Microsoft: Watch out millennials for evil Security Essentials Microsoft is warning of fake copies of its Security Essentials that if executed will throw a fake blue screen of death, pwn machines, and lead users to technical support scams. Redmond regards the threat dubbed Hicurdismos as a severe threat which compromises PCs typically through bundled software installers and drive-by- …
I have recently seen sites at the top of google search (due to pay-per-click as the "Ad" symbol next to the link helpfully indicates) that I have never heard of peddling "printer drivers" and "updates" from well-known companies for rather unclear reasons.
Gives the same feeling as that of getting accosted in the street by "helpful" strangers.
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I saw that last night... brilliant!
There's already malware that threatens to put your personal files on the public web. How long before do-gooders try to out child pornography viewers I wonder?
As I understand it, Windows 8 and 10 come with MS Defender, a descendant product of Swcurity Essentials. But in Windows 7 you have to go and get Security Essentials. Obviously best to go direct to MSFT, before some pirate screen recommends its own software.
Sec. Ess. is no longer supported in XP, so you need something else. Lots of legit products will do a single scan your machine for free, but for continuous protection against emails and websites you have to pay.
Google will happily run a Adwords campaign for the keywords "security essentials", so long as the scammers are paying for it. There is very little oversight with Google adwords or any advertising company for that matter, I once saw Ebay offering me depleted uranium to buy on a pay2click Google adwords campaign, because it was a search term I had used, I'm sure if I had searched child pornography, it probably would have said I could buy that at Ebay too. *Facepalm*
In any case, just block ads as standard, every time, no ifs no buts
Depleted Uranium?
Someone may have salvaged stuff from an A-10 ammo belt....
But what do you do with it?
It's a rather dangerous heavy metal, handle with gloves, don't inhale the dust, may contain trace amounts of Pu left over from reprocessing, try to avoid having kids. You know the drill....
>Microsoft is warning of fake copies of its Security Essentials that if executed will throw a fake blue screen of death, pwn machines, and lead users to technical support scams.
There I was thinking those were all features of the official Security Essentials ... could somebody enlighten me ? I mean, the one that ships with Windows, as in, loaded from the legit Dell USB stick that Dell sent me on request to reload Windows ... or is there some other that one can download from microsoft.com that does not cause BSOD's or bug checks etc ? Thought not ... besides, my Windows 10 box is already pwn'd by MS, so now I only have to wait for a support scam ... as in, to get the latest version of Directx, please pay $120 or choose the subscription model, $9 a month, latest and greatest directx, spyware etc as soon as they are made available ... courtesy of .... Microsoft.
Dell sends USB sticks to reload Windows?
I find this hard to swallow.
The best you get is a barely-functional, badly organized CD for machines that do not have a CD drive to "recover" software that "is already installed on your computer".
It's easier to demand a second helping of food from a concentration camp capo than properly install Windows on an already-taxed Microsoft WIndows machine.
" mean, the one that ships with Windows, as in, loaded from the legit Dell USB stick that Dell sent me on request to reload Windows "
No, you are not loading Windows. You are loading a OEM bloatware laden ,clusterfuck version of windows.
Many come with McAfee, which if you uninstall completely knacker your internet connection unless you know to get hold of the removal tool beforehand.
> I thought the Kernel was supposed to trap the Three Finger Salute - how can it be disabled by this application?
In the days of PS/2 (and before that PC, PC-AT) keyboard connectors the Ctrl-Alt-Del combination was handled in the BIOS. And the kernel always got control.
This is not true of USB connected keyboards.
In practice if someone has physical access they can always take control (given a little time), so having a special key combination provides no useful protection.
coupled with a hosts file and ad blocker is about as useful as ANY other AV suite.
Use of a firewall that pops up alerts when apps first try to establish an outside connection is also a great help.
If you knowingly download dodgy files, expect to get targetted with infected files.
other than that, you are as safe with MSE as you are with any of the known household AV vendors.
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