Security Guard Antivirus Removal
Security Guard 2012 is a variant of Win32/FakeScanti - a family of trojans that claim to scan for malware and display fake warnings of malicious programs and viruses. It then informs the user that they need to pay money to register the software in order to remove these non-existent threats. The malware may also attempt to terminate processes and block access to websites.InstallationSecurity Guard 2012 copies itself to . exe for example, E0qaxGNpRBoE8E7.exe. Note: refers to a variable location that is determined by the malware by querying the Operating System. The default installation location for the System folder for Windows 2000 and NT is C: Winnt System32; and for XP, Vista, and 7 is C: Windows System32.The trojan drops the following files: AppData ldr.ini
AppData Security Guard 2012.ico for example, AppData J7ikWC6jA5hPtOrSecurity Guard 2012.ico
ProgramFiles Security Guard 2012 Security Guard 2012.lnk
Security Guard 2012.lnk
Note: refers to a variable location that is determined by the malware by querying the Operating System. The default location for the Desktop folder for Windows Vista and 7 is HOMEPATH Desktop. The fake scanner may be downloaded from a location such as any of those listed in the Payload section, saved to the TEMP directory, then launched.Security Guard 2012 makes the following changes to the registry to ensure that its copy is executed at each Windows start:In subkey: HKLM SOFTWARE Microsoft Windows CurrentVersion RunSets value: for example, VvUJ1sY0aTNp8234A With data: for example, E0qaxGNpRBoE8E7.exe PayloadDownloads and executes arbitrary filesThis trojan may connect to websites such as the following:cc-chargeonline.com
ccbill-online.com
freshmediacontent.com
ordersonlinenow.com
ourbigbooklibrarry.com
ourbigvideostore.com
paybycardonline.com
paybycardsonline.com
photodatastore.com
pickviewonline.com
s-internals.com
secure-validation.com
system-reports.com
xmlstatreports.com
It may download other files. The downloaded file is saved as a file in the Windows Temporary Files folder with a random file name.The malware may also report the computer s details, such as operating system version and antivirus product to a remote server.Terminates processesThis trojan monitors running processes and attempts to terminate any process unless its file name contains one of the following substrings. tmp
csrss.exe
DllHost.exe
IEUser.exe
iexplore.exe
mst.exe
SearchProtocolHost.exe
server.exe
spooler.exe
un_inst.exe
winlogon.exe
It displays a system tray popup similar to the following:Note that the downloaded malware is not terminated, as its file name has a. tmp extension.Terminates and/or uninstalls security softwareIt may attempt to terminate and/or uninstall security software from the following companies:Microsoft Windows Defender and Security Essentials
Norton
Avira
AVG
E-Set
DrWeb
Kaspersky
Bitdefender
McAfee
Displays fake antivirus scannerWhen run, the trojan performs a fake scan of the system, and falsely claims that a number of files in the computer are infected with malware. Should users request that it clean the reported infections, it advises them that they need to pay money to register the program and perform the cleaning process.It displays various windows, system tray pop-ups, and error messages in an attempt to convince the user that their system is infected, and that they should pay to register the fake software. In some cases it greys out the background in an attempt to simulate a UAC message.It may also simulate a system crash by displaying error messages such as the following:Restarts the computerThis trojan occasionally restarts the computer. This may be an attempt to convince the user that the computer is infected with malware.Blocks access to websitesThis trojan may display the following error message in Internet Explorer and randomly block access to websites that the user is attempting to visit. This dialog is displayed to convince the user that the site they are visiting is malicious and that they need to take a recommended action of the attacker s choice in order to be protected: Additional informationIn the wild, we have observed computers infected with Security Guard 2012 are also often affected by Backdoor:Win32/Cycbot.B.Analysis by David WoodTake the following steps to help prevent infection on your computer:Enable a firewall on your computer.
Get the latest computer updates for all your installed software.
Use up-to-date antivirus software.
Limit user privileges on the computer.
Use caution when opening attachments and accepting file transfers.
Use caution when clicking on links to webpages.
Avoid downloading pirated software.
Protect yourself against social engineering attacks.
Use strong passwords.
