Malware

Last night I finished a two day bout with a particularly insidious piece of malware, Binkiland ... as evil a piece of software that ever has been invented. It basically made my computer almost inoperable. In a way it reminded me of those parasites that kill their hosts ... not a very wise strategy for self propagation. Therefore I had to kill this monster ... which I eventually did, although it took me two agonizing days and $40.

I think I infected my computer with this malware when I saw a pop-up advising me to update my Adobe Flash Player. Stupidly I clicked on that fatal button and sunk into a funk of losing one of my best of friends and confidents ... my computer. The first manifestation of Binkiland is that it takes over your browser and throws all sorts of irritating pop-ups into whatever you are trying to do.

At first I tried my standard virus-fighter ... Avast ... which was not up to the task. It advised me to use a rescue disk and re-format my computer. So I called the Geek Squad at Best Buy and they gave me the number of where I could order one from Acer. Unfortunately every time I called this number I was told to call back later. So I went on my Ipad and searched "Binkiland" and found a few references on how to get rid of same. The first one was so technically detailed that I gave up. But then I found a recommendation to use Spyhunter ... which I downloaded and ran. It seemed to be doing the job, but wanted $39.95 before it fixed things.

I was desperate so I paid the money and took my chances. It worked! However it took the better part of a day to do its stuff. So, if you follow my lead, be patient.

And, for the developers of Binkiland, may you rot in hell.

Afterward: I sometimes get the impression that our federal government is infected with malware ...

Swiss Cheese

Recently, I am getting an annoying flurry of messages on my PC from my virus detection software, avast!, which say “Malicious URL Blocked!” Then when I ask for further explanation, I see:

avast! saved your computer from crashing

You just dodged a bullet

You may be wondering how you ended up with a virus, especially if you were visiting a ‘normal’ site. The latest research from the avast! Virus Lab shows that more than 80% of malware (viruses,spyware, and the like) spreads through legitimate websites, with only 1% coming from suspicious or ‘dodgy’ sites.

Now, how is it that my operating system and Internet browser, both from Microsoft, are so inept and insecure that, decades after their constructions, such malicious intrusions can happen? Simple answer – Microsoft has focused its business strategy on maintaining its revenue and profit stream … and ignoring the true wants and needs of its customers. This bloated company's software is so full of holes that is resembles a good Swiss cheese. To me, there in no excuse for this sloppiness and sloth … and this fault will eventually bring Microsoft down.  I predict that, within five years, this fate will become blatantly obvious to anyone watching.