# Virus or Malware? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 5, 2013, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virus-or-malware/665386 "2013-08-05T12:28:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2013, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virus-or-malware/665386/1 "2013-08-05T12:28:25Z")
Yesterday I opened an e email telling me a package could not be delivered and gave me a tracking number. I had a package overdue so assumed this is what it was. My computer was instantly taken over telling me I needed to buy this virus protection plan for $99.00. I was finaly able to run a maleware program in safe mode to remove it after several hours screwing around. It had infected close to 1500 files. Seems ok now but I am still paranoid. Be careful of this one. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2013, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virus-or-malware/665386/2 "2013-08-05T12:48:34Z")
That’s a common tactic – it’s called “ransomeware.” Your version is relatively mild; there are versions that will encrypt your data and require you to pay to unencrypt it (this is why you back up your data with something like Mozy). When you see that warning, the first thing to do is power down as brutally as possible. Pull the plug if it’s a desktop; hold down the power button until the things shuts off on a laptop. Then boot into safe mode and run Malwarebytes. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2013, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virus-or-malware/665386/3 "2013-08-05T14:50:23Z")
I came really close to getting hit by this yesterday. I ordered something from a company I hadn’t done business with before. So email from them about the order ended up in the spam box. There were two shipping notifications. So I moved them out. Oops, one was from the real company, the other wasn’t something bad. They even used a shipping company template which currently has a package enroute to me. Something didn’t seem right. I did a mouse hover. Uh-oh. Kill it now. If only the email site automatically showed you where the email really came from, no hovering required. A couple more like this have shown up since. ---
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2013, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virus-or-malware/665386/4 "2013-08-05T14:59:54Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > That’s a common tactic – it’s called “ransomeware.” Your version is relatively mild; there are versions that will encrypt your data and require you to pay to unencrypt it (this is why you back up your data with something like Mozy). > > When you see that warning, the first thing to do is power down as brutally as possible. Pull the plug if it’s a desktop; hold down the power button until the things shuts off on a laptop. Then boot into safe mode and run Malwarebytes. Malewarebytes is a great program and has saved my ass twice now. I only wished it had an option to delete all instead of just delete selected. When you have over 1,000 boxes to check it can get tedious. Still grateful inspite of that. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2013, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virus-or-malware/665386/5 "2013-08-07T00:24:31Z")
> [@HoneyBadgerDC](#): > > Malewarebytes is a great program and has saved my ass twice now. I only wished it had an option to delete all instead of just delete selected. When you have over 1,000 boxes to check it can get tedious. Still grateful inspite of that. Right click on one of the items, and click on “Check all items”.