Nasty Virus

Beware of the Silent Banker

Yesterday, Steve sent me an e-mail about a nasty little Trojan virus that steals information from your computer when you attempt to log in to your banking Web site. So, if you do any kind of online banking, you should keep an eye out for this one. The Trojan has been named SilentBanker and seeing how it works, that is a very good name for it. This little bug works by changing your log on information in a fashion that will pass your data (and money) on to the attacker. It will change the log on screen for your bank just slightly and you will be asked to re-enter your password.

The little box asking you to re-enter your information is the Trojan's own code and it will redirect your information to the hacker's chosen location. Here is a screenshot taken from the Symantec Web site that shows what all of this looks like.

If your original log in screen looks like this:


The Trojan will make it look like this:


I know those are in another language, but you get the idea. The Trojan has added the bottom box that asks for your password again.

The worst thing about this Trojan is that it will still work even if your banking site is a secure site. That's possible because the attack happens in between your computer and the bank's Web site. According to Symantec, this bug is set up to attack 400 different banking sites in several different countries. At this time, the Trojan is labeled at a low threat level, but I thought it would be a good idea to bring it to everyone's attention today, simply because of the damage it can cause.

If you feel like you may be infected with this Trojan or you want to ensure that you're not, Symantec has detailed removal instructions that are available on their Web site. The directions can be found here.

Note: Steps 2 and 3 are written for Norton Antivirus users only. If you don't use Norton Antivirus, just skip past those two steps, update the antivirus software you do use and then run a full system scan. Until next time, stay safe out there, my friends!

~ Gary

Wow, bad stuff.

I'll have to tell me family about this. I don't believe any of them use banking websites, but better safe than sorry.

yes indeed, and as always keep your virus scanner up-to-date!!

And if you don't have one, you should get Avast or AVG for free.

I use Avast! personally. It's a dandy little program. Great stuff.

Thanks for the alert, Kotie!

No problem for it to warn you about it.

Also what i had gotten yesterday for a warning / tip about Ransomware.

I'm sure all of you have heard of worms, Trojans, adware, spyware and viruses, right? Those nasty little bugs are the reason for troublesome computer problems throughout the world. Well, today, I have a new type of attack to add to the list. This type of bug is called ransomware. Ransomware has been around for awhile in the computer world, but it hasn't really taken off until recently.

So, what is ransomware, you ask?

Well, ransomware is technically a program. It basically takes over your computer and then requires you to pay to get your system back to normal. Usually, it will infect your system through a bad Web site or via a pop up window, but it can also come in through an e-mail attachment or a download. Once your system is infected with the bad software, it will let you know right away. More than likely, you will see a screen come up that tells you what damage will be done to your computer if you don't pay in time. It will require you to pay in a certain way and in turn, you will be given a code to turn off the software and stop the damage from continuing.

There are a couple well known ransomware programs currently in use around the Web. One is called Ransom.A. That program will tell you it will destroy one file every 30 minutes until the ransom is paid. This program seems very bad, but in reality, it does no damage to your system. It is simply a scare tactic to get you to pay the fee. While this specific ransomware causes no damage to your system, there are several others that truly do what they say. Those programs can cause serious harm to your computer or they simply just embarrass the infected user by popping up pornographic material on their screen.

No matter what the damage, it's important to protect your computer against these growing threats. The good news is you don't need to have any additional protection on your system to shield you from ransomware. If you keep your antivirus software up to date and have a good pop up blocker, you will remain safe from these threats. If your system should end up infected with one of these programs, do not panic and do not pay the ransom! It's best to run a full system scan with your antivirus software instead. The program can then be found and removed. If it's not removed, your antivirus company should give you a link to a Web site with removal steps. Until next time, stay safe out there, my friends!

~ Gary