Hundreds of Systems Infected by Security Tool

As reported by the security experts at Best Buy Geek Squad, Texas, a new computer virus is ambuscading through the Web, contaminating hundreds of systems in the Permian Basin, USA.

Titled Security Tool or scareware, the virus targets any system logged on the Internet. This deceptive application belongs to the same group as System Security and Total Security 2009.

Best Buy Geek Squad technicians remarked that Security Tool is a miscreant anti-virus program that comes as an attached temporary file, as reported by newswest9.com on March 18, 2010.

Usually, bogus online anti-virus scanners, trojans and other various other malicious software are used to push Security Tool onto a user's system. The Tool automatically gets configured, when installed, to start when the user logs on.

System Tool's task is to imitate system scan and then display numerous types of infections which can't be eliminated until and unless the user buys the spiteful program. The files which the software detects during the scanning process are either legitimate system files or harmless which can never pose any sort of threat or damage to user's system. The victim will see 'Updating' if he clicks onto the Updates button; however, the technicians noted that actually, no such network activity is there.

According to the experts, this rogue security application blocks all the legit programs, anti-virus software in particular, to escape from being detected by legitimate security software.

Citing a case of a victim, Cecil Kelley, a Best Buy Geek Squad Technician, said that just for clicking on the malicious link, a lady got charged $ 300. Users must consider it critical to not to click on such links, else they may take away all the important information, according to a statement published by newswest9.com on March 18, 2010.

As explained by security technicians, the only way by which an antivirus program installed on a user's PC can spot these viruses is by scanning the full system at least once in a day. As a result of this practice, the rogue security software will victimize a person at initial stages only so that corrective steps can be taken to avoid greater losses.

Users are strongly recommended to think at least twice before clicking unknown links which can result in unwanted attacks.

» SPAMfighter News - 3/29/2010