Virus Blackmail Trojans Attack

A harmful virus is currently in circulation that disconnects computers from the Internet and only releases the connection again after a code has been entered that can only be obtained from an expensive premium SMS service. Avira has been aware of the malware for some time and protects its users accordingly.

The blackmail Trojan currently being reported by the media is disguised as an installation program for a download manager. If a user runs the program, however, all he will see is a message in Russian claiming he has violated the conditions for use. The malware then blocks the computer’s Internet connection and requires the user to obtain a release code using a costly premium SMS service.

Virus Blackmail Trojans Attack

A harmful virus is currently in circulation that disconnects computers from the Internet and only releases the connection again after a code has been entered that can only be obtained from an expensive premium SMS service. Avira has been aware of the malware for some time and protects its users accordingly.

The blackmail Trojan currently being reported by the media is disguised as an installation program for a download manager. If a user runs the program, however, all he will see is a message in Russian claiming he has violated the conditions for use. The malware then blocks the computer’s Internet connection and requires the user to obtain a release code using a costly premium SMS service.

10 ways to detect malware from computer

1. Microsoft Process Explorer (formerly Sysinternals)
Process Explorer provides an excellent way to determine what processes are running on a computer. It also describes the function of each process. More important, you can use Process Explorer to create a baseline of the running processes used by the computer when it's operating correctly. If for some reason the computer starts behaving poorly, run Process Explorer again and compare the scans. Any differences will be good places to start looking for malware.

2. Trend Micro's HiJackThis
HiJackThis is Process Explorer on steroids, making the application somewhat daunting to those of us not completely familiar with operating systems. Still, running HiJackThis before having malware problems creates a great reference baseline, making it easy to spot changes. If it's too late to run a baseline scan, do not fear. Several Web sites offer online applications that will automatically analyze the log file from HiJackThis, pointing out possible conflicts. Two that I use are HiJackThis.de Security and NetworkTechs.com. If you would rather have trained experts help, I would recommend WindowSecurity.com's HiJackThis forum.