTION
• Make sure your software is fully patched. Enable automatic update features in your Operating System and software applications.
• Make regular backups.
WHAT TO DO – AFTER INFECTION
1. Power down your computer. If you need to save anything, do so.
2. Boot up the computer system in Safe Mode, No Networking, and try to uninstall the newly installed software. Oftentimes it can be uninstalled like a regular program.
3. Restore a system backup from a state previous to exploitation.
4. Test the computer in regular mode and make sure that the fake antivirus warnings are gone.
5. Then follow up with a complete antivirus scan. Oftentimes, the scanner will find other remnants left behind and clean those up.
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