The link - http://vil.nai.com/vil/stinger/ leads you to one of the best free virus detection and removal tools that are currently available on the Internet. This anti-virus software utility has been developed by McAfee Avert Labs, a reputed name in the world of computer security software providers. The best thing about this anti-virus software is that its total download size is just around 1 MB. This means that you will not have to spend much time on downloading this software. What is even more noteworthy is that Stinger is downloaded as a ready executable file and not as a setup file that is usually the case with other anti-virus programs downloaded over the Internet. You can thus start using the software as soon as the download is over.

Stinger is meant specifically for home users, evident from the easy to use Graphic User Interface (GUI) and the easily understandable scan and removal options. For using Stinger, you just have to add the Directories that you want to scan and click on the “Scan Now” button.

Stinger allows you to set your preferences such as what you would like to do in case an infection is detected. You can choose from options such as ‘report only’, ‘repair’, ‘rename’, and ‘delete’. I would recommend that you select the ‘delete’ option because Stinger recognizes only around 55 known viruses. As such it’s highly unlikely that you would end up deleting anything else other than the viruses that might have been detected.

The only problem with Stinger is that it cannot be used as a replacement for a complete computer security system. But, its still good because it is anti-virus software that does not occupy too much space, does not slow your system, scans faster and does exactly what it is designed for. Given below is the list of viruses that the Stinger can successfully detect and remove from your computer system:

BackDoor-AQJ
BackDoor-ALI
BackDoor-CEB
BackDoor-JZ
Bat/Mumu.worm
Downloader-DN.a
Exploit-DcomRpc
Exploit-LSASS
Exploit-MS04-011
HideWindow
IPCScan
IRC/Flood.ap.dr
IRC/Flood.bi.dr
IRC/Flood.cd
NTServiceLoader
ProcKill
PWS-Narod
PWS-Sincom.dll
W32/Anig.worm
W32/Bagle@MM
W32/Blaster.worm (Lovsan)
W32/Bropia.worm
W32/Bugbear@MM
W32/Deborm.worm.gen
W32/Doomjuice.worm
W32/Dumaru
W32/Elkern.cav
W32/Fizzer.gen@MM
W32/FunLove
W32/IRCbot.worm
W32/Klez
W32/Korgo.worm
W32/Lirva
W32/Lovgate
W32/Mimail
W32/MoFei.worm
W32/Mumu.b.worm
W32/MyDoom
W32/MyWife.d
W32/Nachi.worm
W32/Netsky
W32/Nimda
W32/Pate
W32/Polybot
W32/Sasser.worm
W32/Sdbot.worm.gen
W32/SirCam@MM
W32/Sober
W32/Sobig
W32/SQLSlammer.worm
W32/Swen@MM
W32/Yaha@MM
W32/Zafi
W32/Zindos.worm
W32/Zotob.worm

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Well, the most cost-effective method for avoiding viruses would be to curtail your habit of random Internet surfing, downloading and installing unverified freewares, and sharing audio and video files on the Internet. However, since doing so will completely dry up the fun quotient of your Internet experience, it’s highly unlikely that you will follow these recommendations. You may also not like the idea of buying a licensed copy of computer security software, obviously because there are costs involved and as a true Internet surfer, you would want to have something that is completely free but is still able to do the job, i.e. prevent viruses from entering your computer system.

Based on these specific needs and requirements, I could have easily told you to download pirated copies of popular computer security software systems. But, I will never make such dubious recommendations because firstly it is illegal and secondly because most of these pirated or cracked copies are themselves embedded with loads of malicious software codes. So, if you use these pirated copies, you might either end up in jail or with a computer that has more of viruses than your files and folders. The choice is all yours.

For avoiding viruses, the one thing you can do legally is that you can download and use trial versions of popular computer security software systems that might be available. You don’t have to worry about the expiry of trail period because there are plenty of options available and you can continue using them one after another. However, since not all of these security systems offer full functionality in their trial versions, you might still have to compromise on the security of your computer system. This may work as long as you do not have any valuable data on your computer, but in case you have some, I would recommend that you get yourself a licensed copy of computer security software as soon as possible. You have no other option. Trust me!

