The differences between adware, spyware, viruses and hijackware.

Viruses, adware, spyware and malware. 

Those terms can be confusing at times and even mind boggling when purchasing a product to remove malicious code from your computer. 

So what's the difference? And does it really matter?

Let's get down to what each does and how they work, then determine how to remove them.

Adware: Adware in itself is typically not harmful. In a broad sense it's the annoying pop-up ads. Adware often is bundled with free software downloaded from the internet and there's usually an option to opt out of the adware during the installation after the user accepts the EULA. (You know...the small print nobody ever reads while installing software)

An EULA which includes accepting the toolbar and advertisements/pop-ups before installing the software.

Adware is not malicious, and it does not spread to other computers/systems, however it can be annoying and sometime aggravating especially when you are unable to close the advertisement/pop-up window. 

Spyware: Spyware is any code written specifically to gather information and data about a person without their knowledge. That data can be anything from web surfing habits, pages which they visit, login information, banking websites, credit card information, and personal information.. Spyware can be deemed even worse than viruses as it is aimed to obtain personal information which can be used for identify theft. As more people or using online banking and email using spyware to gather personal information is a real concern.

Malwarebytes scan resuts of spyware

Spyware may be installed by clicking on an option in a pop-up or as a "drive by download".

Viruses: 

Malicious code that causes havoc on one system, then spreads to another. The code is written to duplicate itself either in the boot sector of the hard drive, in a program, or by email. Viruses can be activated by opening a certain program or lay dormant and activated on a certain date.A virus that spreads itself by a network message or email attachment are known as "worms".

Hijackware:

Hijackware is software that essentially takes over your browser in order to display a pop-up that advises the user their system is infected with a virus. It redirects the user to spam laden websites to download bogus antivirus software, when in fact the user is actually downloading spyware/viruses.

Hijackware popup

Hijackware may change the browser settings, such as the homepage, add a different search engine, add extra unwanted toolbars and change or add bookmarks.
Hijackware usually comes bundles within free software. Once the user installs the free software the hijackware is activated with it.

Antivirus Security Pro is an example of hijackware presenting itself as authentic "antivirus software". 

My next post will explain what types of software to use to remove viruses, spyware and malware in general.

Orig posted 1/11/16

Tech News: Over 1 million Android phones hacked

Over 1.3 million Google accounts, which include photos, documents and email have been accessed by hackers by way of apps which were not available on Google Play Store.

Checkpoint, a cyber security firm, has named the hacking campaign "Googligan" and has set up a website named "Googligan Check Point" for consumers to determine if their Google accounts have been hacked.

The infection begins when a user downloads and installs a Gooligan-infected app on a vulnerable Android device, or by clicking on malicious links in phishing attack messages. Checkpoint states the code is targeted towards Android devices which have The Jelly Bean, Kit Kat, and Lollipop versions of Googles operating system.

Google has since removed the apps from thier Play Store, which contain the malicious code. However the attacks are still prominent as 3rd party websites still list apps that contain malware.

Android users have the option to download unofficial apps from 3rd party vendors and websites, but it is advised not to due to incidents like these.

How to: Removing malware, viruses and spyware

Often malware, the overall term for any virus, worms, spyware, and adware, is installed and can infect a users system without their knowledge. By the time it's realized a system is infected, a system can have constant pop-ups, is slowed to a crawl when accessing files, unable to access or even leave specific web pages, or worse... you're not even able to access the internet at all.

The steps in removing malware are standard throughout the computer industry.

1. Enter Safe Mode
On a Windows system, Safe Mode is a diagnostic tool that includes only the minimum drivers needed to boot your system safely to the desktop without any settings or problematic software interfering. Once there, you can troubleshoot further, to eliminate the problem and boot the system normally again.

The following steps apply for Windows XP through Windows 8. If you have a Windows 10 machine, check out the PC Worlds' video how to enter Safe Mode here.

   a. Turn on (or reboot) your computer.
   You can find Safe Mode in your Advanced Boot Options menu.
   b. Wait for the computer to initialize the hardware and prepare to load the operating system.
   c. Press and hold the F8 key while you wait for the Windows logo to appear. if the Windows logo appears or if the operating system begins to load, you may need to restart the computer and try again.
   d.The Advanced Boot Options screen for Windows will appear. Use the arrow keys on your keyboard to select Safe Mode, and press Return.
   e. If you need access to the Internet or network while in Safe Mode, select Safe Mode with Networking.
   f. Windows will boot into Safe Mode. When the desktop appears, it will display 'Safe Mode' in all four corners to let you know that you're in this special mode.

For Windows 10 getting to Safe Mode is a little different. Check out PC Worlds' video here.

Once you're in Safe Mode, you may find that Windows runs faster. This is usually a good indication that your system has some sort of malware or just alot of programs which are supposed to run in the background at startup.

2. Delete/Remove Temporary files
Before conducting a virus scan you'll want to remove temporary files. Doing this will speed up the scan of the antivirus software. To use the Disk Cleanup utility included with Windows, enter diskcleanup in the search bar at the Start Menu, or select Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools, Disk Cleanup.

3. Download and install Antispyware/Antivirus software.
It's first recommended to install and run a program to remove spyware and adware first. A good tool for the job is Malwarebytes or Spybot Search & Destroy.

Then scan for antiviruses. There are a number of antivirus/antivirus software which come bundles with both antivirus, anti spyware that also scan for the entire malware spectrum. These commercial products such as Symantec or McAfee are known as 'End Point" software, are very reliable when detecting threats. Avg, Panda, and Kaspersky also provide well known products for removing viruses & spyware. The products come with a yearly subscription, however most of the companies offer a limited free version which scans for viruses only.

 Which provides the best protection? That my friends depends on who you ask. There are dozens of reviews on the internet. Just Google "Symantec vs Mcafee" ad you'll get a host of reviews comparing the two. CNET, PCworld and Techradar have some thorough reviews on antivirus/antispyware packages.

Whichever products you use, it's safe to say it's worth it to have your system stay clean and protected.

Malwarebytes - highly recommened

I come across many people who have issues with slow/sluggish computers having alot of pop-ups. Some of the causes is not viruses, but spyware. Malwarebytes is a very good program that scans for spyware, adaware, and rootkits. It's free, very thorough, and of course spyware free.