Malicious software
A client recently reported that an intruder had ‘invaded’ their PC and laptop and ‘captured’ their desktop. The client was playing online poker and a ‘desktop.ini’ file had suddenly appeared on her desktop, they were unable to delete the file by conventional means and the computer was being controlled remotely. A previous computer local computer service company had formatted the hard disk, re-installed the operating system and loaded McAfee AV software, but the desktop was re-captured the next time they logged onto the poker site.
Firewall settings were upgraded, the computer was disconnected from the internet and the router switched off. McAfee was uninstalled and Kapersky Internet Security loaded. The anti-hacking software in Kapersky has detected and quarantined the file and all appears to be good.
It is advisable to contact your internet services provider and the site hosting the poker game to inform them of the event; they are keen to reduce such interference and may even be able to identify the hacker(s). Also, it is inadvisable to rely on Windows Defender alone to protect your system and anti-virus software alone is also often inadequate.
Another preferred option for regular surfers is to use an alternative to Internet Explorer, the most commonly used and hacked surfing interface, try others like Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox.
Your system can also be hijacked locally, either via the WiFi connection or your Bluetooth enabled COM port (known as ‘bluejacking’); these are within the range of your device, so make sure bluetooth is turned off (or disabled) when not required and that your WiFi connection is secure.
If you think a particular website is acting as a gateway; don’t use it!
These bugs can be a swine to get rid of!!