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It’s rare for a large company like TrendMicro to offer freebie software which could potentially harm its own sales. But in House Call, they’ve released an anti-Virus utility which is almost as effective as their much heralded PC-cillin suite.

The utility is free to download, and TrendMicro has surely released it as an incentive for users to eventually upgrade to the PC-cillin package. The only trouble is, they’re giving a lot away for free. So much, in fact, those users might be tempted to stick with what they know works.

House Call is extremely efficient at what it does. Sitting on the user’s operating system, it acts as a barrier between the local hard drive and harmful viruses which a user might encounter on the web. Not only does it protect from online dangers, but it has scanning facilities to detect and destroy Trojans and worms that are already in place on the system.

The first thing you’ll notice about House Call - after the quick download - is the intuitive interface. It’s very simple to navigate between the various settings and even novice users will find the information that they need. House Call looks to break away from the complexities that can arise with some of the more comprehensive anti-Virus suites on the market. It keeps things simple and makes no effort to be more than it is.

When you install HouseCall for the first time, you’ll be asked to download a plug-in for your web browser. The plug-in allows the software to scan your system’s memory and it will also search for harmful files in any storage disks that you have attached. One of the features which distinguish House Call over its premium rivals is the support for virus definitions.

House Call keeps an online virus database which the software connects to and automatically transfers every time there are new additions. The benefits of this are obvious. When you purchase packages like Norton, or indeed PC-cillin, you have to make a constant effort to stay on top of new sophisticated threats. This means connecting your application and manually searching for new fixes. While the software is usually better equipped to tackle such viruses, how many of us actually check for new updates every day?

You don’t need to worry about manually updating House Call. It looks after itself. You can carry on browsing the Internet, and the software will quietly make upgrades as new definitions become available. If you encounter a virus or a file without the required certificate, House Call will pop up and offer you options for how to deal with the file.

Of course, there’s a reason why House Call is free and PC-cillin isn’t. While HouseCall is more than capable of dealing with the most basic threats, it will openly let you know if it detects a virus which it doesn’t have a fix for. On top of that, you’ll be referred to PC-cillin. So it’s clear to see how TrendMicro are hoping to make their money, but to be fair, we found that most of the viruses you’d expect to encounter are dealt with efficiently by this free utility. Trojans and worms can be eliminated, along with spyware and bundled adware which we could all do without.

House Call offers a helpful “Auto Clean” feature which will automatically filter through the files on a webpage – or your local system if stated – and get rid of threats. It’s particularly good at detecting security issues in embedded code.

Sometimes the software can be a little over-protective in denying access to pages which are poorly coded rather than designed with malicious intent. But this is easily fixable can be toggled on and off as you please.

Better yet, the utility will offer step by step advice for eliminating threats which the software isn’t fit to deal with on its own. This is a nice addition and with the database of virus definitions being constantly updated, you can usually get a solution for most security issues.

Of course, many experienced users will opt for the widely praised PC-cillin as their anti-virus package of choice. And if you have the money, we certainly wouldn’t deem that unwise. But if you’re interested in anti-Virus protection – and you probably should be – House Call provides a brilliantly effective freeware solution. Head over to the Trend Micro website for more information, and a link to the download mirror.

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McAfee AVERT Stinger works as a stripped down virus removal utility. It comes without the sophisticated technology that the major anti-Virus programs use, but it’s also extremely effective at eliminating specific threats to your system.

When we say specific, we really mean specific. McAfee have made great strides to brand Stinger so that it’s not seen as a full anti-Virus suite. If you want comprehensive protection against the latest and obscurest threats, you should be looking at one of the more reputable suites.

However, where Stinger excels is in its ability to eliminate viruses that are already present on the system. When you buy a package an anti-Virus package, you normally do so with the intention of eliminating threats before they infect your system. On the contrary, Stinger is a problem solving software. You can use it when you know your computer is under attack, and the advanced scanning will be able to locate and correct the problem more often than not.

