Make sure your pc isn't infected with DNSChanger before Monday 9 July.

It takes just a few seconds to use the free McAfee tool to check that your pc isn't infected with a nasty bit of malware that affects the way it locates internet addresses. This is from PC Advisor magazine:

The FBI estimates that as many as 275,000 PCs are still at risk of losing access to the Web on Monday when it pulls the plug on the DNS servers it has maintained to redirect PCs compromised with the DNSChanger malware to legitimate websites.

Read more: http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/news/security/3368412/there-is-no-excuse-for-still-being-infected-with-dnschanger/?cmpid=HTML-DN060712&olo=daily+news#ixzz1zx6tF8Jz

Chances are you're fine and if you have a decent and regularly updated protection system running then it should be keeping you safe but that sentence starts chances are... Make certain this weekend. Click this link or others available in their article and get the satisfaction of knowing that you have nothing to worry about. Remarkably, McAfee aren't even using this to try and sell us anything and I was pleasantly surprised at just how quick and ad-free the check was. So do it now. And relax.

Google goodies: Spy Doctor

Many of Google's goodies are well-hidden. Just found this good spyware and nasty things identification tool amongst their Google Pack offering. The pack includes a bundle of other stuff that you will either have or maybe not need but it is simple just to tick those that you want.

Interestingly, their SpyDoctor found a couple of items that Avast and CCleaner had missed. Hmm.

Bugs

Conficker started spreading last November, and there are many variants of the virus around that can spread in several different ways, including through infected USB drives. If you are worried that your PC might be infected, Microsoft have released a tool capable of removing several Conficker variants, plus several other malware infections. You can download it from here:
http://www.microsoft.com/security/malwareremove/default.mspx

Even if you don't think you've got a problem I would recommend downloading and running this and then repeating the scan once every week or two as I've seen several instances of decent anti-virus software being fooled by this.

By the way, this is a typical time for people to send all their friends mail foretelling great disaster and so on. Just remember to check in at snopes.com (link to the virus and hoax page) before taking any notice.

Scareware - don't get fooled again!

As The Who said.

You may remember AntiVirus2008 or whatever it was called. You get this message that says you need to get protection which takes you to a site where you were asked to pay money for some software that didn't actually do anything. The virus itself didn't do much in the first place but was very annoying and damn difficult to remove. I know from experience, which is why I want to tell you about the latest, much nastier development.

Called Antivirus2009, you'll get it by downloading some dodgy software or clicking a link in an e-mail to a site that's set to install it and, whereas its predecessor did nothing much, 2009 encrypts your files so that you can't read them. Now that is a pain. So then you will need their FileFix Professional program to unencrypt them. And that'll cost you $50.

There are, unfortunately, so many e-mails going around frightening people about all kinds of totally invented risks and calamities that warnings about this genuine one may also get ignored as yet another hoax. So be particularly careful until your virus protection programme has caught up with this threat and is capable of keeping you out of trouble or, at least, warning you that something's amiss in that innocent-looking music, video or Pictures of Lily download.

Are your friends getting odd e-mails from you?

You may not know about it if your friends are polite but your computer could be mailing everyone on your address list a whole load of stuff if you've got a virus. The one that everyone's talking about at the moment is called Conficker and, whilst supposed to do things on 1 April could well rumble away in the background and mail out or share information any other day in reality. I've already had a few examples from people I hadn't expected to be victims but who may not have got the important patches when they were released by Microsoft.

To make this as simple as possible, if you have any doubts (and especially if the computer's been running sluggishly on occasion) follow the instructions below to see whether you have the necessary Windows update file. (XP and Vista versions coutesy of Office Watch. There are links to the patch if you need it.

Windows XP

Go to Control Panel | Programs and Features | Add or Remove Programs then check the ‘Show Updates’ box and wait for the long list of updates to appear. Scroll down to the list of updates under ‘Windows XP – Software Updates’:

Windows XP - Conflicker patch details.jpg

Scroll down the long list and look at the ‘KB’ references – the one you want to find is KB958644 .

The Windows XP patch if you don’t have it installed.

Windows Vista

Go to Control Panel | Programs and Features | Installed Updates. It may take a little time for the entire list to appear including all the Windows patches.

Windows Vista - Conflicker patch details.jpg

Scroll down the long list and look at the ‘KB’ references – the one you want to find it KB958644 .

The Windows Vista patch if you don’t have it installed.

December bugs

You can hardly have missed all the news about Microsoft's Internet Explorer 7 having a pretty disastrous hole that could let sites you visit collect data.

According to The Register, an estimated one in 500 users worldwide have been exposed to the vulnerability, Microsoft estimates. The volume of attacks grew by 50 per cent from Friday until Saturday alone with little sign of a let-up. It's highly unusual for Redmond to quote such stats, and the fact it has underlines the mounting seriousness of the problem.

At first it was reckoned that only IE 7 users were affected, but further analysis suggests that versions 5.01, 6, and 8 of the browser are also vulnerable.

A patch has been released by Microsoft so do make sure you get it and install it. If you have Windows updates turned on to automatic then it should by now have been downloaded but you may still have to click a little yellow shield icon in the tray near the clock to install it. If you aren't sure, just visit Windows Update and follow the instructions.

While you're at it, download Firefox or Google Chrome and use one of them instead. You may still need Microsoft's product for some banks and other sites but the alternatives are currently safer (and quicker!)
A couple of viruses are also doing the rounds:

If you do have either, there are removal instructions available. Let me know if you need them.

W32.Tidserv

This virus copies itself to removable storage (flash drives, external USB drives etc).

A quick way to discover if your PC is infected is to search for the following file:

Windows Vista Home Premium/Vista Home Basic/XP: C:\Windows\System32\dll.dll
Windows 2000: C:\Winnt\System32\dll.dll
Windows Me/98SE: C:\Windows\System\dll.dll

W32.Randsom.A

As with the previous virus, W32.Randsom.A copies itself to removable storage.

A quick way to discover if your PC is infected is to search for the following file:

Windows Vista Home Premium/Vista Home Basic/XP/Me/98SE: C:\Windows\TEMP\errir.exe
Windows 2000: C:\WINNT\Temp\errir.exe