PICKING UP A VIRUS
by Ray Carlson
Q. How did I get a virus - I never open email attachments from
people I don’t know and do not visit websites I don’t recognize?
A. Cyber criminals keep devising new tricks to get you to download
their malware or buy fake software. In a newer version, the
criminals create a fake webpage and insert a link to that page in
the thumbnail of an image likely to draw interest like one of Bin
Laden’s residence. They place the image and link in websites
operated by reputable organizations trying to save money by creating
their website with free software like Wordpress. The mechanics of
that software including its vulnerabilities are well-known.
When someone searches for that image with Google, the one the
criminals used appears but seems to be connected to the reputable
website. Clicking on that image takes the person to the reputable
site and then immediately to the criminal webpage. A box pops up
saying the computer has a virus and offering to sell a fake
antivirus program or indicating that certain software needs to be
updated. If the person agrees to the update, some form of malware is
delivered.
Google tries to identify such pages and warn the searcher as well as
the webmaster of the infected site. Also a valid up-to-date
antivirus program will often provide warnings about problematic
pages. The criminals, though, keep adding new sites. If you click on
an image and get such a box, quit your browser before any downloads
occur.
Published: Courier 5/15/11 - Page 6C