Latest malware scam: Fake disk defrag tools

wconeybeer

Latest malware scam: Fake disk defrag tools.

Security software development and malware research company GFI Labs has issued a warning that fake disk defragmenting utilities have begun circulating and spreading malware across the web since last month.


Read the full article here: http://www.myce.com/news/latest-malw...g-tools-37768/


Please note that the reactions from the complete site will be synched below.

coolcolors

Here's a new train of thought... "Nothing is ever free"... And "Life is never Fair"...so before you think your getting something for free investigate it and know for fact it is legit and safe product. There are plenty of freeware and shareware out there but they don't come advertising to you-you have to make the effort to find and search for them. We all now days are a give give to me society without thinking of the consequences it lead down the road. I seen and fix to many computer where the users don't take a little time and read and learn about using the computer and the internet. A little time would go along way to give peace and mind when surfing the net and downloading programs or browsing sites. It doesn't take Genius to get one's one computer infected but it does take alot Brain power to some common sense which alot of people seem to leave behind once they enter the internet. They go dumb and become zombies for the malware and spyware to catch them off guard and they come crying how come my computer is acting funny.

AllanDeGroot

Most importantly NEVER download ANYTHING from a pop-up ad.

If you must download something get if from a reputable source
cnet, FileHippo, etc...

If anyone wants a Ffee defragging program there is a selection of them in the free downloads at cnet.com.

AD

olyteddy

And why the heck bother with a DeFrag tool to begin with? That seems targeted toward wanna-be 'tweakers'....

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Dartman

Win7 seems to have some sort of auto defrag tool now anyways. Every time I check the status of my drives it never shows any of them need any defrag attention.
I used to have to do that frequently with the other OS's I've used. Like said I could find all kinds of legit ones free to download that didn't have any spyware or other baddies built in, just look up some reviews and the good ones become readily apparent.

olyteddy

Good advice for any download. Get it at a reliable place, read the reviews, check th D/L count, run a virus scan before installing, all common sense.

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coolcolors

Yes, as always get the software from reputable site and scan it or go to the local electronic software retailer and buy it from them. There are some simple rules to follow that goes along way to avoid being the malware infected computer. Just like the others have said get it from a reputable site and stop responding to pops up as they aren't a safe way to truly tell you what your getting...kill those pops or advertisement. And as always use "Common sense" this is something those whom grew up in the electronic age has long forgotten.....and only realize to late if they even know they got infected.....

Seán

Windows 7 does its own disk defragmentation in the background. Even with Windows XP which requires manual defragmentation, from my own stopwatch tests, unless the hard disk is in a severely fragmented state where it is constantly above 90% capacity usage, defragmentation has very little realworld difference on fragmentation. Part of the reason is due to Windows XP/Vista/7's prefetch features which defrag and sort frequently used applications.

If you need a free HDD defrag tool, there are plenty out there, such as Smart Defrag and Defraggler.

For cleaning out junk files and the registry, it's hard to beat CCCleaner, also a freeware product.

As for drivers, I tend to stick with existing drivers unless I've a problem with one or see that the new driver has significant performance improvement. I've already had experience of updating a device driver only to result in an unstable computer, one time several years ago with an IDE driver that resulted in me having to reinstall the OS.

If you get a persistent pop-up like this or anything else claiming to fix a problem by purchasing a product, you've got a Malware problem.

Generally most pop-ups like these occur while browsing by displaying a large animated GIF or flash video to appear like a utility/scanner, so my advice to people is that if they get a pop-up like this, click Start -> Shutdown and Reboot. It's better to put up with a few minutes inconvenience rebooting the PC than trying to tackle a pop-up and actually ending up installing the malware, since the 'x', 'cancel', etc. buttons are usually fake.

BitRate

Hardly new

This type of malware has been doing the rounds since Windows 95 first appeared. Any serious power user or person with common sense would use a secure operating system that is immune from such nonsense. That's why I run GNU/Linux and don't have to deal with this garbage.

coolcolors

unfortunately even those have problems... but the downside is you basically limited yourself to software out there that 90% plus use is for windows based not Unix as what you elude to. So before saying jump maybe you should see how many actually still Windows is the bigger market share and if you want software you either go with having more choices or being limited in what you can do. Windows command the majority of the computing world and that isn't going to change anytime soon. Plus more software company will write to Windows before they commit to Unix programs...

olyteddy

Linux isn't immune. It's just that its market share is generally speaking a handful of obscure geeks. The malware people are looking for big numbers so it just makes sense to attack the biggest market segment (and also the one with the most clueless users) which is Windows.

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AllanDeGroot

As I said to a friend who is a die-hard Linux believer:

Here's a machine, set up Linux on it so it'll run these applications.... (list provided to him)
I'm still waiting... THREE YEARS later... It seems it can't be done.

So I take the typical Linux user's hyperbole with about as much belief as I give to an Obama campaign promise.

You don't see many Mac Viri either... atleast not that get publicised...

But Mac users are typically "more clueless" than Windows operators.

AD

Whappo

Give me a list of programs (what they do, not who makes them). I've honestly never used an AV or firewall on any of my Windows machines either.

coolcolors

And probably not connected to the internet...then...

coolcolors

That is pure BS...all politicans make promise....he is no different what is different is the color of his skin...I can guarantee if he was white ... no one would make that claim...that was just made... "FACT"

How about we stick to the topic and "Facts"....

Whappo

Au contraire mon ami.

mciahel

A very nice article about these fake defragmenters has been published on MS Technet:
http://blogs.technet.com/b/mmpc/arch...-scamware.aspx

Michael

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