What Is the Dreaded "FBI Virus"?
What is the "FBI Virus"? This virus goes by other names, most commonly the "FBI MoneyPak" virus, and has many variants, but the primary symptom of this virus is that it will lock down your computer, rendering it unusable, with a scary warning message from a supposed government authority (which may be the FBI/Justice Department or Dept.
of Homeland Security) stating that you have been engaging in illegal activities on the Internet and as a result must now pay a fine.
An example of this bogus warning message is: An FBI Online Agent has blocked your computer for security reasons The work of your computer has been suspended on the grounds of unauthorized cyberactivity.
Described below are possible violations you have made: Article 274 - Copyright A fine or imprisonment for the term of up to 4 years.
(The use or sharing of copyrighted files - movies, software) Article 183 - Pornography A fine or imprisonment for the term of up to 2 years.
(The use or distribution of pornographic files).
Article 184 - Pornography involving children (under 18 years) Imprisonment for the term of up to 15 years.
(The use of distribution of pornographic files) This "fine" can range between $100 to $300 USD.
As preposterous as this sounds, that the FBI would agree not to prosecute an illegal action on your part so long as you give them money, the scare tactic is alarming enough to some computer users that they will pay the ransom if only to error on the side of caution and once again have a usable computer.
The problem is that even if you do pay the ransom, the virus will not go away.
The only thing you'll actually accomplish is compromising the security of your credit card information.
So if you do get this computer virus, the first rule is: Don't Pay the Ransom! This virus belongs to a category of malware commonly referred to a "ransomware," a type of malware that hijacks your computer until you agree to pay a certain amount to make it go away.
As with the FBI virus, paying the ransom will not result in the removal of the warning that's locking down your computer.
This virus can also be categorized as "scareware," a type of virus that employs threats or scare tactics in order to compel you to perform some action-normally involving your pocket book.
How Did I Get this Virus in the First Place? By far the most common source of infection is a website that has been injected with viral code.
The owner or operator of the website may or may not even be aware that their site is infected.
Merely visiting the infected website can be enough to infect your computer.
The viral code on the web page will exploit certain security vulnerabilities in your web browser, whether it be Internet Explorer or Firefox.
This is why it's important to keep your computer updated via Windows Update.
The majority of Windows Updates are security updates that patch up certain known vulnerabilities.
How Do I Get Rid of this Virus? Depending on the variant of the FBI virus, ridding your system of it can be difficult to extremely difficult.
The hardest variants to remove are the ones that infect the MBR (Master Boot Record) of your Windows operating system.
In many if not most cases, traditional Anti-Virus software may not be sufficient to remove the virus completely or any of the other viruses that came along with it.
It is commonplace that if you have one virus, you probably have several.
The first virus basically invites its malicious buddies to the party.
If you do plan on trying to remove the virus yourself, do some research on the Web for the correct procedures so your efforts don't result in a corrupted operating system, or worse, catastrophic data loss.
My personal recommendation is to take your computer to a professional.
What if I've Already Paid the "Ransom"? The first thing you should is contact your credit-card provider.
I strongly recommend cancelling the credit card to avoid future fraudulent charges.
You should consider that credit card completely compromised.
Contest the charge with your credit card company.
Take your computer to a professional computer repair technician to have the malware removed.
The most dangerous viruses are the ones you can't see.
These hidden viruses can log your computer keystrokes and allow unauthorized remote access to your private data.
The money you spend to have the malware removed professionally can save you big money in the future, prevent small problems from becoming large problems, and provide you with peace of mind.
of Homeland Security) stating that you have been engaging in illegal activities on the Internet and as a result must now pay a fine.
An example of this bogus warning message is: An FBI Online Agent has blocked your computer for security reasons The work of your computer has been suspended on the grounds of unauthorized cyberactivity.
Described below are possible violations you have made: Article 274 - Copyright A fine or imprisonment for the term of up to 4 years.
(The use or sharing of copyrighted files - movies, software) Article 183 - Pornography A fine or imprisonment for the term of up to 2 years.
(The use or distribution of pornographic files).
Article 184 - Pornography involving children (under 18 years) Imprisonment for the term of up to 15 years.
(The use of distribution of pornographic files) This "fine" can range between $100 to $300 USD.
As preposterous as this sounds, that the FBI would agree not to prosecute an illegal action on your part so long as you give them money, the scare tactic is alarming enough to some computer users that they will pay the ransom if only to error on the side of caution and once again have a usable computer.
The problem is that even if you do pay the ransom, the virus will not go away.
The only thing you'll actually accomplish is compromising the security of your credit card information.
So if you do get this computer virus, the first rule is: Don't Pay the Ransom! This virus belongs to a category of malware commonly referred to a "ransomware," a type of malware that hijacks your computer until you agree to pay a certain amount to make it go away.
As with the FBI virus, paying the ransom will not result in the removal of the warning that's locking down your computer.
This virus can also be categorized as "scareware," a type of virus that employs threats or scare tactics in order to compel you to perform some action-normally involving your pocket book.
How Did I Get this Virus in the First Place? By far the most common source of infection is a website that has been injected with viral code.
The owner or operator of the website may or may not even be aware that their site is infected.
Merely visiting the infected website can be enough to infect your computer.
The viral code on the web page will exploit certain security vulnerabilities in your web browser, whether it be Internet Explorer or Firefox.
This is why it's important to keep your computer updated via Windows Update.
The majority of Windows Updates are security updates that patch up certain known vulnerabilities.
How Do I Get Rid of this Virus? Depending on the variant of the FBI virus, ridding your system of it can be difficult to extremely difficult.
The hardest variants to remove are the ones that infect the MBR (Master Boot Record) of your Windows operating system.
In many if not most cases, traditional Anti-Virus software may not be sufficient to remove the virus completely or any of the other viruses that came along with it.
It is commonplace that if you have one virus, you probably have several.
The first virus basically invites its malicious buddies to the party.
If you do plan on trying to remove the virus yourself, do some research on the Web for the correct procedures so your efforts don't result in a corrupted operating system, or worse, catastrophic data loss.
My personal recommendation is to take your computer to a professional.
What if I've Already Paid the "Ransom"? The first thing you should is contact your credit-card provider.
I strongly recommend cancelling the credit card to avoid future fraudulent charges.
You should consider that credit card completely compromised.
Contest the charge with your credit card company.
Take your computer to a professional computer repair technician to have the malware removed.
The most dangerous viruses are the ones you can't see.
These hidden viruses can log your computer keystrokes and allow unauthorized remote access to your private data.
The money you spend to have the malware removed professionally can save you big money in the future, prevent small problems from becoming large problems, and provide you with peace of mind.
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