Can Creating Your Own Encryption Keys Prevent NSA Spying?

Could we prevent NSA spying if every user was able to create their own encryption key? The NSA has been retrieving data from some of the largest companies for years, and that is because they were able to gain access to their servers (with or without permission details are still not known), and that means that they could in theory bypass encrypted information. What If we allowed every user to create their own encryption key.

When you encrypt something on lets say Google they have a set algorithm that will scramble those letters into nonsense data. Except to a programmer, who could in theory reverse engineer the algorithm. While this is very unlikely it is technically possible which would mean that if they did not know about the snooping a programmer managed to reverse engineer the algorithm and therefore know every encrypted piece of data. Now this is common with poorly built algorithms which are open to many flaws, but is it possible that every tech company made the same mistake or that there was some sort of work around.

Therefore if anyone had the ability to create their own encryption key would it be possible to block all of that snooping? For instance if everyone could write and disguise their own password could they get past it? The answer to this is yes and no, and it can be both. The reason is they cant discover every ones password UNLESS they all started to use the same formula. For instance a password of 123 is encrypted as abc, and this other guy is 456 with a password of def, then it would be possible. The best way for this to work is if everyone had their own unique system or tied it to something random. Famous equations can be reversed engineered easily.

For us to do this, we would literally have to rewrite most of our current security solutions, because the idea would take so much time, and resources but would it pay off.

The idea sounds amazing on pen and paper, however most users are lazy. Most people refuse to use 2-step verification why would they write their own encryption key? Security? Privacy? The fact is both of these would improve, but how do you convince the consumer to do something like this, and that is why the idea has not been explored. The average users do not care enough to actually work on something like this.

Comodo an internet security firm has started to use this in their cloud back-up service. They give 5 gigabytes free, so this might be something to look into if you wish to secure your documents under your own lock and key.

Visit Their Site: Here!

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Jumpshot Review

Jumpshot is a little program that was funded through kick starter with a very simple idea. The idea was to create an all in one fix it tool for your computer. Jumpshot was able to do it, and they did it in a friendly fashion. Jumpshot uses these cartoon characters to explain what the program does. Lets take a look at the inner workings of the program known as Jumpshot.


Features

• Kills Malware. Jumpshot has it's own malware removal tool.
• Deletes Junk Files. Jumpshot it able to remove useless files that are stuck on your computer.
• Check For Windows Updates. Jumpshot compares your computer's updates to that publicly released by Microsoft.
• Detects failing Hardware. Jumpshot will check your computer for windows errors and warn you about them to prevent data loss.
• Fixes startup. Jumpshot will check your computer for start up items that take abnormally long time and either disable them or place them on delay.

You can see more information about Jumpshots' features here. http://www.jumpshot.com/

My Experience

When I downloaded Jumpshot I gave the program 3 tries to work without using their simple UI version. Jumpshot failed to clean my computer after all 3 tests. I then proceeded to use their Simple UI, and it hang after three more tests. I gave Jumpshot 5 minutes, and it froze at the same point, now unless the program takes more than 5 minutes to start the cleaning process, then they need to work on that. However it didn't work because everytime Jumpshot told me that they were unable to clean my computer and asked to restart the process. This program sounds great on pen and paper, but if it fails after 6 different tests, then there is something fundamentally wrong. Maybe the program is not fully windows 8 compatible. Maybe the program is broken. I don't know the source of the problem, but there is a problem that needs to be sorted out.

Issues To Be Fixed

• Fix start up issues.
• Allow the users to control what is being fixed.

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Virus Total Uploader Review

Apple G5s at the Lange Nacht der Wissenschaften 2006, de:HTW-Dresden (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Virus total which was bought by Google has a great tool, which allows any user to submit a download up to 32mb to be scanned by 40+ antivirus engines. The best thing about this tool, is it allows you to scan downloads before they get on to your computer, and it lets you know whether it is safe for you to continue with that download. This tool is a great way to improve your computer's security while also not using a lot of space on your computer. However there are some issues with this product, and we will go over them.

Features

Submit before download: This allows a download to be submitted before it touches the hard drive. What virus total did was allow the download to pass through the memory so that your computer is safe from any malicious files during the scan.

Submit Any File: Virus total also allows you to submit any file or folder up to 32mb for scanning. This is a great way to make sure that you don't have any form of ransomware on your computer. For instance if you downloaded a new toolbar and want to make sure it is safe. You can upload it right from your computer and virus total will scan the item to tell you if it is safe or if it has been detected as malware.

Upload a Process: Virus total can submit a process running on your computer. So if you believe that their is a malicious item running. This is such a useful tool especially if you don't know what is running on your computer.

Issues

You may only submit 32mb at once: The issue with this is the website allows you to submit up to 64mb so why not allow us to use the full 64mb that we get from the website?

You can only submit 1 file at a time: The biggest issue with virus total uploader is that you may only submit 1 file or folder at once. This can greatly slow down the time it takes to check a new program which is why I recommend that you only submit the install file.

Why Did Google Buy It?

Google bought the company for it's relationship with antivirus companies. What Google needs to do is start using this scanner for all of the Android apps that are submitted. If they fail on any of the tests then they should have to resubmit the app after the issue was resolved. Google has not done with the company and has basically let it sit there which is very sad, but there might be a reason for it. When Google first bought the company they did not really announce it so everyone knew and that might because they have something cooking with it. Maybe they are going to shut the idea down, who knows but what I do know is that Google needs to start utilizing this tool.

Related articles

• PhrozenSoft VirusTotal Uploader 2.0 is out !
• What Is A Trojan:JS/Seedabutor.B
• Trojan.Zbot!gen41

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Trojan.Blackrev

This malware was first analyzed by Symantec go visit them why don't you?

