[Payne]

To avoid copywrite or advertising, I'll be vauge.

There is a very old virus/spyware that is resurfacing. The bastard is called "My Security Shield". This is basically a spyware that pops up as a virus detection software, that of course insists you buy to remove.

Why is this post important? I know of at least 2 "free" (and popular!) virus protection programs that have allowed this spyware to sneak passed its so called protection, and infect your computer.

The only way to delete it was to use a....lets call it a Malware removal program. But here is the important part, unless it is already update to 1.6somethingsomething, it wont see it either.

So to be safe, ensure you've updated all your virus protection engines. This one was a royal pain in the ass. I had to use my cellphone to seek solutions because it locked my internet to avoid searching, showing only the pay screen or what viruses it pretended to find.

Needless to say my free Anti-Malware program, has now been upgraded to a full purchaced version.

Update your engines! Takes only a few minutes

[kta]

It would be interesting to know how the 'virus' infected your system? If it came via a scripted event in the browser it would also be a good idea to use a saver browser.

KTA

[Payne]

I'm afraid I am not that technical.

I was just browsing pictures on a website, then wham, pop ups about how I'm infected and if I buy this program I'll be saved. Only thing I clicked was the next series of pictures. Website was "The Chive", and from what I know, a very popular website. So I shudder at how many others are being hit with this.

[Wids]

That sounds almost exactly like the Total XP Security bug that I picked up last year while visiting a website that was basically one big graffiti gallery. It took a coordinated effort among AVG Anti-Virus (full version), Malwarebytes anti-malware, Iolo System Mechanic and four or five tools (anti-virus, .DLL repair, registry repair and such) that I had to download on my work computer and bring home on a flash drive. And in the end, Windows XP was still too far destroyed by Total XP Security and I had to buy Windows 7 to get my computer up and running again; trying to reinstall Windows XP wouldn't work, either.

After that, I started to think that the law is too nice to convicted virus coders. They're obviously not being the least bit detered from vomiting their gratuitous nastiness all over the internet. :(