As the world’s most popular web browser, Microsoft’s Internet Explorer is used by over 80% of users on the Internet. This puts it way out in front of every other browser, but it also means that the software is required to reach out to the newest and obscurest of technologies.

While Internet Explorer is certainly the most popular, it’s not always the most reliable browser on the market. Each browser is different, and we’re going to look at some of the problems you could face while using Microsoft’s popular interface.

The biggest issue, and the source of most criticism directed at Internet Explorer, involves the danger of infecting your system through spyware and adware. There is no absolute way of eliminating malicious content from the web, but Internet Explorer is somewhat exposed to the dangers, more so than its rivals. This is due to the way that the program is structured, making it easier for hackers to attack your system.

It’s quite common to find the browser lagging - or even not working at all, after enabling an ActiveX control which isn’t as it seems. Whenever you load an ActiveX control in Internet Explorer, you’ll be given a warning about the content. It could seem completely innocuous, but after accepting, it’s possible for a malicious user to execute a “drive-by download” and effectively spam your computer without you so much as batting an eyelid.

Yes, this is still possible using Mozilla Firefox or any other browser. The difference is that Microsoft’s product is much more discrete about letting you know that you have a problem. Sometimes it won’t even tell you at all. The only way you’ll know for sure is by running a scan of your computer, or by using good ol’ common sense when the browser freezes up or overflows in third party advertisements.

A good spyware removal utility should clear up any issues related to the third party corruption of your browser, and believe us, there can be many. If you’ve been browsing the Net for a month without sufficient anti-Virus protection, the chances are that you’re harbouring some kind of malicious content.

It’s also good practice to delete your temporary Internet files on a regular basis. Every time you visit a website, a cookie is downloaded on to your computer. As you allow these to mount up, they can clog the system and ruin what was once a fresh browsing experience. They’re also very important when it comes to maintaining privacy in the websites that you’ve accessed.

Sometimes you’ll access websites and click on links which fail to load. This isn’t usually a trait of Internet Explorer, but of a toolbar that’s attached to it. Check to ensure that you have pop-ups enabled, since some sites will use the target=”_blank” key to open a page in a new window.

Other problems such as failed applets and scripting malfunctions can often be a sign that you’re Internet Options have been adjusted. Try going to Tools then Internet Options and under the access permissions, make sure that the three scripting boxes are checked. If they’re not, JavaScript will not run in the browser. This, as you can probably imagine if you have a web background, can cause a lot of difficulties.

With the release of Microsoft Internet Explorer 7, many of the security issues have been taken care of. But that’s not to say we should neglect the likelihood of opportunist attacks on the web. Be sure to browse safely with anti-Virus protection and clean your system regularly.

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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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