McAfee has taken a different approach to fighting the problem of malicious users on the Internet. Instead of releasing a single package – or building a moat around the castle – they’ve opted to release separate “Stingers” which are specifically designed to remove viruses as and when they are discovered. The upside is that the removal process has a much higher success ratio.

By catering for individual threats, McAfee can offer sophisticated technology which targets specific attacks. This is why you should only really be considering the AVERT Stinger if you know that you’ve got a problem, and simply can’t work out how to fix it.

For example, if you know that you’ve got a W32/Polip infection, yet your current anti-Virus software isn’t capable of removing it, you can log on to the McAfee website and download a targeted stinger called, quite appropriately, the Stinger W32/Polip. This small stand-alone utility can be utilized to remove that one particular virus.

Of course, it won’t remove any other problems that you have. This is why it’s still vitally important to have a good scanning suite installed. The general Stinger application comes with a list of Viruses that it has definitions of, but this is a much shorter list when you stack it up against the major anti-Virus programs on the market.

When you download then small setup file, you’ll be asked to select a location for installation (as per usual). Given the small nature of the utilities, they can be downloaded very quickly and you can be up and running in quick time. Upon opening the utility, you’ll notice a few basic options. There is a scan button, preferences and a virus list.

If you click on the virus list and see a sprawling page of threats, don’t worry. The list only explains what viruses the software is capable of removing. It’s not a results table of the viruses on your hard drive!

As far as virus removal tools go, the McAfee AVERT Stinger utility has made an excellent introduction on to the market. It shouldn’t be relied on as the one-stop for your anti-Virus needs. If you have found a virus and still haven’t managed to remove it, give the Stinger a go and take advantage of technology that has been carefully designed to tackle such threats when everything else seems to be failing!

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If you’ve browsed over Windows Task Manager and noticed a small file by the name of Adobe.exe, you’ve probably brushed it aside as a critical file that is required for Photoshop to work correctly.

While this is perfectly understandable given the unambiguous name of the file, you should remember that not every file is what it claims to be. In the case of Adobe.exe files, what you’re actually seeing is a third party virus, designed to look innocuous with the name of a globally respected company as its alibi.

As you can probably imagine, the hackers who work tirelessly on their virus creations have had to find a way to cloak their malicious files. Particularly in the case of spyware, but also in adware and medium threat viruses too.

If you’ve spotted Adobe.exe, you should take note that there is no such legitimate file – released by Adobe – which has that name. You can take a hint from the name itself. What is Adobe? It’s not a program. It’s not a crucial ImageReady or Dreamweaver executable file. It’s simply a company name.

The same distrust should be applied if you happen to see a Microsoft.exe file floating around your system. Hackers thrive on a breach of trust and by slapping a misleading name on their harmful files; they’re halfway towards doing the damage that they’d love.

You’ll find that a quick scan of your hard drive will swiftly highlight the Adobe.exe file. The problem is that most people opt to assume that the anti-Virus software has made a mistake! Why would it be pointing to a name that you know is safe?

A file doesn’t have to be named Big_Fat_Virus.exe to compromise the security of your computer. In most cases, instances of spyware are designed to replicate system processes in appearance. Of course, you can’t see what’s going on under the surface. And anybody who has had a brief scout around their critical system files is certain to have apprehension about deleting a file which claims to be System32.exe.

The best way to know if you’re affected is to run TWO scans of your hard drive, with two different anti-Virus suites. If both programs return the same Adobe.exe alert – or whatever suspiciously named file that you’re worried about – go right ahead and have the problem rectified.

We’re always being warned about the importance of using the Internet with sufficient protection from malicious users, and it’s because it IS very important.

You should have a strong firewall, capable of dealing with intrusions, and a commercial anti-Virus suite checking email attachments and downloaded files for traces of viruses.

But it’s also crucial that you don’t rely on an anti-Virus suite to do all of the hard work. It’s still a good idea to download a free system clean-up utility – there are many available on the Net – and to run it regularly. This will go a long way to cleaning spyware and adware, and it will also boost your system’s performance.

