IT Security focus

Hello everyone,
I know I have not written on this blog since January and I do apologize. There have been a few changes in my life since then so I just have not had time to write any articles. RChase Computer Consulting is still going strong and I am currently evaluating the best avenue to further continue this blog. One of the my changes in my life is the career path that is seriously interesting me these days....IT Security. I am currently going back to school to finish a BS degree in IT Security and hopefully I will also complete the CISSP certification soon thereafter. Over the past few months, I have done some IT Security related projects at my job and I very much enjoy this area of IT. I plan on continuing to write on this blog but with an IT security focus. Mostly this means I will start to focus articles related to firewalls, virus protection, hacker attacks, and PC security. I will still continue to consult about PC upgrades and repairs but IT Security will be the focus going forward. Stay tuned for what I am learning about IT Security.

Google Redirect Virus Issues

Today I thought I would take a moment to discuss a serious issue that many of my friends and co-workers have experienced while doing Google web searches. There is something called the Google redirect virus which is an attack that hijacks Google search results and redirects the browser to unwanted malicious websites. The Google redirect virus is a well hidden malware program and its removal is nearly impossible under normal circumstances. Usually, TDL3 Rootkit or some other rootkit infection causes the Google redirect virus. It gets installed through a trojan horse and it hides your google search results and replaces them with spam advertisements or websites which promote malware or some other online scam. The Google Redirect Virus is not easily detected by Anti-virus programs and other security software and so its removal becomes even more difficult. By the way, it does not matter if you use Internet Explorer, Firefox or Google Chrome, the redirect virus affects all 3. Some people have even said that it affects other search engines such as Yahoo and Bing. I have only seen it affect Google searches.

I have come across this redirect virus over 30 times now and I've been able to clean it everytime. It is very difficult to clean manually so I recommend using an application known as FixRedirectVirus - a particular application which has been developed by a computer technician within the UK to eliminate the redirect virus on your computer. The owner of the software is so confident that the procedure will work that he is offering a 60 day full money-back guarantee. It may be worth it to get this issue resolved as fast as possible before it gets worse.


Download FixRedirectVirus

What to do When Your Favorite Malware Tools Fail

Try another one! Recently, I ran into some hardcore malware that was undetectable when I used my normal favorite two removal tools: Malwarebytes and Superantispyware. Mostly, I run into this problem with root-kit malware that is apparently undetectable at times.

But then there is program called Hitman Pro 3.5 that I discovered recently which, no joke, found the root-kit within seconds of being launched. I sat there for 30-40 minutes with the other tools and they found nothing. Hitman pro 3.5 found the malware within seconds!!! I rebooted the device and problem was solved.

What I like about Hitman Pro is that there is an install option that allows you to just run it once. Since it is a free application (there is a paid version), running it once keeps you legal if you need to run it on multiple PCs for a business or company that will not spend money for a corporate license.

So the next time, you think you are out of options, get a second opinion from Hitman Pro.

SuperAntiSpyware better than Malwarebytes Anti-Malware?

The answer to this question depends on which type of spyware or malware your PC has been attacked by. Recently, a variant of the Vundo trojan blocked me from installing Malwarebytes and that never happened before. So, I remember reading on Technibble an article about another spyware removal tool called SuperAntispyware. I installed this new tool and immediately, it detected the Vundo variant plus about 200 other issues. SuperAntiSpyware is free to install and use and is now being added to my personal tool list for spyware and malware removal. Of course, the free version does not auto-protect the computer so you would need to purchase the Professional addition to enable that support. But from all of the reviews on Technibble, it is definitely worth it.

Here is a link to download either version: SuperAntiSpyware

Unable to Complete Genuine Windows Validation

Ok....time to give credit where it is due. Miekiemoes helped me finish getting my friend's laptop back to normal tonight. If you read her post about the VIRUS ALERT! next to your system clock, you will discover exactly how fix this issue...I mean exactly....no joke....seriously. This post is so detailed that I actually made a joke in my comment to her asking if she created the virus! I worked on this laptop for 4 hours last night where at least I was successful in removing the virus categorized as Trojan horse agent.zak from his AVG scan. But the Trojan does some very strange things as Miekiemoes touches upon:

1) After pressing the start menu, most of your normal options are gone (like control panel, my documents, log off, etc). Apparently, the Trojan disables these items in an attempt to stop you from being able to remove the Trojan.

2)It also disables the registry (regedit.exe). Fixing spyware/virus laden computer in the past, getting into the registry is a MUST. I was shocked when I got a message saying "Your administrator has disabled registry access". Uh, hello, I was logged on as the Administrator!

3) Adds VIRUS ALERT! after the clock down in the system tray. Also in the Computer Properties area.

4)But the most annoying issue is the fact that the Trojan actually manages to delete your Windows Product ID. This then causes Microsoft to determine that your PC now has an illegal copy of Windows XP!!! Incredible! I've never seen a virus/spyware do something like this before!

As stated above.....I fixed everything based on the instructions listed here in Miekiemoes blog. If this ever happens to you, be sure to check her blog first.

