Big-name Sites Spread Latest Malware Infections

Writing in the latest Windows Secrets newsletter, security expert Susan Bradley describes the latest Windows malware (malevolent software) floating around the Internet. Many well-known and popular web sites have become infected and they spread the infection to any Windows PC that visits the site using Internet Explorer and some out-of-date software.

I didn't see any genealogy-related web sites mentioned in Susan's list but I'd still suggest caution. Susan lists ColdwellBanker.com, Variety.com, and Tennis.com as web sites that are infected or have been infected in the past.

You can read all the details in Susan's article at http://windowssecrets.com/2009/06/11/01-Big-name-sites-spread-latest-malware-infections/#story1.

NOTE: That site seems to be busy this morning, it took three attempts before it would open up for me and then it was very, very slow. I suspect that lots of people want to read that article today.

Susan also describes the process to see if your Windows PC is infected and, if so, she also tells how to remove the problem.

Luckily, it is easy to prevent the problem: don't use Windows Explorer. Both Firefox and Opera are safe and do not have this problem, nor do the Linux or Macintosh operating systems.

Comments

[Jimmy37]

That's why you should browse with Firefox and the NoScript addon. It saved my bacon on websites that were compromised by not automatically allowing unapproved websites run anything on my computer.

[Jan Murphy]

On the whole, I agree with the suggestion to use a different browser, but a lot of your readership is going to be stuck using IE at least some of the time -- Ancestry.com is one of the sites that forces a user into using IE (if you want to use their enhanced image viewer, it's only available for IE users).

On Firefox, I use Ancestry with the add-on IE Tab, which allows the user to switch to the IE rendering engine only when needed. However, when I used both Firefox and IE, even with IE Tab, Ancestry sometimes complains that I am using multiple computers on my account, and locks me out of my account. It's a pity that Ancestry can't or won't understand that not all of us are using IE (or FTM, for that matter).

[Dick Eastman]

---> On the whole, I agree with the suggestion to use a different browser, but a lot of your readership is going to be stuck using IE at least some of the time -- Ancestry.com is one of the sites that forces a user into using IE

So what do the Macintosh and Linux folks use? They don't have Internet Explorer.

- Dick Eastman

[JMS]

The Ancestry.com enhanced image viewer works with the latest version of Firefox.

[Jim McMillen]

I've had Firefox for less than two weeks, but I can't get the enhanced viewer. But then I have to use Google Chrome, then jump through hoops, to download any .exe program.

[Jo]

>On the whole, I agree with the suggestion to use a different browser, but a lot of your readership is going to be stuck using IE at least some of the time -- Ancestry.com is one of the sites that forces a user into using IE (if you want to use their enhanced image viewer, it's only available for IE users).<

I've used Firefox for Ancestry.com for over two years and have never had any trouble with the Enhanced Image Viewer.

[Ben S]

"Luckily, it is easy to prevent the problem: don't use Windows Explorer."

Technical nitpick: it would probably be more accurate and clearer to recommend not using "Internet Explorer on Windows", or "Windows Internet Explorer".

A recommendation to not use Windows Explorer is the same as recommending to a Macintosh user to not use the Finder. Windows Explorer is the shell interface to the Windows operating system, Internet Explorer is a web browser.

[janetb]

I use Firefox, and Ancestry's basic viewer (Vista won't let me install the enhanced one, but XP had). I don't miss the enhanced viewer, and love my Firefox.

[Jim Lynch]

'Technical nitpick: it would probably be more accurate and clearer to recommend not using "Internet Explorer on Windows", or "Windows Internet Explorer".'

Social observation nitpick (from a programmer/webmaster): That may be true, but MOST internet users have "grown up" knowing "Explorer" as the browser, and would still think you were referring to that EVEN IF you explicitly stated "Windows Explorer" (Start:RightClick > Explore).

My personal observation is that MOST internet users are at only ever proficient at a very superficial level... they can open a browser and get mail, but even that requires specific line-by-line instructions, and going beyond that is usually a major technical feat. That's the level they are comfortable at, and they prefer to stay there.