Hackers And Hoaxes
Everyone who has an ISP, understands, or at least knows about
how hackers use viruses, Trojans and other web nasties, to
infect and mess up your computer. No headline news there.
(Unfortunately, we still don't understand why they do it, or
at least I don't.) But hackers don't have to write malicious
code or hijack your browser to do some serious damage to your
system. Oh no... A well written email with no attachments,
can do the trick. They only have to start a rumor. Hackers
can easily manipulate you into trashing your own computer.
All they have to do is begin a hoax.
What do I mean by that? Let me explain.
Have you ever gotten emails from people you know that say
something like: Scan your hard drive for such and such a file!
If you find it delete it immediately! Pass this on. Warn
everyone you know!
These emails are originally generated by a hacker and spread
throughout the Internet to get you to delete files you need,
thus creating havoc for your system. They are hoaxes.
Hoaxes work incredibly well for getting average people to
cause their own computers to malfunction. the hacker doesn't
have to spend any time creating malicious code and a method
of distribution, all they have to do is play on the human
tendency for hysteria; send out a warning that something evil
is spreading, and if you find it on your computer, get rid
of it!
Recently I was tracking a thread on a forum, where the moderator
warned everyone about a file that he found on his system that
was a keylogger. (A keylogger is a malicious program designed
to track your every move through monitoring your keystrokes.)
He warned everyone to search for a file, ans2000.ini and,
"delete the booger."
I scan my system every day, with several different virus/ spyware
programs, and I never picked up this file with any of them, so
I decided to do a Windows Explorer search for it. Sure enough,
I found it on my hard drive. Oh My God!
Before hitting the delete key though, I looked it up on the web.
I Googled the specific file and found quite a bit of information
on it. The file ans2000.ini is used in the keylogger program
known as ProBot SE. However, it is also used in many other
legitimate programs as well. Ok, so now what do I do?
Well, I contacted my go-to guy, Jim Gray, owner of Quikonnex,
and asked him what his thoughts were. He told me to open the
ini file, in Notepad, and read it. Sure enough, this file did
have an association to another program on my system. It is
part of ActivEbook Compiler. It was right there in print, at
the top of the file.
Now had I just freaked out when I found the file, and deleted
the booger, I would've trashed my ebook compiler, making it
useless to me. Two points for the hacker who started the hoax!
Hoaxes are just as dangerous as live viruses, because they
inspire you to destroy your own programs. I am sure they are
a particular kick for the one starting the hoax, as they are
getting you to do bad things to your own system. Fear is a
powerful motivator, and hoaxes, by design, are created to
cause panic and fear in the less experienced Internet traveler.
So, before going and deleting files from your hard drive, go
check them out. Do a search for them and read the information
you find. Don't just go deleting things without learning about
them first, or you just may end up cutting your own throat.
And, NEVER forward these types of warning emails to others
until you know for a fact that the information is correct,
or you're likely to have your friends and family after you
for misinforming them.
Resources for validating virus/ hoax information:
http://vil.mcafee.com/hoax.asp
http://www.vmyths.com/
http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/hoax.html
http://www.f-secure.com/virus-info/hoax/
Copyright © 2005
The Trii-Zine Ezine
www.ezines1.com
Trina L.C. Schiller is a professional network marketer, the
publisher of the Internet marketing ezine, "Trii-Zine" and
owner of http://www.tlcpromotions.net, as well as a founding
publisher at http://www.quikonnex.com, and President of
http://www.AdsOnQ.com
the Internet's first syndicated advertising agency.
She has also authored the following ebooks: "Your Beginner's
Guide To Syndication"
http://www.ads-on-q.com/booksales.html
RSS, Blogs and Syndication... The Facts vs The guruese"
http://www.ads-on-q.com/RSS.html