Alias: Home Security Essentials, FakeAntivirus.Generic

Description:

Home Security Essentials is a new variant of Internet Security Essentials, Personal Internet Security 2011, Smart Engine, My Security Engine and Security Master AV. Home Security Essentials is a fake antivirus product which hijacks your computer and uses scare tactics to get you to purchase the full version. Just like its predecessors, Home Security Essentials is very good at eluding detection. In order for Home Security Essentials to stop you from removing it, it disables your existing antivirus and antispyware programs and blocks access to help forums and to major name brand antispyware and antivirus vendor websites. It can also disable Task Manager so that you don't shut it down manually. Additionally, Home Security Essentials modifies your 'hosts' file which basically hijacks your Internet connection. This can be used to block access to certain websites, and to re-direct your searches to websites of Home Security Essentials's choice. Home Security Essentials adds several hundred entries to your registry under the 'Image File Execution Options' key. These entries are used to block access to several hundred programs.

Home Security Essentials occasionally harasses the user with warnings and messages saying that their computer is infected and is under attack from hackers. In most cases we have seen, Home Security Essentials was installed by a trojan or mistakenly downloaded from one of many fraudulent Fake Scanner Sites.

Home Security Essentials displays exaggerated fake scan results similar to this:





Home Security Essentials issues fake alert messages similar to those shown below:







If you are unable to run programs, this is because Home Security Essentials has disabled them.

Remove Home Security Essentials in 4 Easy Steps

Step 1: Download Vkill. If you cannot download Vkill directly to the infected computer, you can download it onto a clean computer and transfer it to the infected computer (by using a network or a flash drive). Click Vkill for more information on how Vkill works.

If you cannot download directly to the infected computer and you do not know how to transfer files between two computers, click here for instructions on how to restart your computer in Safe Mode with Networking. Once you are logged in Safe Mode, you can download SpyNoMore.

Step 2: Double-click Vkill several quick times in a row to disable Home Security Essentials. Make sure to save any unsaved work before you do that.

PLEASE NOTE: The purpose of double-clicking Vkill several times is to work around the infection's blocking ability. So make sure to keep double-clicking on Vkill until a notepad text file opens up. This text file will list the names of the processes killed. Once you see the text file, you can proceed to step 3 below. If you have clicked Vkill several times quickly and you still do not see a notepad text file open up, rename Vkill to 'iexplore' and try again.

Step 3: Once Home Security Essentials has been disabled by Vkill, you can download and run SpyNoMore. SpyNoMore will download updates then scan your computer and if Home Security Essentials is present, SNM will detect it and you will be able to see either Home Security Essentials or Fake Antivirus in the scan results. These are the same product. Please note that the free version of SpyNoMore will only show you the detections. In order to remove the infection you need to purchase a 1-year license which costs $29.95 (or $39.95 for 3 computers). In all cases, you will be able to see the infection in the free version scan results.

Step 4: After the scan is completed, click on Remove Spyware to purchase a 1-year SpyNoMore license. Your payment will be processed securely by Regnow.com (a Digital River company) who are considered to be among the most secure online payment processors in the industry. More details on Digital River Regnow here.

Threat type:

Hijacker - A Hijacker is a software application that takes control of your browser's settings. Usually it changes your home page and redirects it to some unknown site or modifies your search settings. It prevents you from changing back your browser's settings. An infected browser usually operates much slower.

Ransomware - Ransomware is a software application that infects a computer and asks for money to have the infection removed.

Trojan - A Trojans or Trojan Horse is any programs that installs itself secretly normally via malware programs, quite often with sinister intent. Once installed, the trojan author (hacker) can gain complete control of the infected PC. Trojans are usually designed to steal sensitive information and/or destroy the system. Trojans can be distributed as unsolicited email attachments, or bundled with freeware and shareware programs.

Advice: Remove This is a very high risk threat and should be removed immediately as to prevent harm to your computer and / or to protect your privacy.

Detection:
SpyNoMore removes Home Security Essentials: Yes

Threat risk: Very High Risk

Extremely dangerous malware. Uses stealth installation, randomly named entries and has the capability to self update or resurrect after incomplete removal. Almost impossible to remove manually. Category mostly consists of trojans and spyware.

Symptoms:

Home Security Essentials gets installed without your permission.

Inability to run programs.

You cannot simply uninstall Home Security Essentials as it is malware and does not come with an uninstaller.

Inability to open Task Manager.

A message "Warning! Virus detected. Trojan-Spy.HTML.Bankfraud.ra"

Following balloon message is displayed:

System Alert!

Malicious applications, which may contain Trojans, were found on your computer and are to be removed immediately. Click here to remove these potentially harmful items using Home Security Essentials.

Home Security Essentials Signature Details: The following information includes some of the standard signatures associated with this spyware threat. Please do not attempt to manually remove these items from your computer; Removing these items incorrectly or partially can cause your computer to experience critical errors, prevent your computer from restarting or cause loss of Internet connectivity. Should you be infected with Home Security Essentials, you can clean your computer by downloading SpyNoMore now.

Running Process Signatures:
N/A

File Signatures:
N/A

Registered Dll (Dynamic Link Library) Signatures:
N/A

Folder Signatures:
N/A

Registry Signatures:
N/A

SpyNoMore Collected Residual File Signatures:
N/A

See Also:
Personal Shield Pro
100ksearches.com
Searchportal.information.com
find-fast-answers.com
7dayoftheweek.com
us-srch-system.com
Goingonearth.com
Merchantsnearby.com
comparestores.net
BargainMatch.com