IE7 slow to open

I finally figured out why IE7 has been opening slow for the past few weeks. At first, I blamed it on the fact that I have a totally wireless connection now on my desktop due to my current living situation. But that was not the problem. Then I decided to search Google for answers to IE7 slowness and I discovered some discussions but none related to me. So, I decided to add another hard drive to my PC with Vista preloaded on it to see if IE7 was still slow. And of course, it opened within 2 seconds (unlike the 17 second delay I had been experiencing).

side note: Firefox was slow as well.

The only difference besides the fact that this was a bare bones Windows Vista setup is that I did not have an Anti-virus program installed yet. Up until now, I had been using Computer Associates Internet Suite (free from Brighthouse). I had a stripped down version of only the Virus protection since Windows Defender is enabled by default on Vista. I decided to install the free version of AVG for Virus protection. Guess what....IE7 still opened within 2 seconds!

I guess I must have never noticed the slowdown or it just started. Maybe from the latest updates from Computer Associates. Anyway....AVG is now my virus protection software of choice for Windows Vista.

Programs with .exe file extension do not open

Recently, one of our work PCs was unable to execute any program ending in .exe. This can be very frustrating and immediately the client thought that the PC was infected with a virus. While this can happen, in this case, the program responsible for virus protection actually failed.

During the day, our office was in the middle of receiving some SMS packages related to the new Symantec EndPoint Protection. While 99% of the PCs were upgraded successfully, the PC in question failed to upgrade properly.

This then caused no application ending in .exe to open. I have never experienced this before! I was about to re-image the PC but that is the easy way out. If anyone knows me, I will troubleshoot an issue for hours if I have to. (In my opinion, that is the best way to learn).

So began my troubleshooting of this .exe issue. First, I was shocked that I could not even get to the Internet, but then I thought, oh yeah, Internet Explorer is an application so of course it will not open either! I went to another computer and began searching online for solutions. I found a website that already had the answer to my problem: exefix_xp.com

All I had to do was download this file and it fixed the registry entries for the .exe file association automatically.

Disclaimer: Do this at your own risk, even though its done automatically, your PC could crash and become unbootable. If you are able to, back up all important data before continuing.

You can find more information about this on Winhelponline.com

Top 10 Reasons to Hate Spyware

Ever since I've been helping people fix or repair their computers, spyware & computer viruses are usually the two culprits for most of their concerns. For the purposes of this article, we will only discuss spyware.

Here is a list of the top 10 activities that spyware can do after its installed on a PC: (By the way, these are in random order off the top of my head)


1) Monitor your keystrokes for reporting purposes.

2) Scan files located on your hard drive.

3) Snoop through applications on your desktop.

4) Install other spyware programs into your computer just by activating itself.

5) Read your cookies to interpret information.

6) Steal credit card numbers, passwords, and other personal information.

7) Change the default settings on your home page web browser. (Usually the homepage is changed to some random porn site)

8) Mutate into a second generation of spyware (see # 4 above) making it more difficult to eradicate.

9) Cause your computer to run slower....and slower....and slower......

10) Deliver annoying pop up advertisements basically causing your PC to lock up due to lack of available RAM.



Ok......I just thought about 2 more so now its a Top 12 list........



11) Add advertising links to web pages for which the author does not get paid. Instead, payment is directed to the spyware programmer that changed the original affiliate’s settings.

12) Provide the user with no uninstall option and places itself in unexpected or hidden places within your computer making it difficult or actually impossible to remove.

Stay tuned.....next we will discuss ways to remove spyware.

If you think you may have a virus instead, read my article on how not to get a virus.

How Not to Get a Virus on Your PC

The following is a list of tips on how NOT to get a virus on your PC. These are just tips that I have learned over the past few years from helping family and friends with computer troubleshooting.


1)Do not go to adult sites: This is, in my opinion, one of the easiest and quickest ways to get a virus or spyware.

2) Do not use P2P sites (like Kazaa or Limewire): For 2 reasons, its illegal and it’s the easiest way for some idiot to post a file called music.wma which may actually be a virus after you download it. Don’t take any chances, stay away from P2P sites.


3) Install a browser toolbar with a pop-up blocker: Although some web browsers have built-in pop blockers, its an added benefit to install a 2nd one because somehow, some pop-ups still get through.

4) Install anti-virus software: This is obvious, but so many people ignore it. If money is an issue, then just use AVG which is free. I use it on one of my PCs and it works great. It is not memory intensive and it scans daily in the background. If you were going to purchase one, stick with Norton. I’ve used them for over 5 yrs (3 different PCs) and rarely did I have any issues.

5) Keep antivirus software up to date: Another obvious one…..what good is anti-virus software if its outdated? If you purchased your AV software, make sure to renew it each time it expires.


6) Use a hardware firewall like a Linksys router: Never connect your PC or laptop directly to the DSL or cable modem! This is like leaving the front door to your house unlocked. Hackers attempt all day long to break into computers….don’t make it easy for them. Purchase a router. It will hide your PC from the Internet and then at least the hackers will have to attempt to hack through the router first (yes, this does happen to but unless the hacker is a pro, it will not happen).

7) Use built-in Windows XP/Vista firewall if you can not purchase a router yet: Next best option….still blocks most things by default.


8) Use Windows defender or Ad-Aware from Lavasoft to keep spyware/malware away: Ad-Aware is the best spyware remover that I have used. I use it at work and at home. There are multiple versions but the free version has always worked fine.

Following the above general tips should help you continue to stay virus and spyware free. Good luck!