Since Saturday, I’ve been hard at work on my laptop, trying to find a cure to an infection that wreaked havoc on my computer. I must have unwittingly downloaded a virulent type of malware because every few minutes a couple of windows opened on my desktop, telling me that I’ve been invaded by some viruses and encouraging me to buy some software to purge the infection. The warnings were utterly believable because they gave a list of the viruses, worms, adwares, spywares, trojans, dialers, and other malwares that supposedly invaded my computer. They also carried an icon similar to the shield-shaped Windows “Security Center” icon and deceptively carried the name “Antivirus 2008 Pro.” However, a closer scrutiny of the popup windows showed a lot of misspellings. I then remembered a warning I read somewhere that a lot of malwares usually evince sloppy spelling and grammar.
In addition, instead of going to my homepage every time I opened my web browser (Internet Explorer; I have since switched to Firefox), something forcibly directed my browser to one displaying a warning that the page I was about to view was not secure and redirecting me to the website with the purported downloadable solution. Also, whenever I tried going to a new website, a different one popped out. These actions, I learned later, are called hijacking. To make matters worse, my computer started slowing down. Even ordinary applications were taking a very long time to load. Sending an email, for instance, was an exercise in extreme patience.
All these indications, of course, pointed to an infection or several infections. In fact, I would learn later that I was infected by a host of viruses and other malwares. The most irritating, however, was a spyware, a kind of program that, among others, invasively encourages one to buy some unnecessary software, tracks visited websites, and forcibly directs the user to certain sites by manipulating the internet tools in one’s browser.
I trolled the internet for (hopefully free) solutions to my problem. Naturally, since the internet offers hundreds of thousands of possible solutions, choosing the right one was tough. A lot of trial-and-error attempts ensued, and I ended up choosing a free anti-spyware software (Spybot Search & Destroy) as well as buying another (Ad-Aware 2008 by Lavasoft). I had to pay for Ad-Aware because the free version didn’t seem to work. Considering that I have an existing paid subscription to McAffee, the cheapskate in me was objecting to shelling out a few more bucks, but my programs and files are too important to be left to the mercies of some spyware-creating scumbug.
It took me several attempts to scan and clean up my hard drive before my laptop was able to regain some modicum of utility. My laptop still seems sluggish compared to its speed prior to the infection, but this may be due to some unpurged malware or the concurrent operations of my multiple anti-virus and anti-spyware programs. However, I’m happy to note that I could now use my browsers with a certain degree of confidence that they will not be hijacked. Also, unwanted windows have stopped popping up.
This experience tells me that one of the most effective ways of slowing down an information-dependent society is to have its people’s computers infected. A lot of productivity is lost whenever something like this happens because so many of us have become too dependent on the information superhighway. Indeed, waging information warfare that targets civilian installations is a form of asymmetric warfare taught in military schools. I wonder if this form of warfare would have the equivalent of suicide bombers. I just hope that the bright people out there will have a solution to electronic suicide bombing before it becomes a reality.
In the midst of irritation at being infected by a spyware, something caught my eye and made me stop. Like most everyone I know, I don’t usually read an end-user license agreement (more popularly known as “EULA”) before downloading a program. I normally just click on the “I agree” button, but something made me read the EULA for Spybot S&D. Who would have thought that a EULA could make one cry? Apparently, Spybot S&D is a work of love. Its author says that Spybot S&D is free because it is “dedicated to the most wonderful girl on earth.” Probably because of its unanticipated presence, this declaration of affection in a EULA unexpectedly stung my eyes. Whoever said there was no romance in the geeky world of ones and zeros, of bits and bytes? Now, go ahead and download a copy.