This malware is was first discovered by the Symantec corporation, and they found this to be a low level threat I am going to disagree with that statement, and I will explain why.

What Does It Do?

This malware infects the computer by downloading some sort of rogue software, and it is meant to turn the computer into a zombie. They then use this new "zombie" computer to send out DDOS attacks to the websites of the creators choice. This malware once installed onto the computer will change its name so that it is not noticeable to you. The most common name is explorer.exe which would be the windows explorer name so you would not think anything of the program. Something that you must keep in mind is about how much has the program spread. Now the malware is very well contained, and there is not any large breakouts as of now so we are in the clear for now, but the only way to prevent the malware is for you to learn and protect your self from it.

Symptoms

Your computer will restart at random times for no apparent reason, this can be used as a way for the malware to through you off or to prevent you from uninstalling it. This is generally a clear cut sign that there is a form of malware on the computer or that your computer is facing hardware issues. You can also notice computer slowdown because all malware does tend a tool on your computer especially one that has been "zombified". You will also notice your computer acting strangely whether it is random applications opening or you are visiting random websites without actually doing anything. When this happens it means that the malware creator has already taken control of the computer.

Threat Level Medium

The reason that I classify this malware as a medium level threat is because of the goal and the use of the malware. Now while the malware is not common it is still a threat if you had the malware, and this is something that you don't want to have. Now it is not classified as High, Severe, or Critical is because it is easily stopped such as turning the computer off and using the AVG rescue CD to remove it. It is higher than a level of Low, or Very Low is because the malware does some serious damage and could do more if more people had the malware.

Removal

You can remove the malware by using the secondary scanners below, and they will detect the malware. However you need to realize that if one of them says that your computer is safe there is still a chance that the computer is infected with some sort of malware. So make sure to use two or three of the scanners below. I recommend that you use Malwarebytes and HitmanPro because they are the most powerful secondary scanners on the market. If you are having a hard time accessing the internet then you should use the AVG Rescue CD which can be found here.

Protection

If you want to protect against the malware you will want an up to date antivirus and firewall. I recommend that you use Ad Aware Antivirus or Avast Free Antivirus because these two have always found malware that someone else has missed. But make sure that you only use one of the above antivirus products because we want to avoid confliction between them. For your firewall I recommend that you use Comodo free firewall which offers the best HIPS protection in the industry, and it contains a ton of extra features like the Sandbox and the Comodo Kiosk.

Second Opinion Malware Scanners!

HitmanPro- http://www.surfright.nl/en/hitmanpro/

Panda Active Scan- http://www.pandasecurity.com/homeusers/solutions/activescan/

Malwarebytes- http://www.malwarebytes.org/

Super AntiSpyware- http://www.superantispyware.com/

Bitdefender Quick Scan- http://quickscan.bitdefender.com/

Norton Power Eraser- http://security.symantec.com/nbrt/npe.aspx

Kaspersky TDSSKiller- http://kaspersky-tdsskiller.en.softonic.com/

McAfee Stinger- http://www.mcafee.com/us/downloads/free-tools/stinger.aspx

Trend Micro House Call- http://housecall.trendmicro.com/

Eset Onlne Scanner- http://www.eset.com/us/online-scanner/

Dr.Web CureIt! - http://www.freedrweb.com/cureit/

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Trojan.Zbot!gen41

Today we will be discussing a new form of malware that was released 5/16/2013 and that is the
Trojan.Zbot!gen41 this particular variation of trojan has very specific directions on what to target but at the same time it was poorly written and it is easy to detect. So lets dive into this new malware sample, and by the end of this you will know how to avoid the trojan and remove the program the program from your computer.

Effects

This malware was designed to specifically go after important bank information and goes through a number of ways to get it. The trojan will even try going through your saved files and passwords on internet explorer to retrieve important passwords. The Zeus trojan also goes through any programs such as Thunderbird which it will try to gather any passwords for the email accounts that are being used. So as you can tell the point of this program is to gather any and all passwords that it can get it's hands on. Now after the malware has gotten onto the computer it will try to download a worm which was identified by Symantec as the W32.Waledac. After the computer gets these malicious items on it the creator can feed the trojan commands and tell it to do various commands such as: shutdown the computer, reboot the computer, delete files, and delete important system files which requires you to reinstall the operating system.

Signs Of Infection

The computer will be running slower however this is commonly shared with all forms of malware. There are other main signs such as the computer randomly shutting down or rebooting which should not be happening but this is generally a clear cut sign of malware, or some form of a driver issue. Which might also lead to random shutdowns, but you want to check all possibilities before trying to fix the issue. So please go down to the secondary scanners and run any combination of them to see if your computer is infected.

Removal

You can remove the malware by using the secondary scanners below, and they will detect the malware. However you need to realize that if one of them says that your computer is safe there is still a chance that the computer is infected with some sort of malware. So make sure to use two or three of the scanners below. I recommend that you use Malwarebytes and HitmanPro because they are the most powerful secondary scanners on the market.

Protection

If you want to protect against the malware you will want an up to date antivirus and firewall. I recommend that you use Ad Aware Antivirus or Avast Free Antivirus because these two have always found malware that someone else has missed. But make sure that you only use one of the above antivirus products because we want to avoid confliction between them. For your firewall I recommend that you use Comodo free firewall which offers the best HIPS protection in the industry, and it contains a ton of extra features like the Sandbox and the Comodo Kiosk.

