Expert: Lorry - 9/24/2006

Question
Just recently I have been getting a really weird e mail on my computer. I dont open it because there is no subject matter and there is no message. However it contains 865b of something. The scary part is that my e mail anti virus and my regular anti virus didnt pick it up and alert me. Along with getting that message everyday my firewall has come up saying some one is trying to hack into one of my many computer ports. Do you think this message is a threat? Could it be related to someone trying to breach my security program?

Answer
Hi Reanne,

Have you checked for spyware? I would suggest downloading Spybot - Search & Destroy 1.4, a program that removes spyware, available from:

http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file_description/0,fid,22262,00.asp

Once installed, enable Tea Timer. Open the Spybot Search & Destroy, click  the "+" sign next to Tools on the left side of the screen, click System Startup, then on the right side of the page check HK_CU Run Spybot Tea Timer.

The Resident TeaTimer is a new tool of Spybot-S&D which perpetually monitors the processes called/initiated. It immediately detects known malicious processes wanting to start and terminates them giving you some options, how to deal with this process in the future.

Check for updates before running. If you have trouble getting the updates, near the top of the Update Window, click the little arrow next See-Cure  #1(Europe), highlight the next one on the list, See-Cure #2 and try to download the updates. If that doesn't work, try the next one the list. until you get one you can download from. Being a free program, if too many people are using the same site to download the updates, some people will not get them.

Not knowing which AV program you use, using Internet Explorer, go to:

http://security.symantec.com/sscv6/default.asp?langid=ie&venid=sym

Click the GO button, then under Virus Detection, click Start. You might be told that you need to download and install ActiveX Controls for the scan to work, answer Yes.

Write down exactly anything it finds, then go to: http://www.symantec.com/search/  and do a search for what was found. Symantec usually has a removal tool and/or directions for removing manually. Make sure that you follow the instructions for removal, step by step, especially the part regarding disabling System Restore.

You might want to try using MailWasher Free which will filter out the spam:

http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file/fid,20000-order,1-page,1-c,alldownloads/de...

Hope this helps!
Lorry