A hoax that has affected both me and my family first infiltrated around 2019. The purpose of this hoax was to collect as much information from the host as possible. It was a Trojan horse virus disguised as a free Minecraft download that I had fallen for as a kid. These viruses can be particularly dangerous for young kids and elderly who do not know how to spot warning signs on fake sites that they believe to be real.
Once I downloaded their code and embedded itself into the computer and hijacked Safari. They put up their own search engine instead of the regular page that was impossible to close out of. For years we did not pay much attention to this virus, as it seemed like it was causing no major harm. After taking this information systems class, I became a little bit wearier of viruses, so I decided to do some research. As I dove into the system settings, it turned out that it was tracking every single activity across all websites.
The potential danger was very high, and it was hard to get rid of. Every time you deleted the launcher, it reinstalled somewhere deep inside of the computer, repairing itself from within. We ended up having to take it to the Apple Store for them to fix it.
Looking back, I could’ve determined it to be a virus as it was too good to be true and from an unreliable site. If you ever find yourself looking at a website that seems like it has a crazy exclusive deal, it’s best to step back and confirm the link is from a trusted source. Going forward, my family and I have been more vigilant to these kinds of scams.
Mike Aguilar
Scammers are getting much better at tricking both kids and seniors. With the introduction of AI tgis problem is only going to get worse and impact everybody, not just tge younger and older.
admin
AI poses a serious threat in the context of scams as they are able to cheaply and effectively trick even digitally literate people. One major scam going around is one that preys on peoples trust for people in their lives impersonating their voices on the phone and requesting information. Oftentimes they will take this a step father building urgency through some sort of emergency where you need to send them information/money right away. The Federal Communications Commission suggests that families adopt safe words with this new age of scams to prevent falling for these as they become more advanced.
Aidan nierman
The advice about if it seems too good to be true is really helpful! When I was younger I lost my Instagram account not to a Trojan but just because they offered me “free” money through a link. Similar thing that could’ve been prevented the same way!
admin
This is often the case with scammers targeting people. Scammers often target young kids who are more prone to too good to be true claims and give timers to get them to act fast. Putting restrictions on what websites vulnerable groups can visit and teaching digital literacy often help with preventing scams like this.
Kristy
It is amazing how easy it is to contract a Trojan horse, and how hard it is to repair it. This blog let me know, as a parent, that you need to keep a close eye on what your kids are downloading.
admin
I’m sorry for downloading a virus on to your computer and I’m sorry this is how you found out it was me…
I have learned a lot about viruses that pose as separate programs in my Information Systems class. They often target kids who believe everything that they see on line and elderly who do not fully understand the internet. They can be very dangerous and spread across networks you are not careful so it is important to get them taken care of as soon as possible.
alexiathecoolest
What an insightful post on computer viruses. I feel like a lot of people don’t take them as seriously because it’s on the internet and not in real life. What they don’t realize is that these viruses could lead to bigger issues like getting your identity stolen, being impersonated and having personal information be leaked and sold.
admin
Thank you for the kind words! I have noticed that people tend to think of online scams as something that was from the past and not to be worried about. The scary part about this mindset is that they are more prevalent now than ever! With deepfakes and AI only getting more advanced, it is important that we always stay aware about what could be a scam and keep up to date on the latest ones going around.