Blog

08.10.09

Have you ever been surfing the internet and encountered a pop-up window that contained some kind of "security alert" informing you that your computer had been scanned and that a virus had been found?  If you have, common sense might have led you to click one of the buttons in the window for more information.  Or you may have decided that the pop-up window might be some kind of advertisement and clicked the "X" to close the window and get on with your life.  Both decisions sound like reasonable courses of action, right?

Unfortunately, both of these courses of action could have installed spyware, malware, or viruses on your computer.  As computer users have become more aware of the risk of unintentionally downloading unwanted software, the creators of viruses and spyware have become more deceptive in their approach.  And a common method they now use to trick you into installing their software is the creation of pop-up windows that claim to be some kind of ant-virus scanning service.  These pop-up windows, which may look legitimate (see the example pictured above), can be set up to where clicking on any of the available buttons--including the generic "X" that closes the window--will install unwanted software on your computer.

So what should you do if you encounter one of these pop-up windows?  First of all, DO NOT click anywhere within the pop-up window.  Secondly, if you are on a Windows machine, bring up the Task Manager (click Ctrl + Alt + Delete and select Task Manager), and close the Internet browser you are using.  If you feel uncomfortable using the Task Manager, you can also restart your computer.  As inconvenient as restarting in the middle of your browsing may be, it's probably safest way to make sure you avoid any insecure connections.  

If, for some reason, you end up clicking somewhere in the window and contracting a virus, there are several options for going about removing that virus.  However, most of these options require relatively advanced knowledge of the inner-workings of your computer.  The best thing to do, then, is to bring your computer to us, and we’ll be happy to help you get rid of the virus and restore your computer to its normal, healthy condition.  In most cases, eliminating a virus will take around one hour of billable work.