Secondary Malware Scanners 

1. HitmanPro- http://www.surfright.nl/en/hitmanpro/
2. Panda Active Scan- http://www.pandasecurity.com/homeusers/solutions/activescan/
3. Malwarebytes- http://www.malwarebytes.org/
4. Super AntiSpyware- http://www.superantispyware.com/
5. Bitdefender Quick Scan- http://quickscan.bitdefender.com/
6. Norton Power Eraser- http://security.symantec.com/nbrt/npe.aspx
7. Kaspersky TDSSKiller- http://kaspersky-tdsskiller.en.softonic.com/
8. McAfee Stinger- http://www.mcafee.com/us/downloads/free-tools/stinger.aspx
9. Trend Micro House Call- http://housecall.trendmicro.com/
10. Eset Onlne Scanner- http://www.eset.com/us/online-scanner/
11. Dr.Web CureIt! - http://www.freedrweb.com/cureit/

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W32.Phopifas!gen2

This family of malware is known as the Phopifas family. This is another family of worms that has done some major damage in the past. Just last year alone Phopifas!gen1 was responsible for 2.5 million infections. This was a wide spread malware at the time, and it started with the rise of Skype. Now while it is not as well known today this malware is a smaller threat to companies such as Symantec and Bitdefender who have labeled this threat as Low Level Risk. The reason for this was the malware is not widely spread, and the malware has already been identified once.


Origin 
The origin of this malware was first found via a Skype link were there was a message along the lines of Were did you get this picture? Or is this picture really of you? Or even i cant believe that you would do that. These messages want the user to click the link to see what the image is unfortunately they don't know they are headed to a malicious site. This malware has been transferred in many other forms of social networks including Facebook. After they go to the download page they download the image in a ZIP file which strikes many people as odd but they continue with it anyways. The malware is in the folder and is apparently the second downloaded item.

Effects
This malware has in some cases contained some other forms of malware such as trojans. However since the malware has been used by many other people it is hard to tell what the exact type of malware was being spread. The purpose of the worm is to spread its self to other users by using the same social media source that it originated from. So one person get the worm then their skype account sends out the same message that they received to spread the malware even more. Now the other malware that the ZIP file contains has mostly been isolated to trojans, however some cases have been reported to contain viruses, rootkits, and others. As with any worm be sure to avoid using a USB drive or connecting to your internet or there is a risk that this malware will spread to other users on the same network.

Removal
The removal process is quiet simple you will want to delete the zip file that you downloaded and use one of the secondary scanners below. After that I recommend that you change your Skype password because it might have been compromised during the infection. Now if your antivirus is not detecting or removing the malware then you can try booting into safe mode and deleting the file that way to wipe it out for good.

Protection
As always have some sort of antivirus and firewall installed on your computer and make sure that they are being updated daily. Even if you have these installed to click on any suspicious links that you may come across on skype or Facebook. The reason is if the malware is new and the company does not have it in their signatures or database then you will be in trouble because the antivirus program cant help you. So just because your system is protected don't be daring and try to download the file.

Secondary Malware Scanners 
HitmanPro: http://www.surfright.nl/en/hitmanpro/
Panda Active Scan: http://www.pandasecurity.com/homeusers/solutions/activescan/
Malwarebytes: http://www.malwarebytes.org/
Super AntiSpyware: http://www.superantispyware.com/
Bitdefender Quick Scan: http://quickscan.bitdefender.com/
Norton Power Eraser: http://security.symantec.com/nbrt/npe.aspx

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Packed.Generic.410

Pay our friends over there at Symantec a visit why don't you?

Symantec corporation has identified a newly released threat which they have labeled as a Packed.Generic.410 please remember that just because another company labels it something different it does not mean that it is different. This particular piece of malware which I believe is a trojan based off of its actions. While this variation of trojan is not a major threat to you please keep your computer safe by downloading safe programs from trusted websites. Now lets break this malware down.

Simple Name Break Down
Packed = This means that it is a packer. A packer is a program that has been packed with some sort of security. Whether it was a password or a special algorithm, they are generally weak and not a serious threat.
Generic = This just means that it is another common variation of a packer.

Effects
The thing to keep in mind with these packers is that they are very weak, and are generally a low level threat to the user. Now since it is a trojan you should still take it as a threat to your bank information and other account information. These "packer trojans" generally get onto the computer and are released when extracted UNLESS they are self extracting which is a possibility. These trojans are generally downloaded from an infected computer. They can be downloaded from emails but as email systems are becoming more and more secure these are slowly being weaned out. So always download safe programs from safe and well trusted websites and these packers wont be an issue.

Removal
As always run a scan with an antivirus program from my secondary scanner list at the bottom of the post. You will also want to delete the source whether you downloaded a zip file or it was an exe file. It is also recommended to delete your internet files and cookies because we don't know what other modifications that it made to your computer. After you use the scanners and delete the cookies you should not have to worry about them, but if you feel that the trojan still remains post a comment below.

Protection
Download any of the free antivirus products below and update them. If you have an antivirus program please remember to update it daily. If you don't know whether your product is safe or a trusted program ask in the comments below or consult this short list. Again just because it is not on the list does not mean that it is not a trusting program.
Avg- http://free.avg.com/us-en/homepage
Avast- http://www.avast.com/en-us/index
Bitdefender- http://www.bitdefender.com/
Ad Aware- http://www.lavasoft.com/
Avira- http://www.avira.com/en/avira-free-antivirus
Panda- http://free.pandasecurity.com/
Comodo- http://www.comodo.com/
Microsoft Security Essentials- http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/security-essentials-download
Windows Defender- Installed on all windows 8 machines

Secondary Scanners

HitmanPro: http://www.surfright.nl/en/hitmanpro/
Panda Active Scan: http://www.pandasecurity.com/homeusers/solutions/activescan/
Malwarebytes: http://www.malwarebytes.org/
Super AntiSpyware: http://www.superantispyware.com/
Bitdefender Quick Scan: http://quickscan.bitdefender.com/
Norton Power Eraser: http://security.symantec.com/nbrt/npe.aspx

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Malware: WN32.Changeup!gen41

A new string of the Changeup family of malware was detected and categorized by Symantec today. This malware is quite strange because it a low level worm. Generally when someone writes a worm it is meant to be very difficult to remove however Symantec marks it as a low level threat. Lets explore this family of malware and explain what it is meant to do to your computer.