Always keep an eye out for files which are named after companies and respected IT brands. It’s very rare that one of those organizations will choose to release an executable file with such a vague and misleading name.

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abg is a shortened term for the notorious abg-aceh.exe file. It is a well known virus, falling in to the Trojan category with a registered description. It is referred to as a Trojan.W32.Boetac, and for reasons that we’re about to discuss, it’s vital that you move to eliminate the threat if you find it on your system.

Not only does the Trojan.W32.Boetac open your computer to the hacking intent of malicious users, but it puts you in risk of being a victim of fraud.

abg.aceh.exe is the file to search for if you’re worried that your system security has been breached. A good way to do this is simply to open up the search dialogue and search for the virus file name. Unless you’ve been attacked by a variant of the abg, you’ll soon find the source of the infestation.

Removing the file on its own isn’t enough to get rid of the threat, however. The Trojan.W32.Boetac is renowned for running in the background, discretely failing to draw attention to itself.

So why does it matter if we have one? What does it do? Like many spyware applications, the abg is capable of tracking your actions. The only difference is the sheer comprehensive scale in which the Trojan.W32.Boetac will steal information.

Are you one of the many millions who now practices online banking? Do you use your credit card details to make purchases online? If the answer to either of these questions is yes, you’re opening yourself up to the danger of an opportunist attack from a web hacker.

The Trojan.W32.Boetac will steal your details, in the sense that it allows the hacker to “listen in” and trace your key strokes – even access your computer directly. Naturally, you won’t have any idea that this is taking place because the virus when left to operate normally will hide itself in the background.

All of those passwords that you use, or the personal data that you have stored on your hard drive, it’s all there at the hacker’s disposal. Think of the Trojan.W32.Boetac as the cyber equivalent of a crowbar to open your house. Once it’s been used, the robber – or in this case, the hacker – can do what he or she pleases.

So how can we get rid of the virus? As we already mentioned, deleting the abg-aceh.exe on its own will not be enough to starve off the hacker. You will need to run a full system scan with an anti-Virus utility. This will give you the chance to locate and remove the corrupted files.

It’s a good idea to remove the virus while operating in safe mode, as this is most likely to counter the measures taken by hackers to make their infestations “irremovable”. Use a registry cleaning utility to wipe all traces of Trojan viruses from the vital Windows Registry.

And of course, the best way to avoid the damage that an abg-aceh.exe file can inflict is to browse the Internet safely! Use anti-Virus protection, preferably a commercial suite, and always be careful when downloading attachments – both from websites and via email.

The Trojan.W32.Boetac virus is considered an extreme threat. It won’t wreck your system, but it’s the deadliest of spyware-style infestations that you can be carrying. If you see the abg-aceh.exe on your computer, act straight away to remove it.

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The a.exe file is a virus, also known as the W32.Ahlem.A@mm which was written in Visual Basic and became famous for being mass mailed as an email attachment. It is packed together using what’s known as the UPX run-time compression utility.

While the virus doesn’t compromise the overall integrity of a system, it can cause great unrest by mass emailing itself to everybody that you know. It does this by taking each of the addresses in your Windows log and running a macro-like process where it’ll submit over and over again, right the way until it has sent itself to all of your friends, family or work colleagues.

a.exe simply represents the name of the attachment that the W32.Ahlem.A@mm will try to send. It’s also been known – although not officially confirmed – that SARS_image.jpg is also being used to spread the worm.

The virus copies itself to a file named %Windir%\Csrss.exe every time you load up Windows. The worm will then re-execute and once again attempt to email the people in your Windows Address Book.

The best way to deal with the a.exe file is simply to cut it out before it reaches the system. This means installing a good anti-Virus suite and ensuring that email scanning and verification of downloads are both switched on. If you try to download the a.exe file with these measures in place, your protection will step in and spring an alert, informing you of the intrusion and safely neutralizing the threat.

