"Your Privacy is in Danger" malware

[twkent]

I recently had the  "Your Privacy is in Danger" malware virus on my computer.  I ran the preliminary steps posted by evilfantasy to eliminate the malware and it seemed to work.  But...my desktop and background are a mess.  I don't know if I yet have a virus, or if this is what remains after getting rid of it.  Would like some help please.  Thanks!

[recovering disk space -- attachment deleted by admin]

[evilfantasy]

Welcome to CH.

DO THIS FIRST
Your Hijackthis program is current, but it is very important that it resides in a permanent location.

CLICK HERE and allow hijackThis to install to it's default location in C:\Program Files

---------

Open HijackThis and select Do a system scan only.

Place a check mark next to the following entries: (if there)

O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [AlcxMonitor] ALCXMNTR.EXE
O24 - Desktop Component 0: Privacy Protection - (no file)

Important: Close all windows except for HijackThis and then click Fix checked.

Exit HijackThis and run CCleaner.

----------

Go to start > Control panel > Display > Desktop > Customize Desktop... >  Web tab
Make sure Lock desktop items is unchecked.
Select everything you find in there (except for "My current home page") and press the delete button on the right.
Hit OK below > apply in previous window.

Restart the computer for the changes to take effect.

----------

Do you know the IP or Domain 'ffni.com'?

[twkent]

Evilfantasy,

I went through the steps you recommended and my computer is now fine.  Thank you very much.  The ffni.com is an old ISP that I no longer use called Fairnet.   Some questions I have now.  Earlier this year I subscribed to Kaspersky Anti-Virus.  And recently I contracted this malware problem.  How could this have happened if I have software that is supposed to prevent this from happening?  The guys at Kaspersky couldn't really help me solve this problem and sent me to Computerhope.  Am I wasting my money paying for anti-virus software?  Do you recommend some freeware or shareware that would do just as good if not better?  I was using AVG free anti-virus prior to Kaspersky and somehow contracted a virus.  Kaspersky online anti-virus solved my virus dilemma there.  But now I wonder about the anti virus software I'm using now.  Any suggestions or do I just have to live with an occasional virus......kind of like getting the cold.

[evilfantasy]

How could this have happened if I have software that is supposed to prevent this from happening?

"Your Privacy is in Danger" malware is designed to "trick" your antivirus long enough to install itself. Nothing wrong with the AV, it's just very clever malware.

The guys at Kaspersky couldn't really help me solve this problem and sent me to Computerhope.

That's the biggest compliment I have had in a while. I think my head just grew a few hat sizes!

Am I wasting my money paying for anti-virus software?  Do you recommend some freeware or shareware that would do just as good if not better?

Your not wasting your money on Kaspersky but there are free options that are just as effective.

Avast! Home Free Edition
AVG Free Edition

Any suggestions or do I just have to live with an occasional virus

It happens to the best of us. I will leave a few more suggestions (free) at the end of this post that you may want to look into using.

First a few final steps.

Set a New Restore Point to prevent possible reinfection from an old one
Setting a new restore point AFTER cleaning your system will enable your computer to roll-back to a clean working state if needed.

• Go to Start > Programs > Accessories > System Tools and click System Restore
  
• Choose the radio button marked Create a Restore Point on the first screen then click Next Give the Restore Point a name then click Create.
  
• The new restore point will be stamped with the current date and time. Keep a log of this so you can find it easily should you need to use System Restore.
• Next go to Start > Run and type Cleanmgr
  
• Click OK
  
• Click the More Options Tab.
  
• Click Clean Up in the System Restore section to remove all previous restore points except the newly created clean one.

You can find instructions on how to enable and re-enable system restore here:

Windows XP System Restore Guide or Windows Vista System Restore Guide
.
----------

Use the Secunia Software Inspector to check for out of date software.

• Click Start Now
  
• Check the box next to Enable thorough system inspection.
  
• Click Start
  
• Allow the scan to finish and scroll down to see if any updates are needed.
• Update anything listed.

.
----------

Go to Microsoft Windows Update and get all critical updates.

----------

To prevent unknown applications from being installed on your computer install WinPatrol 2008
* Using Winpatrol to protect your computer from malicious software

I suggest using SiteAdvisor. SiteAdvisor rates sites on business practices and spam. Safety ratings from McAfee SiteAdvisor are based on automated safety tests of Web sites.

SpywareBlaster - Secure your Internet Explorer to make it harder for ActiveX programs to run on your computer. Also stop certain cookies from being added to your computer when running Mozilla based browsers like Firefox.
* Using SpywareBlaster to protect your computer from Spyware and Malware
* If you don't know what ActiveX controls are, see here

Check out Keeping Yourself Safe On The Web for tips and free tools to help keep you safe in the future.

Also see Slow Computer? It May Not Be Malware for free cleaning/maintenance tools to help keep your computer running smooth.