This morning I opened my email and a window popped up that looked like my AVG antivirus software and that it was time for an automatic update because it had detected some spyware and adware trojans on my system.
The window border, while it looked like my AVG software, said "Antivirus 2009", which is not the exact software that I run. So I clicked on the "x" to close the window. Little did I know that clicking on ANYTHING in the box activates the software.
And thus, the morning was tainted by spyware and adware and trojans--and consumed some of my valuable time.
Fortunately, I am technically savvy and had the sense to go to Microsoft's website and put "remove antivirus 2009" into the search box and while it took a while for the debugging software to run, it worked on the first try. It might be prudent to run this software even if you don't already have the virus to ensure that you don't get the virus. And if you do, you will at least have the tools to remove it.
Should it not work for you on the first try, the link I provided above for Microsoft offers other solutions as well.
Worth noting, you should always keep your windows version updated with their automatic update option. Apparently this particular virus, and many others, can access your system through less secure applications, and very commonly used, like Adobe Reader.
In closing, there are a few simple rules of thumb to follow:
- Be careful.
- Keep your operating system updated.
- Keep your antivirus software updated.
- Do NOT download anything that doesn't come from a completley trusted source.
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