Possible Infection Routes

You will contract a worm generally by downloading some sort of unsafe program. However they are also commonly shared by USB drives and the USB was infected for downloading the unsafe program and either it replicated its self onto the USB, or it was installed onto it. Since it is a worm we also know that it was possibly spread through the network from another infected machine. This is one of the reason any Network Manager or IT professional hates to deal with worms.

Effects

This malware is very similar in its effects compared to any form of worm. It will set its self to autorun so that it will always run with the computer on start up. This is so common with malware that it is almost not worth mentioning. The worm is meant for two main things. The first thing being that a worm spreads to other users through any means necessary. The second main thing is to download more malware onto the computer. This malware is generally trojans that will steal information from your computer. Now think about this the worm spreads to as many computers as it can. It will then try to download trojans and more malware onto the computer. This technique is meant to steal as much information (credit card, banking, etc..) so the author can make money. There is also a thought that these worms are part of an affiliate scheme to were the author says if you pay me (insert dollar amount here) then I will get this many downloads.

Removal

Scan your computer with any secondary scanners at the bottom of this post. You should also check anyone else that was on your network or if you used a flash drive. While you might get malware from the flash drive your antivirus product will detect it if it was already updated. You will want to disconnect your self from the internet if you feel like your computer does have the malware after you downloaded a scanner. The reason for this is you want to reduce any chances of getting the malware onto another computer or it makes removing it that much more difficult.

Protection

Don't download any programs if you cant prove that they are safe or if they are from a trusted partner of the owners. For instance I could download Microsoft word but if I got it from some random site then even though the product is safe they might have added malware to that package. You should also keep an updated antivirus product on your computer to protect it in case you do run into the malware.

Secondary Scanners

HitmanPro: http://www.surfright.nl/en/hitmanpro/
Panda Active Scan: http://www.pandasecurity.com/homeusers/solutions/activescan/
Malwarebytes: http://www.malwarebytes.org/
Super AntiSpyware: http://www.superantispyware.com/
Bitdefender Quick Scan: http://quickscan.bitdefender.com/
Norton Power Eraser: http://security.symantec.com/nbrt/npe.aspx

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Securing Your Computer For Free Complete Guide

As we all know our computers contain all sorts of important information and a lot of us can lose it all if we are not careful. You bank, shop, and work from computer and imagine what would happen if you lost that information or your files were deleted by a virus or stolen by a trojan. There is even the chance that your computer could have a keylogger on it right now stealing all of your passwords. So how will you protect that computer and all of its content? Well that is what we are here to help you with.

Internet Browser

The fact of the matter is that your internet browser is the main gateway for your computer to contract malware. The most common way to get malware is from going to a malicious website were an unsafe script was running. So you will want an internet browser that is safe, but more importantly you want tools for that browser that can make it even safer. So let us begin here.

Google Chrome   - Click To Go To Download Page
Google Chrome is the most secure browser that is currently released. So why settle for something like Internet Explorer? Some places of work do this because the websites they use are so out of date that only old version of Internet Explorer work. The built in protection from Google Chrome surpasses that of Bing. This can be seen from a recent Av-Test were bing contained 5 times the amount of malicious sites compared to Google which was the most secure. The journal can be downloaded from their site here.

Extensions
WOT- Scans all websites and images and gives them a rating from users this greatly increases the security.
Bitdefender Traffic Light- Scans all websites and gives their ratings from Bitdefender.
Avast Online Security- Gives website ratings by avast antivirus databases.

Use any 2 of the above or use all 3. But note that this can reduce search speed for older machines.

Firewall

The firewall is the main form of defense to protect your computer from malware and infected sites. You can think of the internet browser as some sort of Gateway, but the Firewall is your computers get keeper. Now as a home user you should not bother with buying a firewall but you should also not use the stock firewall that is built into windows. This firewall has always scored low on the Leak Tests so you will want a firewall that is free comes pre optimized and has a nice UI.

Comodo Firewall   -  Click To Go To Download Page 
Comodo firewall scores very well on the leak test and it comes with a sandbox for you to test newly downloaded software. The best thing is that this program comes pre configured for your experience. You shouldn't try to mess with the settings and configure them because there is a chance that it could backfire, and you cut off your own internet connection.

Antivirus 

We all want some form of antivirus on our computer because this is whats going to stop our computer from getting infected from the malware in the first place. Now Windows does have its own antivirus product, but this scores so poorly in testing that it is not worth your time especially when there are better free alternatives. Please make sure that you only download well known and trusted antivirus products because there are plenty of fake antivirus software out there.

Avast Free Antivirus - Click To Go To Download Page
Avast Free Antivirus is one of the very few programs that offer complete protection. Not to mention that the Avast user interface is so easy to use and it allows people to block websites from within with their own custom list. The great thing is that it blocks those as well as those blocked by Avast from their updates.

