Is it an avian internet virus
on the Information Superhighway?
Even in the age of cyberspace,
the paradox of
life in juxtaposition
persists.
An Original Photographic,
copyright by mkrause,
2002, 2011,
Hot Springs, Arkansas, 2002.
Viruses and Viruses
Life presented 2 simultaneous challenges in April, 2010. Struggling with the discomfort of human influenza virus symptoms is difficult. But suddenly while trying to connect to wifi Internet over coffee and a breakfast roll at an 'Internet cafe', the computer too fell ill with an Internet virus.
Paralytic but repetitive, the virus froze the PC screen between the Internet and any and every file requested. The Internet Service Provider name or symbol, Yahoo or Y!, flashed across the screen. Then there were 4 repeated screens of possible 'look-alike' manufacturer (hp) and 'Microsoft' security tool ALERT. The screen informed the PC user that the PC was "seriously infected, being hijacked, damaged, perhaps irrevocably", with the threatened "loss of private data". The virus blocked attempts to contact Yahoo Help.
At first the virus appeared to be a very aggressive security update sales screen series. But it was not possible to advance to the next screen to buy the security update. Over the next day or so, wonderng how the virus had moved or deleted the security products already installed on the PC, it was difficult to decide on a new anti-virus security product. The virus also blocked download of a Microsoft security update at a computer learning center.
An associate at the center was able to "google" the security tool ALERT named on the screen. Other websites described a similar virus which had been noted more frequently by PC users since December, 2009. The virus was freezing more and more computers more frequently in March and April, 2010.
Some users successfully had removed the virus with a number of techniques, including "re-booting" without the purchase of additional security software. Others found the virus resistant to removal or noted that the virus recurred days or weeks later.
One screen revealed the virus as a 'hybrid trojan-BNK.win32.keylogger.gen' virus which had contaminated Internet Explorer, version 7. The viral attack did occur days after problematic attempt to update to Internet Explorer 8 on google and a review of IE update on Yahoo.
Customer Service at the new security software described the virus as an 'extremely experienced' Internet virus. This company suggested the PC be taken to a computer technician to be 'wiped clean', followed by software re-installation.
Luckily, the virus seemed to weaken its hold on the PC and allowed some contact with the Internet over the next few days. The PC seemed to clear the virus with the addition of an inexpensive 'Defender" security software CD program, which the PC may have confused with "Microsoft Defender", installed before the viral attack.
Previously convenient 'Internet Shortcuts' to Aol and Yahoo had been damaged leading the PC user to wonder if the cable internet service provided objected to wifi Internet users.
Subsequently, a new Norton 360 CD software program was installed, with some difficulty and delay over the next 2-3 days. Later, the new security program worked relatively well and the virus seemed to have cleared.
It is sometimes hard to tell if the PC is being disrupted by a 'hard sell' by software, cable, computer repair techs, or even the Internet cafe staff where you may spend too much time hunched over your coffee and computer. But that's life in cyberspace.
(Read more on these and other topics in 'Caveat Emptor: May the Buyer Beware' on http://monthlynotesthirteen.blogspot.com (http://monthlynotes.blogspot.com) on www.google.com).
Graphic: An Original Photographic, copyright by mkrause, 2002, 2011, 'The Paradox of Life in Juxtaposition', Hot Springs, Arkansas, 2002.
Email mkrause54@yahoo.com or mkrause381@google.com to comment or request copies of this or other blogs on http://monthlynotesthirteen.blogspot.com (http://monthlynotes.blogspot.com through http://monthlynotesfifteen.blogspot.com) on www.google.com.