To get rid of the immediate threat if you’re already carrying the virus, you should download a system clean-up utility. This will clean up spyware and adware, highlighting the issues that need your attention along the way. There are plenty of free tools available which are capable of removing the W32.Ahlem.A@mm.

You will also need to enter the Windows registry and change a value that was altered during the execution of the worm.

To do this, follow the steps below.

• Go to Start and click Run.
• Type “regedit” to access the Windows Registry Editor.
• Find the key titled; “HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run”
• Delete the value; “SYSTEMSars32″=”%windir%\csrss.exe”
• Save your changes and exit the editor.
• Reboot Windows.

This process should remove the final traces of the W32.Ahlem.A@mm from your system and it will no longer replicate on start-up.

Please note that when using the Windows Registry Editor, it is extremely important that you avoid making mistakes and saving settings that are wrong. One wrong edit is all it takes to be locked out of your Microsoft Windows XP, and once you’re out, it can be hard to get back in!

If you don’t trust yourself to make those crucial changes, it’s a good idea to download one of the many free registry scanning packages. These automate the process of clearing redundant and corrupted files. You won’t need to access the registry yourself. You can sit back and let a developer’s hard graft do the work for you!

a.exe is just one of many email attachment threats that exist on the Internet. Be careful when downloading attachments and always be cautious when executing suspicious .exe files.

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Do you think your computer may have gotten a bad case of spyware?
If you are looking for a solution, I have learned from several
sources that the best alternative is to try spyware removal
software. This is actually a software program which, as the name
implies, scans through your computer and eliminates spyware and
other programs you may not want to have on your computer.

The reason for all the hype surrounding spyware removal software is
that spyware has become ubiquitous. Spyware are software programs
which are extremely difficult to trace on your computer. Spyware
gathers personal information off the computer and sends it over the
internet, unbeknownst to the computer owner. This information could
be used to abuse credit or even to impersonate the computer’s
lawful owner. Spyware is also known as Sneakware, malware,
Snoopware or even Adware. Regardless of its name, spyware can wreak
havoc on your computer. However since spyware can very easily enter
your computer without your knowledge, it may be worthwhile to try
spyware removal software just in case.

If you have already taken all the recommended measures to protect
your computer against malicious programs, you may believe that
installing sypware removal software would be superfluous. However,
as disappointing as it may be, your computer is not as secure as
you would like to believe. Firewalls and anti-virus programs often
fail in blocking sypware, usually because sypware programs often
seem benign compared to viruses.

Sometimes sypware removal software is offered in a package together
with anti-spyware software, which prevents sypware for infiltrating
your machine. The anti-spyware program will also scan your computer
for any existing sypware and remove it. Thus, anti-spyware programs
offer both spyware removal as well as prevention services.

Sypware removal and prevention software is easily obtainable from
the Internet, where these programs are also often offered for free
download. It is however important to download such software only
from trustworthy websites. Otherwise you may in fact be downloading
spyware onto your computer instead of spyware removal software.

It seems like computers of the 21st century will be plagued by
spyware. Because spyware programs are much more elusive than
viruses, they are often even more difficult to control. Spyware
removal software is definitely an option worth considering. Because
it is so difficult to prevent or detect spyware, your computer may
even be contaminated without your being aware of the fact. If a
spyware was accidentally downloaded to your computer while you were
surfing the Internet, a good spyware removal program will help you
clean it up.

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Nowadays, computers have become so common that most households
possess at least one of them. A stand-alone computer in itself does
not pose any security threat to the individual using it. However,
once connected to the Internet, each computer becomes a door which
any identity thief or hacker may use in order to take advantage of
the pandemonium of the World Wide Web. In an effort to protect
users from the aggravation caused by viruses, spyware, pop-ups and
spam, software companies have developed various measures aimed at
improving computer security.

