The Many Dangers of Vundo

Vundo is a Trojan horse program that affects many computers.  It acts as a gateway for fake anti-spyware programs.  Some versions of the program even deliver software that can take over your computer!

If you discover Vundo on your computer, you should definitely get it fixed.  What are its dangers?

Fake anti-spyware. Fake anti-spyware and anti-virus programs try and get you to buy their “upgraded” versions to take care of manufactured threats.  The “free” versions of these programs run security checks on your computer.  They report malicious files that are either non-existent, or else were dropped by the fake programs themselves!

Changed screensavers and backgrounds. But these fake programs don't stop with pop-ups and fake scans.  They often try and scare their victims by changing the background or screensaver on a computer.  One program associated with Vundo will change your background to a fake “security center alert”, directing you to buy the paid version of the product.

Another will change your screensaver to the “blue screen of death”, commonly seen when Windows is forced to shut down a computer due to system error or other danger.

Disappearing icons. Some of these programs might also make your desktop icons and task bar disappear!  They will eventually appear again.  But in the meantime, all programs associated with those icons will have stopped working!

This can be especially frustrating when you're using an essential tool--a word processor, for example--that shuts down without even letting you save your work.  You can lose a lot of hard work this way!

Some fake antivirus programs have been known to lock users out of “My Documents” and “Control Panel”.  You can imagine how disastrous this can be, especially if you depend heavily on your computer as a school, work, or home tool.

Finally, these programs tend to eat up a lot of system resources.  For a desktop, this can make for a computer that runs abnormally slow.  Laptops have the added danger of overheating more quickly.

But fake anti-spyware programs aren't the only dangers of this Trojan horse.  Some versions of Vundo also carry and install a rootkit program.

Rootkits allow someone else to have administrative access to your computer.  This means they can rifle through all of your files, going through your personal photos and stealing your work.  It also means they can steal your passwords!

If you keep your Pay Pal or bank account information saved in your browser, or in ANY file in your computer, then you don't need to be told how dangerous this is.

Cyber-criminals can also use your computer as a “base of operations” to perform other malicious acts on the internet.  Then, if they are caught, the trail of evidence leads back to your computer!

As you can see, it's vital that you protect yourself against this.  Make sure you constantly update Windows (or whatever other operating system you might be running).  And make sure you find a good antivirus program that knows how to deal with Vundo!