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Malware: Trojan:Win32/Urausy.D

A new piece of Ransomware that is running around that was classified by Microsoft as Trojan:Win32/Urausy.D. This family of malware is Win32/Urausy which is a family of Ransomware that takes over your computer by displaying some form of false FBI or local Polic Department message saying that your computer is locked. Down so what do we do with this form of malware? This family of Trojans has been growing more and more common in recent times only because it has proven to be successful for the people who are making it. Some would disagree with the term industry however this is a multi million dollar industry. Which is why they keep making it all because people do not know about these fake programs and they don't protect their computers. The sad fact is that the USA which is one of the most advanced countries we are also the most heavily infected country in the world. You take 1 look at any statistic or malware map, and the US has the largest amount of infected computers. So lets just jump into the effects of this Trojan on your computer.

Effects?

This form of malware does do some strange things to the computer however it is what you would expect from any form of Ransomware. The program practically takes control of your computer by displaying this fake message and says you must pay, or your computer will lose internet access. As we know though this is a fake message and you should not pay them or it will continue the cycle. This program is disguises its self as Skype through the form of Skype.(filename) and it fools the user into thinking that this is a trust worthy program.

Now the program is meant to pop-up on launch and will do it when trying to access the internet so removing it can be a pain. However it will not be that hard to remove it if you use another computer to download some sort of tools. Just remember that you should never pay for the program because this will just end up taking money away from you and the problem will still exist. You shouldn't bother contacting your ISP because this is on your side and they cant help you when it comes to removing the malware.

Removal
1.Get a USB drive.
2. Download the AVG Rescue CD
3. Follow the steps that are given on the site.
4. Run the tool on the infected machine.
5. Let it clean any files that it detects.

After That
1. Delete the AVG Rescue CD from your USB.
2. Download HitmanPro Kickstart
3. Follow the steps given on the website.
4. Run the tool on the infected machine.
5. Let it clean any files that it detects.

After that your machine should be fine. Make sure that you download some sort of antivirus software, and to keep your computer protected from further infections follow my guide on securing your computer.
The article can be found here!

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What Is A Trojan:JS/Seedabutor.B

This piece of malware has grown very quickly and is becoming a very troubling form of malware for home users. This piece of malware was first classified by Microsoft on January 11th of this year. They were able to patch their program to detect this malware, yet it has become a growing threat because of out dated or just the lack of antivirus. So if you want to remove the malware skip to the bottom of the post and follow the very simple removal guide.

What Is It?

Well to take it from the name classification you will notice that it is a trojan, but there is more to it. This particular trojan was meant to be transmitted through Javascript which is what all website include. Well most of them do there are some who try to accommodate to those who don't use Java. This particular trojan is put into your temporary internet files and will start to redirect your browser to other sites. Now the sites seem to have been random in order but they were put there for someone to make money. The trojan is easily removable, and anyone can do it with a very simple tool or by going into their browser and deleting the temporary internet files. Something I found interesting is when the trojan activated some of the servers it sent were not available which meant that the trojan probably was from some sort of hacked website that was repaired.

Interesting though that this became such a large threat so quickly. This issue while not very large in the public did get the attention of security experts quickly.

Removal

Very simple removal process by deleting your temporary internet files.
Download Ccleaner- Then the process should be self explanatory. http://www.piriform.com/ccleaner
Afterwards, you can uninstall or keep the software it is free so it is up to you.

Now I recommend that you use a form of secondary scanner such as Hitman pro. This will scan for any remnants of the malware if there are any. It will also scan for other forms of malware that you may have contracted from the infected links. If you want some powerful secondary scanners then check out my post here were I give you a very quick list about secondary scanners.

List Here

After Removal

Alright after you removed the malware the next thing that you must do is update or in some cases install some sort of antivirus software. If you need to update your program just launch it and look around for the update. It might be under some sort of tab such as maintenance, settings, update etc..

If you are looking for some sort of antivirus software then try one of the free programs below. Please remember not to download both only use 1 of them. Also make sure that you don't have any other form of antivirus software on your computer while you download these or there can be possible conflicts. 

Ad Aware- http://www.lavasoft.com/products/ad_aware_free.php

Avast- http://www.avast.com/index

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List Of Second Opinon Malware Scanners

Why Do I Need A Secondary Malware Scanner?
You want a secondary scanner because no 1 antivirus program can keep you safe from every threat it is completely impossible. You can't expect a company to do that either it would be insane we would need thousands of technicians and programs scanning every website every IP, and it would be chaos. To make an example out of this. Does a sports team ever go in without a reserve? NO they always carry a reserve why? Because if one gets injured then they are out. The same thing applies to malware scanners you need more than one.

Below Is the list that you are looking for.

1. HitmanPro- http://www.surfright.nl/en/hitmanpro/
2. Panda Active Scan- http://www.pandasecurity.com/homeusers/solutions/activescan/
3. Malwarebytes- http://www.malwarebytes.org/
4. Super AntiSpyware- http://www.superantispyware.com/
5. Bitdefender Quick Scan- http://quickscan.bitdefender.com/
6. Norton Power Eraser- http://security.symantec.com/nbrt/npe.aspx
7. Kaspersky TDSSKiller- http://kaspersky-tdsskiller.en.softonic.com/
8. McAfee Stinger- http://www.mcafee.com/us/downloads/free-tools/stinger.aspx
9. Trend Micro House Call- http://housecall.trendmicro.com/
10. Eset Onlne Scanner- http://www.eset.com/us/online-scanner/
11. Dr.Web CureIt! - http://www.freedrweb.com/cureit/

All of these are working as of the time of this post.

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What Is A Second Opinon Malware Scanner?

A second opinion malware scanner is one of your best friends in the world. No but seriously a second opinion malware scanner is something that everyone should use but most don't. Many people believe that since they an antivirus program that they are safe from malware completely without question. Then they end up on the phone with Geek Squad asking "how do I remove this virus"? To which the Geek Squad member replied "you need to buy the newest Microsoft office". The only way to stop malware is to avoid bad sites, but having some already and not knowing is the worst thing that you can do to your computer.

