ULTRA GATOR, a RANT
Some time ago, a company created a trojan(as I recall it was a trojan), that changed links and made most revenue go to THEM! It's name was gator, so they called the effect gatoring!
Later, people REALLY polluted search sites with systems created to send you in circles with the idea that the easiest way out was to get them revenue.
A couple months ago, I found that my computer went to a couple porn sites by itself, and behaved eratically. THEN, it started telling me that "the anti virus system"(A system I NEVER heard off, would never install, etc...) found a virus and would stop me from doing ANYTHING worthwhile unless I bought it! Well, I FOUGHT it, and eventually got everything up.
A month ago a friend PLEADED with me to help him get rid of a similar infestation. I got him up and running, but he went against my advice and found himself with a similar, albeit different predicament. THIS is apparently due to ANOTHER method. It subtly redirects links in a stealth way. Microsoft update leads to what APPEARS to be a network error, but isn't. Google leads to a page that is filled with URLS that are redirected to sites like I spoke about earlier, so they get revenue. Unfortunately, I am never in the best area there to do research, it is unexpected, and I have limited time.
There is an EASY fix to the obvious problem BUT eventually the redirects direct to another site CLAIMING the registry is corrupted and ask you to press a key to clean it. ALAS, ***IT*** is what corrupts the registry and gives you that obvious problem again, BEFORE it asks if you want to fix it. Basically, it locks you in so the system is really only good for driving traffic to sites that PAY them! Luckily, they missed ONE type of file, maybe because they use it to INFECT the system, so I set it up on the desktop so my friend can fix it almost as quickly as the virus can hurt it.
I write this because one of the sites polluting the search engines, along with the viruses, fake search engines, and other mess, is driver update software. And, apparently, a member here now has a problem with THAT.
I have to tell you. Those FAKE AV systems like I described are lucky I am not in a high place in law enforcement. If I were, I would have the FTC, IRS, FBI, CIA, local police, interpol, foreign governments, etc... all setup to throw the guys in jail for at least 5 years, for each attempt HECK, I would even get the FDA involved if it affected medical machines, or had anything to do with drugs. If they lived elsewhere, I would insist on them being in the place with the harshest treatment. It is NASTY, and there is no telling what could happen because of such a virus. I mean people could be KILLED! My friend pleaded with me because it almost caused him to lose accounts in his business. Business is BAD ENOUGH!
HECK, one thing I did after I got things running was I ran symantecs antivirus. It didn't clean up the redirect problem.
Oh well, BACKUP, and BE CAREFUL!
Steve
Later, people REALLY polluted search sites with systems created to send you in circles with the idea that the easiest way out was to get them revenue.
A couple months ago, I found that my computer went to a couple porn sites by itself, and behaved eratically. THEN, it started telling me that "the anti virus system"(A system I NEVER heard off, would never install, etc...) found a virus and would stop me from doing ANYTHING worthwhile unless I bought it! Well, I FOUGHT it, and eventually got everything up.
A month ago a friend PLEADED with me to help him get rid of a similar infestation. I got him up and running, but he went against my advice and found himself with a similar, albeit different predicament. THIS is apparently due to ANOTHER method. It subtly redirects links in a stealth way. Microsoft update leads to what APPEARS to be a network error, but isn't. Google leads to a page that is filled with URLS that are redirected to sites like I spoke about earlier, so they get revenue. Unfortunately, I am never in the best area there to do research, it is unexpected, and I have limited time.
There is an EASY fix to the obvious problem BUT eventually the redirects direct to another site CLAIMING the registry is corrupted and ask you to press a key to clean it. ALAS, ***IT*** is what corrupts the registry and gives you that obvious problem again, BEFORE it asks if you want to fix it. Basically, it locks you in so the system is really only good for driving traffic to sites that PAY them! Luckily, they missed ONE type of file, maybe because they use it to INFECT the system, so I set it up on the desktop so my friend can fix it almost as quickly as the virus can hurt it.
I write this because one of the sites polluting the search engines, along with the viruses, fake search engines, and other mess, is driver update software. And, apparently, a member here now has a problem with THAT.
I have to tell you. Those FAKE AV systems like I described are lucky I am not in a high place in law enforcement. If I were, I would have the FTC, IRS, FBI, CIA, local police, interpol, foreign governments, etc... all setup to throw the guys in jail for at least 5 years, for each attempt HECK, I would even get the FDA involved if it affected medical machines, or had anything to do with drugs. If they lived elsewhere, I would insist on them being in the place with the harshest treatment. It is NASTY, and there is no telling what could happen because of such a virus. I mean people could be KILLED! My friend pleaded with me because it almost caused him to lose accounts in his business. Business is BAD ENOUGH!
HECK, one thing I did after I got things running was I ran symantecs antivirus. It didn't clean up the redirect problem.
Oh well, BACKUP, and BE CAREFUL!
Steve