Anti-virus software is the predominant development in this field.
McAfee and Norton are the two major companies offering such
anti-virus software, which actually searches through the files on a
computer in order to see if they contain certain characteristics
which could be viruses, or which are often associated with viruses.
The characteristics, known as virus definitions, need to be
regularly downloaded. In addition to files on the computer itself,
e-mails as well as files on CDs and floppy discs should be scanned.
It has already been accepted as an axiom, that anti- virus software
is absolutely essential for computer security.

Software aimed at scanning for spyware comes next. Spyware are
programs that certain websites run in the background of the
computer while gathering data about it. This data could be
relatively harmless information such as finding out what kind of
websites the computer owner visits, but it could also go so far as
acquiring passwords. In any case, spyware usually deteriorates
computer performance drastically and must be removed from the
computer. Ad-ware and Spybot Search & Destroy are popular
software used for this purpose, but they don’t cover all threats.

Furthermore, spam filters and pop-up blockers are also of critical
importance. Spam and pop-ups are serious nuisances to the user, but
worse, they are often the vehicles that sypware scanning software
(as previously explained) use to enter the computer. They also
negatively affect computer performance. An irritated computer user
is more prone to making a security faux pas than a calm one!
There are several more actions computer owners should take to
ensure their computer and information remains their own private
property, in addition to the software options previously mentioned.
As much information as possible should be secured via passwords,
and passwords should be complex enough to make them hard to guess -
the user’s name, spouse name or birth date are not good passwords.It is also strongly recommended not to check bank statements when
using an unsecured wireless network, since these networks enable
numerous people to use them simultaneously. It’s important to
remember that hackers spend a lot of time and effort trying to
access information, and users have to keep up to speed if they want
to keep their information secure!

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The computer world has become a dangerous place for the innocent
computer user - threats lurk around every corner, intending to
collect your information, damage your network, impersonate you and
generally cause chaos. Luckily there are several excellent software
programs which can help you defend yourself against these perils.
Even better, these programs are free, so you can get straight to
work!

Anti-virus protection is the first essential program you need.
There are many expensive and popular alternatives, which however
tend to slow down the performance of the computer and require an
annual subscription fee. Experience shows that the virus protection
provided by freeware alternatives is just as good. A good
recommendation is Grisoft’s  AVG Free Edition. Though the program
does not boast every single feature provided by the commercially
available programs, it provides excellent protection by performing
the most important task of keeping the system free of viruses,
Trojans and worms.

The second weapon in your arsenal should be the firewall. This is
necessary for preventing others from entering you machine. Hackers
try to infiltrate systems in order to steal data or damage the
system, or else they may try to take advantage of a computer by
using it remotely for sending spam email (known as a “spam
zombie”).  A firewall is vital for protecting the system against
these threats. If you are using Windows XP, you may already be
acquainted with the built-in version (available on both Home or
Professional Editions). However there are also many other options,
of which Zone Alarm Free Firewall offers the best alternative.

Equipped with anti-virus and firewall protection, the next issue is
one which is generating a lot of confusion - what can be done to
better manage passwords? The program CyberScrub KeyChain is an
excellent new program that offers a solution for this confusing
issue. KeyChain is distributed free, and stores all your user names
and passwords, as well as you credit card details and addresses.
All of this sensitive information is stored with one single
“master” password, which eliminates the need to remember the
multitude of access combinations you use. Whenever you enter a
password protected website, you highlight and click a small toolbar
in the browser and KeyChain automatically fills in your log-in
details and submits them. This application makes shopping on the
Internet much more simple and quick, and means you don’t have to
type in all your addresses and credit card information. A strong
encryption algorithm is used to make sure your sensitive
information is kept safe.

This overview would be incomplete without discussing the pestilent
spyware. It can be just as dangerous as viruses, and sypwares are
multiplying at a frightening rate, driven by creative schemes of
the mastermind hackers that invent them. Spyware is so powerful
that it can even control your CD drive, it can aid browser ads,
take control of your homepage and steal your passwords and much
more. To combat this hazard, you should take action, for example by
using Ad-Aware SE Personal, a very good program from Lavasoft.
This list should serve as a starting point, providing the
fundamental tools to protect you system and information. Take
action now, or you may well regret it!

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