What Is A Second Opinion Malware Scanner?

This is basically a scanner that you have on your computer that offers no protection, but scans for malware to try and find what others miss. These are so crucial especially when there is such as spike in malware distribution you need to make sure your computer is safe. Now these scanners don't replace an antivirus program but they are crucial to have around for the safety of your computer. The amount of malware in the world increase by thousand's daily whether it is a different variation or an entirely new type of malware all of them are bad.

Why Do I Need A Secondary Malware Scanner?

You want a secondary scanner because no 1 antivirus program can keep you safe from every threat it is completely impossible. You can't expect a company to do that either it would be insane we would need thousands of technicians and programs scanning every website every IP, and it would be chaos. To make an example out of this. Does a sports team ever go in without a reserve? NO they always carry a reserve why? Because if one gets injured then they are out. The same thing applies to malware scanners you need more than one.

How Many Should I Use?

Well I say use 2 in conjunction with your main antivirus. This will reduce your chances of getting controlled by malware and possible destruction of the computer. You could lose everything if you don't get rid of the malware then it causes Windows to crash at launch, and this is something that you don't want. You should run them weekly or daily depending on how active you are on the computer and what it is you do. Run them if your computer has a strange slow down or there is an unusual slowdown of your computer.

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Does A Home User Need To Pay For Antivirus?

There are a lot of people out there who think that it is necessary to pay for an antivirus program, but the sad truth is that is not true at all. While paid programs do offer more protection the average user won't do anything that a free program like Avast, or Ad Aware couldn't handle. If you are business then yes pay for the extra protection because there is a lot of vital information on those computers, but the home user does not need it. People think that if it is free it is not effective but the sad truth is on tests the paid version does score slightly better sometimes but most of the time they are EQUAL.

Why Is Free Antivirus Good

To make it simple when it comes to protecting your computer from malware such as viruses and trojans a free program is effective to keep you safe. You also don't have to shell out the money to pay for the license of the paid version. To make it simple when an antivirus program scans your computer is looks at what the file is doing and sees if it is in the database. A paid program and a free program still have access to the exact same database so why pay. While malware is evolving and becoming more complex there are a lot of free programs for your computer that save you money and are just as good.

Paid Comes With More Features

That is true a paid program does come with more secure features, but let me ask you. Do you know how to use those features? If yes then the offer might entice you. But if you don't you are taking their word thinking it is more secure even though you have no clue how it works. While the features are nice you don't need them for a home user. When will you need to configure your own custom firewall and block ports? Most people don't know what that means or how to set it up. So it is not necessary for you so don't waste your money on it.

What Should I Do Then?

You need a good combination of firewall and antivirus. So I have a guide that can be found here on that but below I will give you a basic set up that I recommend.

Avast Free Antivirus- Really good protection simple and comes great right out of the box.
Online Armor Free Firewall- One of the best firewalls in the industry and comes with a lot of nice features to protect your computer.
Spyware Blaster- Does not provide protection, but they update the program to add unsafe sites to your block list.

Links

Avast- http://www.avast.com/en-us/index

Online Armor- http://www.online-armor.com/products-online-armor-free.php

Spyware Blaster- http://www.brightfort.com/spywareblaster.html

My Article - http://thedailyexposition.blogspot.com/2013/04/how-to-secure-my-computer-for-free.html

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What Is Adware

Adware one of the most commonly misunderstood form of malware right next to the common virus. The issue with Adware is people try to assume that they know what it is but the thing to keep in mind with Adware is it rarely comes alone. When it comes to malware Adware is one of the most common types but it is generally coupled with a form of malware such as a Trojan or spyware. None of these will break the computer, but they are annoying and can get some information about you if you are not careful.

What Is Adware

Adware is a form of malware that as it title says is meant to get revenue for the creator in the form of ads. Now they are generally harmless depending on the ad agency that they used but many of them can get your private information. Most forms of adware come in the form of a toolbar. This is because they can easily integrate into your web browser making it really easy to display the ads. They are generally shown from some sort of java code so turning off java should end the ads but we want to get rid of them permanently.

Removal

This is very dependent on the type of malware that you have on your computer. If it is a toolbar then that is very simple to remove and I have explained that in an article which is located here. But what if this is not a toolbar and is a file. This is where it gets to be annoying, because we either have to find the file its self or use a variety of malware scanners. Since it would be to difficult to diagnose every type of adware that there is and where it is located we will use scanners to do the work for us. But you must first ask yourself have I downloaded anything recently? If so what was it. Generally adware is contracted through some sort of download so first look at every program that you have downloaded. If it is not from a trusted company such as Microsoft or adobe then LOOK THEM UP. Chances are that is where the malware is coming from.

Now let's say that your malware is some form of file and not a program. I am not going to force you to look through folders and thousands of files. That would take hours, and it is just unnecessary. So we will be using scanners to do all of the real work for us. Scroll down to the bottom of this post for the links to the scanners. Use HitmanPro first this will probably find all of the malware first and it does not require you to install it.

Protection

As always you should have antivirus and a functioning firewall for your computer. I have written a guide on protecting your computer from malware. The guide is located here and gives you free recommendations to protect your computer.

Scanners

HitmanPro: http://www.surfright.nl/en/hitmanpro/
Panda Active Scan: http://www.pandasecurity.com/homeusers/solutions/activescan/
Malwarebytes: http://www.malwarebytes.org/
Super AntiSpyware: http://www.superantispyware.com/
Bitdefender Quick Scan: http://quickscan.bitdefender.com/

Use This One At Your Own Risk. The power eraser is very sensitive.
Norton Power Eraser: http://security.symantec.com/nbrt/npe.aspx

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What Is Scareware

Scareware is a form of malware that is meant to scare the user to think that their machine is infected with malware. This is a large distributor of malware because so many fall for its trick. So below I will cover all you need to know about this form of malware and what to do if you come in contact with scareware. As always you should never download anything that it tells you to or your computer will be infected. Scareware was very popular a couple years back but it has slowed in recent times.

