Computer virus from a young relative's email; wwyd?

[ems_mom]

First their was the weird commercial posting to my face book (she explained it had to do with a game and earning points?) then there was the email. From my 15 year old niece withe a subject of "you should check these out" and a link to something like mscottphotography. I was thinking pictures of my niece. Not quite. It was a pharmacy page with use your imagination.

Well, duh. I am officially stupid. Apparently this is a virus being sent around the web. Multiple people on her email account got it but many knew enough to delete without opening.

So I have been using Microsoft's security essentials...What is better, Norton or Macafee? I feel like sending the bill to my sister. She doesn't "do" facebook or monitor her daughter's online activity because the girl's so "good" she would never do anything "bad."

Thoughts?

 

[The Mystery Machine]

How do you know this was malicious? It could have been a accident.

 

[Malibustyle23]

Ever think she got hacked (it happens ALOT on fb) and actually is a good girl? Sorry you were the fool you pay the price. No offense. I don't see how your sister is at all to blame.

 

[jsmith]

the girl did not intentionally send you the email-and run your current anti virus-its likely nothing infected your computer. Those types of emails send themselves -its not a hack-its a replicator that uses the persons email address and propigates itself from their address book-if it was a virus it replicated it self from yours when you opened the mail and the damage is already done.

 

[kathie859]

I would assume that her email contact list was hacked. I would let her know so she could warn her contacts to not open the email. OTOH, if she meant for this to come to you, I'd make sure she knew how inappropriate it is and to knock it off

 

[luvmythree]

I would suggest downloading and running malwarebytes! I received a nasty trojan from a family member and this was the ONLY tool that helped! I had to boot into safe mode in order to do anything so thankfully I had this program and it found and cleaned it up so that I could boot up normally.

 

[ems_mom]

Sorry for not being clear. I don't think it was malicious. I do think my niece is naive in navigating the internet. And I know my sister does not monitor her use at all. My sister is very anti-computer in terms of social interaction (she does use one at work). But her daughter has her own wireless laptop that no-one is monitoring.

I always checked my DD's posts. My only aim was to keep her safe. But at least I could have seen if she was exposing our computer in an unsafe way.

 

[jsmith]

[Ever think she got hacked (it happens ALOT on fb)/QUOTE]
those are replicators also-the very first thing a real hacker does is change the password-and if you actually get hacked-you gave out too much info and your password was too easy. But the replicators are a virus that just puts itself on the wall of everyone in your list-and then does the same to everyone in theirs when they click the link. The niece is very likely not the sort who did bad things-she just got replicated-and FYI-having anti virus will protect you from running a replicator but not from recieving replicator emails-and-to the best of my not insignifigant knowledge it does not prevent the replicators in facebook-which are ramapent.

 

[Malibustyle23]

First their was the weird commercial posting to my face book (she explained it had to do with a game and earning points?) then there was the email. From my 15 year old niece withe a subject of "you should check these out" and a link to something like mscottphotography. I was thinking pictures of my niece. Not quite. It was a pharmacy page with use your imagination.

Well, duh. I am officially stupid. Apparently this is a virus being sent around the web. Multiple people on her email account got it but many knew enough to delete without opening.

So I have been using Microsoft's security essentials...What is better, Norton or Macafee? I feel like sending the bill to my sister. She doesn't "do" facebook or monitor her daughter's online activity because the girl's so "good" she would never do anything "bad."

Thoughts?

 

[brockash]

Ever think she got hacked (it happens ALOT on fb) and actually is a good girl? Sorry you were the fool you pay the price. No offense. I don't see how your sister is at all to blame.

ITA! My cousin's email just got hacked last night, and everyone was sent some weird message with her. I didn't open the link, because it looked like spam, so I didn't have any issues, but even if I did open it and had issues... I mean it's not her fault. You can be mad at yourself for opening something that gave you a virus, but no good will come out of misplacing your disappointment onto your dn.

 

[Imzadi]

Sorry for not being clear. I don't think it was malicious. I do think my niece is naive in navigating the internet. And I know my sister does not monitor her use at all. My sister is very anti-computer in terms of social interaction (she does use one at work). But her daughter has her own wireless laptop that no-one is monitoring.

I always checked my DD's posts. My only aim was to keep her safe. But at least I could have seen if she was exposing our computer in an unsafe way.

Then YOU need to be the one to help educate your niece. A clueless sister is not going to be of much help herself.

 

[NHdisneylover]

Sorry for not being clear. I don't think it was malicious. I do think my niece is naive in navigating the internet. And I know my sister does not monitor her use at all. My sister is very anti-computer in terms of social interaction (she does use one at work). But her daughter has her own wireless laptop that no-one is monitoring.

