Many computer users now recognize the trickery behind the false urgency. The trick arrives in the form of unexpected pop-ups, critical dialog boxes, or insistent error messages. When these appear on your screen, it is an obvious indication that something is wrong. Experienced users know, however, that even the most detailed error message is not necessarily an actual warning from your computer. Instead, it may be a false warning from a virus or other malware. Once you are sufficiently scared, you are willing to do whatever the pop-up suggests to rectify the alleged problem your computer is having. Predictably, the suggestion made is often one that requires you to purchase something – the purchase invariably just as useless as the supposed warning.

This method of fraud is now so common that it has a name: rogue. Encarta Dictionary describes rogue as “acting independently and using unorthodox methods that are unpredictable and are likely to cause trouble.” This is a great way to describe rogue programs. Like other phony antivirus programs, rogues mask themselves as warnings that are as urgent-sounding and intimidating as possible. The creators of these programs count on both your fear and your unawareness that there is a virus on your computer. It’s a clever ruse. Among the most clever is System Tool, an ugly malware program that is certainly no tool that you want to use.

Virus Name(s): System Tool; System Protection, Win 7 Antivirus

Symptoms Include: (Fake) Pop-Up boxes – these will warn you that your PC has been infected with something. The pop-up box will certainly look legitimate, but it isn’t! It will prompt you to either download or refuse to download a specious sounding program, but this is not a real choice. Either way, once you click anywhere inside the dialog box, the malware will download itself.

Once the program has downloaded itself to your system, it will wreak terrible havoc immediately. It will block you from using your internet browser, prevent you from accessing your virus protection programs, and eventually cause some PCs to succumb to the BSOD (Blue Screen of Death – an error screen indicating your system has crashed).

Recommended Treatment:

If possible, don’t click that warning box! No matter what it claims – do not select any options. Instead, immediately open and run your anti-virus program.

If it’s too late and your computer has already been infected with this awful rogue, follow these steps:

Immediately log off of your profile and switch to a different user profile on your PC. The rogue only affects the user that downloaded it.

When accessing the infected user’s profile, log in with Safe Mode.

If you don’t currently have one, download an AV program that specifically targets malware and/or rogues. I recommend MalwareByes. They have several downloads available at different prices, but the free version does the job perfectly.

If necessary, use System Restore to find a safe point to return to (prior to your recent download).

If these steps still don’t remove the rogue, you may need to contact a professional – you can always contact me, of course.
Known locations of infection: Social networking sites, Online gaming sites

Although this rogue can be defeated by taking a few simple steps, like any bug, it’s better never to contract it at all. Be wary online, even with familiar sites.