What Does It Do

Scareware is generally seen in the browser or it will pop up on the screen. It will say something like windows is running a virus scan and it spits out a menu telling you to download some software. This software comes with a trojan and some sort of ransomware. This why it got the name of scareware while they themselves don't contain malware they do encourage the download of it. Generally it is in the form of trojans and ransomware.

How Do I Detect It

You will be able to detect them fairly quickly but the trick is to not fall for what it says. For instance you might get a pop up saying windows is scanning for viruses  The first issue is nothing in windows will tell you that it is scanning for viruses. Many programs do however windows its self cant. Another thing is after the scan it prompts you to download a program. Now the real issue if windows could scan for viruses then why cant it remove them without this other software. That is because this is a malicious download. You will not be able to tell before hand unless you have a tool that tells you whether a site is safe or not before you go to it.

Protection?

There are not a lot of ways to protect yourself other than to not download the software that it tells you. You should also avoid popups and ads that tell you that there is something wrong with your machine. These are generally a bad sign unless you are using something such as the bit defender quick scan.

Summary

While these are generally harmless the best thing for you to do when online is never to download the program that they tell you to. You should also try making your browser more secure by adding extensions such as WOT or read my article about Securing Google Chrome.

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What Is Ransomware

Ransomware is another form of malware that is one of the hardest forms of malware to remove. One of the worst things about ransomware is that it can come with other forms of malware such as viruses, trojans, and many other forms of malware. The main thing that you must keep in mind with ransomware is that antivirus software has a hard time detecting it. That and you will have a hard time removing it, so below I will go into ransomeware into great detail. I will also give you some tricks that you can do to try and remove it.

What Is Ransomware

Ransomware is a form of malware that is disguised as a legitimate program such as an antivirus program. This is why a lot of people tend to fall for these programs but what makes them worse is that they bring more malware with them to put your system in danger. You could say ransomware is some form of double agent that gets into your computer and looks like a friend but is really working for the enemy. It is pretty easy to notice ransoware once it is on the computer and it is infected but it may not be so easy when you are searching around on the web. The big hit for your computer is some weird fine or cost to use the program or in the case of the money pack scam  a way to unlock the computer.

What Is It Meant To Do

Ransomware is meant to steal credit card information and to take your money. This is a form of scam that people have been making millions of dollars from. The above example is what is known as the money pack scam which is where the person gets that message and it blocks them from connecting to the internet. The worst part is even if someone does "pay to unlock their computer" it will still be locked.

What To Do If I Have Ransomware Removal Guide

If you suspect that you have a ransomware program then you will need to determine your situation. Can I connect to the internet? Can I use a system restore? Generally your best bet is to try a system restore and if that does not work then you will need to try some other tools.

1. Use the AVG rescue CD. This nice tool is very nice for detecting malware and removing malware that is preventing your computer from starting up. It can be downloaded here. Download from another computer and burn it to a dvd like they show on the site.

2. After you have run the tool and you launch your computer determine the situation. Can you connect to the internet? If so then continue with the steps with the letter A marked. If not then follow the numbers with the letter B attached to it.

3A. So now you can connect to the internet you will need to go to another site and scan your computer for malware I recommend using Hit Man Pro which can be downloaded here.

3B. So you can't connect to the internet which means that you still have malware attached to your computer. So instead of you trying to go into the registry right away lets try to use another tool to remove the malware. I recommend that you try the Kaspersky Rescue Disk to try and remove more malware. You can use a Disk or a USB for this scanner. This disk can be downloaded here.  

4A. After you have removed any remnants of the malware I recommend that you download some sort of antivirus. I have created a guide on securing your computer which you can see here.

4B. Alright now that you have used both of those rescue disks your computer should be able to connect to the computer but lets just say that it does not below I will give you some more tips.

5A. After you have selected your choice of antivirus and firewall then you should be good just remember to not download anything that seems suspicious unless you are in a testing environment.

5B. You can try one last rescue tool and if that does not work we will need to find the files manually. The last tool that I recommend using is the Hitman Pro Kick-start which will scan everything on boot up and remove it. The best thing is that this tool can remove the money pack scam. You can download that here.

6A. You have concluded this part of the removal and protection process.

6B. After all of that you should be able to boot up the computer and log into the internet. After that follow my guide on protecting your computer from malware and you should be safe. That guide can be found here.

**If that does not work still then please try getting a friend to help you remove the files by hand**

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How To Remove Any Toolbar

Toolbars are one of the most commonly downloaded forms of malware, and the issue that comes is they can be hard to remove, and they are annoying to deal with. For instance the ask toolbar is the most known, and it also contains many forms of adware and spyware. Now some people claim that it takes hours to remove this and to get there browser functional again, and well I have to say it is really not that easy for it to be removed. To completely remove all the registry items by hand is something that I don't recommend for a novice user because if you delete the wrong item your computer can have a BSOD and you will need to reinstall windows.

How Did I Get The Toolbar?

Well it is generally transmitted through sites such as Cnet and certain downloads include the option because they are getting paid to have it. Very rarely do people actively search out the Ask toolbar because of it's malicious intent unless it is for testing reasons. Most antivirus software does not block this, and it is concerning because this is malware and it needs to end. The fact that companies are including with their products is bad.

How Do I Remove It?

