Malware Blues

This past week I had my first experience with malware in all my years of computing.  Yes, my antivirus software was up-to-date and active.  So what happened?  I was working on a word processing document and using the Internet for digital library and web searches.  I MUST have inadvertently run into malware associated with an web page.  Norton antivirus did not pick it up. 

How did I recognize the problem?  A menu popped up while I was typing on the word processing document stating that a virus was detected and asked for permission to open my antivirus program.  NOT THINKING, I clicked on the popup menu!!!  I remembered that the sequence was exactly what happened to a colleague a few weeks ago. 

I quickly closed the window and the computer shut itself down.  I lost everything that had not been saved in the previous 15 minutes.  I restarted the computer, saw that my antivirus softare had been updated earlier that morning.  I turned off the wireless system - because I was concerned that the virus was a Trojan Horse and a keylogger set to grab all of my passwords, etc, and ran my antivirus software program.  It indicated that there were no problems.  I went to another computer and looked up the problem.  I attempted to remove the malware myself, but was not able to do so.  I could see the malware in the Task Manager Processes menu, but it would not allow me to end the task.

Malware is the term for malicious software that infiltrates your computer system without your permission (http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-malware.htm).  It can be spyware, malware, or a vitus.  It can occur from simply browsing the Internet (http://support.dell.com/support/topics/global.aspx/support/dsn/en/document?journalid=8043C99D262654DDE040AC0A63E976E9&docid=277075)

One of our wonderful university's techs cleaned the computer last Monday, but afterwards the computer kept locking up.  I had to take it back for more intensive care work. 

I naively believed that my antivirus software would have picked up the problem.  In further researching solutions, I recognized that I can run a malware identifier program in addition to my antivirus software.  This is important because we should never try to run more than one antivirus software.

Microsoft provides free download of a Microsoft® Windows® Malicious Software Removal Tool at http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=ad724ae0-e72d-4f54-9ab3-75b8eb148356&displaylang=en

Consider installing a malware detector on your computer, if you don't have one.