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PC Malware Alert

Hand Lettering topics: Sign Making, Design, Fabrication, Letterheads, Sign Books.

Moderators: Ron Percell, Mike Jackson, Danny Baronian

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Danny Baronian
Site Admin
Posts: 638
Joined: Wed Apr 07, 2004 2:16 am
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PC Malware Alert

Post by Danny Baronian »

Since everyone here is posting on the computer, beware of a program it took a half hour to get rid of: ScannerSecurity 2012.

I received a message that SecurityScanner 2012 had been installed, though I did not search for, or select any tabs that would download such program.

Once the notification came up, notifications popped up every 2-3 minutes until I did a roll back a half hour later. In addition, it replaced my security program - Avast with securityscanner.

After a search for the program, trying to do a program uninstall, I called a friend that's an IT. He instructed me to do a system roll back, which set's the computer to an earlier date without changing or modifying files.

Even at that, securityscanner prevented a system roll back after numerous tries. Rebooted in safe mode, did a roll back solved the problem.

For further information, and a program to check for malware, check this site which is a reliable program, that the tech uses: http://deletemalware.blogspot.com/2011/ ... -2012.html

Follow the instructions from the above url. Under instructions, item 3 select Spybot S&D from the list to check for malware.

Danny
Danny Baronian
Baronian Mfg.
CNC Routing & Fabrication
http://www.baronian.com
Robare M. Novou
Posts: 424
Joined: Thu May 06, 2004 11:18 am
Location: Milwaukee
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Re: PC Malware Alert

Post by Robare M. Novou »

You gotta stop going to those porn sites Danny. :lol:

RMN
What's On Your Book Shelf ?

http://www.milwaukeesignworks.com
Ron Berlier
Posts: 245
Joined: Fri Apr 09, 2004 3:27 am

Re: PC Malware Alert

Post by Ron Berlier »

Danny, thanks for the information. Do you have any guesses where it might have come from? Sometimes those malware items can just drive you crazy trying to get rid of them. What antivirus/firewall/etc software are you using?

Ron
Ron Berlier
Wherever I go, there I am.
Danny Baronian
Site Admin
Posts: 638
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Re: PC Malware Alert

Post by Danny Baronian »

Hi Ron,

I was working in a program called ArtCam, and getting a file ready to run to the CNC. The program that loaded did so automatically, and continued to display warning messages every 2-3 minutes until the roll back close to an hour later. I had to get rid of it before running any files, not knowing what infected files would produce.

Firewall/antivirus is Avast, but the program that loaded, as I understand is malware, which can get in un aided.

Most antivirus programs that I'm aware of don't handle malware. After I did a roll back, I downloaded and ran SpyBot, which indicated the system is clean. I'll be in the habit of running that on a regular basis.

That was not a good way to end the day. Good that I got rid of it, not good that it occured.

Danny

PS Robare: Thanks for the heads up. That from experience? :D
Danny Baronian
Baronian Mfg.
CNC Routing & Fabrication
http://www.baronian.com
erik winkler
Posts: 1097
Joined: Sat Feb 23, 2008 5:48 pm
Location: Amsterdam Netherlands
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Re: PC Malware Alert

Post by erik winkler »

Danny,
Seems you were 'lucky' there....

May I use this thread to give my experience in losing a large amount of data?
We have 4 different pc stations in our firm.
1. Design unit
2. Plotter unit
3. Administration unit and checking invoices and design before they go out.
4. Printer unit

All are connected through a server, which makes us able to check and write emails from our firm while we are physically anywere in the world (toilet at chicago airport would be fun).
The server also makes it able for me to design on photoshop, illustrator etc on my own computer (number 1, the design unit) through internet.
If I am in Germany and there is internet, I can log in in my own computer and see my screen content of computer 1 in the firm.
Besides these handy connections and installs our server funtions as the data collector.
since 1984 my father was designing and vectorising logo's every day, we have thousands (and still we can find them...).
Most of them are out of date, but we charisch them just like our new files and designs.

