Avoiding Malware, Protecting your PC, and Warnings Re: P2P Sharing Software

While we try our hardest to avoid them, with malware being as it is today, accidents do happen from time to time. Neither this forum or the Analyst providing the advice can be held responsible for the loss of your data. You're following the instructions given at YOUR OWN RISK. We would suggest that you back up any data that’s important to you beforehand, just in case the worst happens.

1. As a general rule, your personal data should be backed up regularly for any unexpected eventuality. If you do not already have a process in place that backs up your data, it is highly recommended you do this now, before proceeding with the malware removal process.

2. If you have cracked (illegal) software installed then this maybe the main reason your computer is infected. Visiting cracksites/warezsites - and other questionable/illegal sites is always a risk.

Even a single click on the site can drop multiple forms of very serious malware, many of which disable your onboard protection, and System Restore.

If you install the cracked software, you are running executable files from these dubious, unknown sources. You are in effect giving these sources access to information on your hard disk, and potential control over the operation of your computer.

Additionally, cracked programs are illegal. Before posting for help, uninstall any such applications.


3. Uninstall the following via Add or Remove Programs in Control Panel:

If you have more than one antivirus software installed, leave only ONE and uninstall the others.

Also p2p programs like uTorrent, Bittorrent, LimeWire, Morpheus, etc., as they are a major conduit for malware and a likely source of your current issues.

Please read on......

Until recently, p2p file sharing was fairly safe. That's no longer true. Malware writers are increasingly and agressively exploiting them to spread their wares. There's a significant increase in the number of people infected via the use of P2P programs.

Running any type of p2p application will make one far more prone to infection by malware. The nature of P2P filesharing is so that even if one is using a "clean" program, many of the files downloaded from non-documented sources have the potential of being infected. More than half of all files available for download from peer-to-peer networks have been deliberately infected with some form of malware.

Most P2P file sharing programs are configured to automatically launch at startup and are also configured to allow other p2p users on the same network open access to a shared directory on the computer.

File sharing is based on this unfettered access to all computers across the p2p network. It's this practice that can make systems vulnerable not only to data and identity theft but also to becoming instrumental in the spread of malware.

Some examples how these programs become toxic:

• Poisoning attacks on the network (e.g. providing files whose contents are different than the description)
• Insertion of viruses to carried data (e.g. downloaded or carried files may be infected with viruses or other malware)
• Malware in the peer-to-peer network software itself (e.g. distributed software may contain spyware/malware)
• Identity attacks (e.g. tracking down the users of the network and harassing or legally attacking them)
• Spamming (e.g. sending unsolicited information across the network)