Well removing a toolbar is not difficult and for uninstalling it I recommend that you use the Iobit Uninstaller which allows you to remove any item, and it will delete remaining files and almost all of the registry items. You can use the basic uninstall mode or you can click the arrow at the top and click force uninstall. This will remove all of the files and the registry items. You will also want to scan the computer with an antivirus software such as Hitman Pro. You will also want to reset the browsers home screen menu to any website and change the default search engine.

Why Is Wrong With These Toolbars?

Other then containing malware they can also change your web results so that you can be lead to sites that are paying the company. So in simple terms it can change what website that you go to. It can also take information about what sites you go to manipulate the results and ads. It may also contain a trojan, but this is very rare. So basically while it does not generally take private information it does mess with results, and it takes your search results to make money.

Summary

ONLY USE trusted toolbars these are generally from antivirus companies or even a Google toolbar. There are some safe toolbars that I think are good, but no real toolbar is necessary.
http://safeweb.norton.com/lite
http://toolbar.lavasoft.com/
http://www.google.com/toolbar/ie/index.html
http://www.siteadvisor.com/download/windows.html

Don't Use
http://www.avg.com/us-en/secure-search
http://sp.ask.com/toolbar/install/apnasktoolbar/download.php
http://babylon-toolbar-on-ie.updatestar.com/


Removal Tools
http://www.surfright.nl/en/hitmanpro/
http://www.iobit.com/advanceduninstaller.html

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Is The Ad Aware Tool Bar Malware?

Now a lot of people who don't know what they are talking about is giving Blekko and Ad Aware a bad name by saying that their toolbar is malware. Well I hate to break the truth but there is no malware with Blekko or Ad Aware. Yes I have tested it and according to virus total (this site scans the item with 40+ scanners) it came back with 0/45 no internet security companies have marked Blekko as malware. This pokes a huge whole into every ones theory about Blekko being bad.

Do You Use The Tool Bar?

Yes but I don't use internet explorer that much so I don't really use it that much. However, when I am in internet explorer of course I have the tool bar. It does slow the browsing speed, but I don't notice it that much and I do like that Blekko and Ad Aware are working together to make their searches safer.

Is Blekko Malware?

No the site Blekko does not contain any malware adware or otherwise I have not detected, and form of malware on the site and neither have any major antivirus companies. So I ask why do people like to ruin its name? The item is safe, but people seem to have this idea that if you don't search with Google, Bing, or Yahoo that site has malware. This is not true, and while Blekko is not as well known as Google with their partnership with Ad Aware the web will be a safer place whether we want it to or not.

Is The Toolbar Malware?

No again the malware contains no form of malware. Why would an antivirus company give you a toolbar that contain malware. Keep in mind that it is not a Blekko toolbar this is an Ad Aware toolbar so then you are saying that the company is selling you malware. Not to mention no main companies have detected anything wrong with this site and with its growth over the years we might see more people using this over the traditional search engine. Not to mention you can ask any tech savvy person and they could tell you right away whether or not it is malware. The biggest hints are that it does not track anything, and it is not persistently running so go figure it out with those 2 hints.

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Attention All Bloggers Sociable Ad Ware

Many bloggers use the app known as sociable which allows people to share their site with a click of a button however from my recent testing this is a redirect scam and is actually malware, and I am advising anyone using it to remove the gadget. I have posted what to do about this issue and at the bottom of the post I recommend that you use one of the scanners to check for malware that may have come with this mistake of an app. Also please advise your readers about the issue or you will suffer from that as well.

What Does It Do?

The app places and ad beneath it from Clicksor and it gives the author revenue for everyone visiting your website. However, I tested it on one of my dummy blogs and it has a redirect to another unknown website for more money. There have been reports of malware being spread from this such as trojans but not large antivirus dealers have reported on it. This is affecting thousands of websites, and the creator is under fire. There have also been reports of this displaying adult related ads that can get you in trouble with Adsense so please report this problem.

The gadget is rerouting the user or viewer to various ads and moves them to as many as possible. The ads have been known to contain but are not limited to ransomware, scareware, trojans, keyloggers, spyware and more. Please if you visit a site that is acting strangely don't panic just close all the windows and DON'T CLICK ON THE ADS. This will get you very badly and can cause your computer to be infected.

The script is actually very annoying because it keeps resetting its self if it can't finish so it will sit there loading if blocked try to force its way through the browsers block. If you do go to a website that has this then make sure that you have a good pop-up blocker. For chrome and Firefox use no script or better pop-up blocker and the script should not be able to load.

What Do I Do

First thing you need to do is remove the gadget immediately.
Second thing you need to do is go to the blogger forum and report this with your website.
Third thing get someone to check the website.
Fourth, You need to check your site for any more redirect because this is a serious issue.
Fifth thing for you to do is scan your computer with any of the antimalware programs at the bottom of this post and advise your readers to do so if they have fallen for the trap.

What Do I Do In The Mean Time?

If you are looking for another share program then the best thing for you do is to find a replacement I use share this. It is the floating bar that you see on the side of the screen. Also if you fear that you are getting malware from this then please use one of the links below and stay tuned for more information.




HitmanPro: http://www.surfright.nl/en/hitmanpro/
Panda Active Scan: http://www.pandasecurity.com/homeusers/solutions/activescan/
Malwarebytes: http://www.malwarebytes.org/
Super AntiSpyware: http://www.superantispyware.com/
Bitdefender Quick Scan: http://quickscan.bitdefender.com/
Norton Power Eraser: http://security.symantec.com/nbrt/npe.aspx     Doesn't recommend unless you are seriously infected. Please red before removing files with that.
- See more at: http://thedailyexposition.blogspot.com/2013/04/what-is-keylogger.html#sthash.rJvFcjPf.dpuf

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