Because of the value we give this date, we found it neccesary to back it up not once, not twice, but three times!!!
Our server had a 500gigabyte internal hardrive, wich was copying itself every 5 minutes to another 500gigabyte internal harddrive.
So when one crashes we still have a copy.

But when the fire would hit us, both of them would parish. Therefore we had an extra removable harddrive, which copied the complete data of the main internal hardrive every night.
Seemed a good idea, but still there is a flaw, what if in that one night the firm would burn to the ground?
Therefore we had another external hardrive and every friday we switched the external hardrive for the other one and placed the spare one for that week in a save at home.

Do you know Murphy's law? Well I know him personally! It happened that the main internal harddrive crashed, then the other internal hardrive began copying the lost/empty data space and as it was fridaynight it emptied the external one also. When on the next monday we realised what happened, chocolatemilk was allmost in my pants.
But thank god there was a third back up in the safe at home, so with trembling hands I plugged it in and...........
Murphy kicked my chocolatemilk as; the second external back up was broken also....

So there are two ways of recovering yor lost data:
1. With a special software program.
2. By opening the hardware in a laboratory by guys in a dust free suit and enviroment.

Number 1 did not succeed for all four harddisks.
So we had to go for number 2: costing 3000 euro's (3.976,20 us dollars)!!!

After a day of being sick in the stomach, we concluded: "No professionalism when there is no good filingsystem for our clients".
We had to do it.

So, no my advise:
We now have a contract with an external back-up-firm.
This firm asks 30 euro's (39,76 us dollars) a month for backing up throught the internet.
After signing the contract, they sended us an external hardrive, which we had to copy with our data.
Then sended to them through upc or something, the made a mother data place for us in their filing system.
And every file that we alter, delete or make will be seen by the online sytem as an alteration and will be copied in the night to their online backing up system.
Some days there are files of 900mb, but other days just 20mb.
Whenever we will loose something we give them a call, say on what date the file(s) was/were still there and they will push it through internet to our server.
A good and solid system and no more scary dreams.

Our sytemmanager also made a physicall copy of all our c- and d-drives which comtains the installed drivers, software, fonts and installation preferences.
They are copied online also, so if one computer breaks down: ome call and we copy our old computer to the new one and it will be like a computer clone.

Sometimes it is hard to tell about your failures, but I hope my experience will give some precaution ideas and will save you from a lot off pain.

Erikieeee
Realizing we are in the 2nd renaissance of the arts.
Learn, copy and trying to improve...
Still in the learning phase ;-)
Amsterdam Netherlands
www.ferrywinkler.nl
www.schitterend.eu
www.facebook.com/Schitterend.eu
Kevin Bergin
Posts: 24
Joined: Sat Apr 30, 2011 5:18 pm

Re: PC Malware Alert

Post by Kevin Bergin »

I use an online backup company called carbonite. I pay $229/year for 250GB of space, and my stuff automagically goes there over the internet. It's cheap insurance should something go wrong, and works without me doing anything. If I had to be involved in the backup process, the only time it would be done is 30 seconds after the big crash!

Check 'em out, Carbonite.com
Mike Jackson
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Joined: Tue Apr 06, 2004 11:02 pm
Location: Jackson Hole, WY
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Re: PC Malware Alert

Post by Mike Jackson »

Hi Kevin,
When I checked on Carbonite, it would not back up external drives. I suspect most people can get all of their files on their C and D drives, but I normally try to leave C with just programs and keep the data files on the external drives. That was a deal breaker for me at the time, not to mention I need about 10 terabytes of space.

Mike Jackson
Mike Jackson / co-administrator
Golden Era Studios
Vintage Ornamental Clip art
Jackson Hole, WY

Photography site:
Teton Images
Jackson Hole photography blog:
Best of the Tetons
Joshua Stewart
Posts: 5
Joined: Thu Mar 22, 2012 8:36 am

Re: PC Malware Alert

Post by Joshua Stewart »

I found malwarebytes to be a good program to remove all sorts of evil code :) other than that Windows security essentials do a pretty good job and it's free.
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