Remove "Security Tool" Spyware
If you start seeing this "Security Tool: Protect Your PC" pop-up, you have probably been pulling your hair since it tell your just about every file on your PC is infected. You select remove and it just won't go away. You click and X out and are trying to figure out how to just get back to work! Sorry my friend, it ain't happenin'...This program isn't here to protect you, it is adware designed to steal your info. First and foremost - DO NOT CLICK ANY OPTIONS THIS GIVE YOU!!!!! Clicking anything will only make matters worse.
Instead, follow these steps to get rid of this filthy, nasty, ugly, disgusting form of ad ware that is trying desperately to steal your personal info...
1) Reboot in safe mode (press F8 repeatedly)
2) Browse to C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data
3) Look for a folder with a name of 8 digits (ex 28907329) & delete this bitch!
4) Empty your recycle bin and reboot normally.
This will get rid of this junk but it may come back. These programs are pretty shifty and leave behind little files and other remnants that are hard to track down. If you have the means, I recommend saving all info that you know if good to a flash drive and then reinstalling the entire Operating System. This is the only true way to completely get rid of it. Extreme - I know - but this problem is a real pain in the keyster and will only return to haunt you at the absolute worst time. On a brighter note, once the OS is reinstalled, your PC will run faster & smoother than ever!
Feel free to email me at keith@phillykeith.com
My personalized tech support services are available to everyone worldwide! From small hardware purchases to online Social Media Strategies for business and everything else in between, talk to us before dropping a bundle elsewhere..
Labels: Security Tool, Security Tool: Protect Your PC removal, Spyware
posted by Philly Keith at 9:01 AM
1 Comments:
I've been plagued with this fake-antivirus stuff at work for the last year. I've seen Antispyware 2009/2010, Internet Antivirus Pro, Personal Antivirus, SecurityTool, Windows SecurityAlert... you name it, but it’s all the same crap. If you were to think it’s legit and click to remove, it usually takes you to a link to download the full version for $50. It’s funny because it turned out that the Conficker virus which was the big scare of last year simply download a fake antivirus as a money scam. One thing I read is that the makers of this stuff earn around $300,000 a month. Like you said… you have to be careful about the other pieces that come along with it that look to steal info.
The 2 main ways I see it getting in is either though a PDF exploit or by tricking the user into downloading. If you have Adobe Reader or Acrobat installed, make sure you have the latest version (9.3) otherwise your bound to stumble upon an infected site which will install it without you even knowing (see http://www.scmagazineus.com/drudge-report-others-serve-malicious-ads/article/149617/). The other big way is the infecting of Google search results which redirect you site that tricks you into downloading it.
McAfee, Norton and the other big antivirus apps do not do a good job of detecting and removing these, which is surprising because McAfee talks about “scareware” as being a top threat in their most recent Quarterly Threats Report. Thankfully I found 2 free utilities that do a great job of removing them: Malwarebytes and Superantispyware. If you run the quickscan with one or both, they should completely remove it. The best way to be safe though is to do what you said and reinstall the OS.
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