Hacker Mind Tricks Increasing Malware Downloads

[RonHiler]

The rule of thumb is to never trust anything on the internet ever, especially when it involves clicking "Yes."

It's not as easy as clicking "No".

Click "Yes": Your infected.
Click "No": Your infected.
Click "Yes": Your infected.
Click "Cancel": You're infected.
Click "Yes": You're infected.
Click the red X at the top right: You're infected.

This is how I suspect a lot of malware gets transmitted. People need to realize those buttons can say whatever they want, it makes no difference. They're just programmable buttons, there is nothing magic about hitting "No". I can program "No" to do whatever I want it to do, and that includes making it do exactly the same thing as "Yes" does.

 

[JET1971]

ctrl-alt-delete, open task manager and shut down the browser. done. flash ads and java script are horrid lil bastards when they are used for malware.

Theres plenty of people out there that have no idea and will install anything, this is nothing new and was real bad with toolbars for web browsers around 2002-5. seemed like every idiot had 10-15 toolbars and all were spyware. and that article was meant for them.

 

[bombadilillo]

And then there was one who actually gave one of those scareware apps a credit card number. And when it came back saying "invalid", she gave them another one.

That is the saddest, funniest thing I have read in a while.

 

[Segadroid]

Not really new... uh... news if you ask me; it's not like I've heard about this for the first time. Hell, I've seen those back in the nineties(God I feel old...) offering me to "scan my PC for FREE".

After the first few times I noticed I always got spy- or malware on my computer regardless if you press Yes, No or even the close button, I now delete them with the Windows Task Manager.

 

[zidine100]

so.. there building a ms version of wot? Thats all i can see from this article.

 

[Logic 0]

It's good to know that hackers have been taking a class in jedi just hope they haven't been levelling up their light-saber skill level.

 

[Sacman]

That's why you open the task manager and end the process... my usual strategy when I get one of those pop ups is to cut power to my router end the process run a quick virus scan, restart my computer run a full scan... and if everything is fine, live in constant paranoia for the next month occasionally crying softly to myself... or maybe that's for another reason...<.<

I don't visit many sites other than a few gaming sites and youtube so I shouldn't have a problem anyway... except on those lonely nights when I decide it's alone times...

 

[gertmenkel]

I can't believe anyone still falls for "Scan your computer". Why would Win7 users with chrome have a WinXP "My Computer" screen? If tou just think before you do anything about any virus, you can't fall for such a thing. Some of those files mentioned don't even exist!

Also, it has happened more than once that I was browsing on my Android phone, and suddenly saw "Windows Defender detected a virus". Strange, malware designers are not capable of using User Agent tests...

 

[NeutralDrow]

I've run into that a few times just recently. 'Course, in my case, the fact that the fake anti-spyware thing even showed up was the actual problem. I'm not stupid enough to think it's real, but that didn't change the fact that it completely hijacked my internet browsers before the convoluted solution could take hold.

Now, it's just "end that process, run Ad-Aware, fix the broken .exe files in its wake."

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

"Mind tricks" is an overstatement I believe. "Download this and you can have a biscuit" is more the level of these tricks.

Spoiler: Click on this to see why

DUDE, DID YOU READ WHAT I JUST SAID? C'MON....

 

[Tulks]

People fall for this stuff? I thought it was all pretty obviously malarkey.

It's pretty obvious to experienced users, but there are new users popping up everyday. There are enough of them to keep the savannah stocked with easy prey. It sits on us stronger lions to help those new to the internet so they can avoid being caught with malware.

Why would lions want to help their prey? Shouln't we be the more experienced elephants, warning the new generation against the dangers of leaving themselves open to predation?

OT: One of my old flat-mates was horrendously bad for this kind of thing. I lost count of the number of times I had to disinfect my last PC after he used it.

"Mind tricks" is an overstatement I believe. "Download this and you can have a biscuit" is more the level of these tricks.

Spoiler: Click on this to see why

DUDE, DID YOU READ WHAT I JUST SAID? C'MON....

Well played, sir. Well played.

 

[Awexsome]

Ugh... I've had to cure my family's PC like... 3-4 times from safe mode because of my two little sisters falling for this crap. Good news is I'm getting quite good at removing those type of things from other people's computer when they do screw up.

 

[Mydnyght]

(*blush*) I admit, I fell victim to one of those fake virus warnings once. Had to pay about $75 to get my computer fixed up. The guy who fixed my computer reminded me to use Malwarebytes Anti-Malware and keep it updated. Yeah, I still get those fake virus warnings once in a while, but Malwarebytes helps a LOT when that happens.

 

[presidentjlh]

"These aren't the anti-virus programs you're looking for."

In my opinion, hackers (black hats, that is) are pathetic. Get a real job, with those types of skills, you could definitely make a solid amount of money in a legitimate manner. Not all hackers are bad, white hat hackers use their skills to help companies and people improve their security systems by performing hacks on those systems themselves, and then informing their employer what they need to do to fix these problems.

Like I said, if you're a hacker, your skills are actually quite useful, just put them to use in the right way.

 

[Azaraxzealot]

and this is why hackers, when caught, should have their hands cut off and strung up by their ankles whilst onlookers pelt them with pieces of computers they ruined until they bleed out.

sorry. i REALLY hate people who prey on the innocent and weak-minded.

 

[Thaluikhain]

Is this news? People have been doing this for many years, why are we surprised they haven't stopped doing something that works very well?

 

[beema]

Yup, good rule of thumb for pretty much your entire life:
Don't be a dumbass

What makes it worse though is when similar things appear in Google or Facebook ads. You figure those are reliable sources, but I feel like their vetting process for ads isn't very stringent.

 

[Dragonborne88]

I LIKE the ones that say "Press YES to mess up your computer!". Makes them easy to avoid. I DISLIKE the ones that stick a fake anti-virus onto your computer, and proceed to download Malware despite not having your approval.

On such a note: Careful for any of you Deviant Art users, one of their many banner ads has one such virus on it. It says it's Microsoft Vista/7 Anti-Malware or some such. I've since gotten some add ons for Firefox to stop such nastiness, but a fair warning to you all.