Enable a firewall on your computerUse a third-party firewall product or turn on the Microsoft Windows Internet Connection Firewall.Get the latest computer updatesUpdates help protect your computer from viruses, worms, and other threats as they are discovered. It is important to install updates for all the software that is installed in your computer. These are usually available from vendor websites. Instructions on how to download the latest versions of some common software is available from the following:You can use the Automatic Updates feature in Windows to automatically download future Microsoft security updates while your computer is on and connected to the Internet.Use up-to-date antivirus softwareMost antivirus software can detect and prevent infection by known malicious software. To help protect you from infection, you should always run antivirus software, such as Microsoft Security Essentials, that is updated with the latest signature files. For more information, see user privileges on the computerStarting with Windows Vista and Windows 7, Microsoft introduced User Account Control UAC, which, when enabled, allowed users to run with least user privileges. This scenario limits the possibility of attacks by malware and other threats that require administrative privileges to run.You can configure UAC in your computer to meet your preferences:Use caution when opening attachments and accepting file transfersExercise caution with email and attachments received from unknown sources, or received unexpectedly from known sources. Use extreme caution when accepting file transfers from known or unknown sources.Use caution when clicking on links to webpagesExercise caution with links to webpages that you receive from unknown sources, especially if the links are to a webpage that you are not familiar with, unsure of the destination of, or suspicious of. Malicious software may be installed in your computer simply by visiting a webpage with harmful content.Avoid downloading pirated softwareThreats may also be bundled with software and files that are available for download on various torrent sites. Downloading cracked or pirated software from these sites carries not only the risk of being infected with malware, but is also illegal. For more information, see The risks of obtaining and using pirated software. Protect yourself from social engineering attacksWhile attackers may attempt to exploit vulnerabilities in hardware or software to compromise a computer, they also attempt to exploit vulnerabilities in human behavior to do the same. When an attacker attempts to take advantage of human behavior to persuade the affected user to perform an action of the attacker s choice, it is known as social engineering. Essentially, social engineering is an attack against the human interface of the targeted computer. For more information, see What is social engineering.. Use strong passwordsAttackers may try to gain access to your Windows account by guessing your password. It is therefore important that you use a strong password – one that cannot be easily guessed by an attacker. A strong password is one that has at least eight characters, and combines letters, numbers, and symbols. For more information, see.
Smart Guard Protection Description Smart Guard Protection is a rogue security program belonging to a large family of fake anti-virus programs known as WinWeb Security.
Antivirus Security Pro Description A spinoff of the Attentive Antivirus branch of the Winwebsec scamware family, Antivirus Security Pro is a rogue anti-virus product.
Antivirus software is computer anti virus protection software used for identification and removal of computer viruses, as well as many other types of harmful computer software, collectively referred to as malware. Modern antivirus protection can shield computer systems against a wide range of malware, including spyware, worms, rootkits, and Trojans.
Learn more about BullGuard virus removal tool.
What is a virus.
The word virus is often used as a common term for all malicious programmes, but technically a virus is a program or code that attaches itself to a legitimate, executable piece of software, and then reproduces itself when that program is run.
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How does a virus spread.
Viruses spread by reproducing and inserting themselves into programs, documents, or e-mail attachments. They can be transmitted through e-mails or downloaded files and they can be present on CDs, DVDs, USB-drives and any other sort of digital media.
A virus normally requires action to successfully infect a victim.
What does antivirus software actually do.
Antivirus programs scan disk and memory looking for telltale signs of viruses – so-called signatures.
There are two basic kinds of scans:
Real-time scans scan files as you use them or as they are loaded on to your computer. On-demand scans scan your entire computer whenever you consider it necessary or at specific scheduled intervals. It is advised that you run on demand scans at least once every two weeks to maintain a safe computer system environment.
Learn more about how to scan your computer with BullGuard Internet Security
Virus protection: What can you do.
Always keep your security software active and updated
Because new viruses are released every day, there s always a chance that your computer will be infected by a virus that your anti virus software does not yet know about. That s why BullGuard updates itself every two hours while you are connected to the Internet, making sure you re perfectly safe online.
Always keep all your other software updated
Because viruses often propagate by exploiting flaws in operating systems or commonly used programs, you need to keep your computer s operating system and other software updated. Whenever possible, configure your computer to download and install critical updates automatically. Otherwise, check for software updates regularly.
Avoid installing spyware and other software that may open backdoors which can be exploited
Only use e-mail services that scan messages for viruses
Deal with e-mail carefully
Viruses are often propagated via e-mail attachments. Avoid opening attachments unless you are reasonably sure the e-mail is legitimate
More about the antivirus trial download
Read our articles on computer viruses and antivirus software:
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What are zero-day attacks./news/security-articles/what-are-zero-day-attacks.aspx
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