I always checked my DD's posts. My only aim was to keep her safe. But at least I could have seen if she was exposing our computer in an unsafe way.

So, if I understand you correctly--YOU "naively" opened a link which a majority of seasoned computer users would suspect was likely to be a virus but now you want to send you sister in law the bill for the clean up because your DN was "naive" in somehow getting that onto her computer and sent to you If your email has already been hacked (or replicated) and this has gone on to YOUR contacts, would you pay the bills for antiviral software for all of your contacts who open the email?

If you want to truly nicely and helpfully and in a totally non accusatory manner explain a little internet safety to your niece once in a while that would be fine--but if you go in blaming her for something that happens very often to loads of people (and for which you share in the blame for opening the link) then do not expect a very welcoming reception.

 

[J3nn78]

You were the naive one. NEVER open email that says anything along the lines of "check this out" Sounds like you need to brush up on your computer/security skills.

As for what to do about your DN. I would simply let them know that there she sent a virus and should be upping her antivirus security. It is not her fault? Sending your sister a bill would be outrageous.

 

[scrapquitler]

So I have been using Microsoft's security essentials...What is better, Norton or Macafee? I feel like sending the bill to my sister. She doesn't "do" facebook or monitor her daughter's online activity because the girl's so "good" she would never do anything "bad."

Thoughts?

PRobably the girl doesn't know that it happened. These viruses that come from facebook are a matter of clicking on a link (she probably thought she was entering a contest for a free ipad) and then BAM! You've got the virus which gets emailed/sent in a link to everyone in your address book.

You should use any good virus protection software to prevent/fix it. We use AVG Free software (it's free). I wouldn't send someone else a bill because I got a virus.

 

[sam_gordon]

It's also possible this didn't come from DN. That the email simply spoofed her name & email addy from YOUR address book.

And let me get this right, you check EVERY post/email your DD sends out? Helicopter parents, land over here please.

That being said, let's go on to the problem...
1) Do NOT pay any money for Norton, McAfee or any antivirus program.
2) As PP said, download, install, and run Malwarebytes. That should get rid of whatever infection you have (and I bet you have more than one).
3) Download, install, and run AVG or Avast! for Virus protection.
4) I also run ZoneAlarm (free) firewall.

 

[Carly_Roach]

Facebook strikes again!

 

[FireDancer]

I would keep MS Security Essentials. Anti-Virus software is not designed to keep the user from clicking on a malicious link. If you do want to switch go with AVG or Avast which are also both free. There is no need to pay for AV outside of the enterprise.

Assuming you don't want to do a wipe and clean install I would suggest the following.

I would first run the Malicious Software Removal Tool but clicking Start -> Run -> Type 'MRT' in the run box -> Hit enter. Run a full scan.

Then download and run the Microsoft Safety Scanner

Next, update your AV and run a complete scan.

After you have run everything it might also be a good idea to restore your computer to a date prior to clicking on the link. You do this in All Programs -> Accessories -> System Tools -> System restore.

While a lot of people skip right to that last step it is a good idea to do the previous ones first. Some malware is smart enough to hide in places that won't be fixed just with the restore.

I'd also change the password for the email account you used to click the link just in case and also any other accounts you use the same password for. While using a different password for every site is ideal at the very least the password you use for your email accounts should never be reused on any other account.

 

[tlbwriter]

So, if I understand you correctly--YOU "naively" opened a link which a majority of seasoned computer users would suspect was likely to be a virus but now you want to send you sister in law the bill for the clean up because your DN was "naive" in somehow getting that onto her computer and sent to you If your email has already been hacked (or replicated) and this has gone on to YOUR contacts, would you pay the bills for antiviral software for all of your contacts who open the email?

Yeah, it doesn't sound like she was any more naive than you were. And if you weren't already running any security software at all, she might have actually done you a favor.

 

[NaLisa]

Good suggestions above, and I would just add that this probably isn't the right situation to point out to your sister that you disapprove of her parenting style.

 

[lizabu]

So, if I understand you correctly--YOU "naively" opened a link which a majority of seasoned computer users would suspect was likely to be a virus but now you want to send you sister in law the bill for the clean up because your DN was "naive" in somehow getting that onto her computer and sent to you If your email has already been hacked (or replicated) and this has gone on to YOUR contacts, would you pay the bills for antiviral software for all of your contacts who open the email?

If you want to truly nicely and helpfully and in a totally non accusatory manner explain a little internet safety to your niece once in a while that would be fine--but if you go in blaming her for something that happens very often to loads of people (and for which you share in the blame for opening the link) then do not expect a very welcoming reception.