Scare of my life.

[Gloria E]

I was using Google to find the answer to "What is image dithering." I clicked on an article (I was so scared I don't remember it's name), and the page disappeared and this message appeared "Windows Security has found a critical process activity on your PC and will perform a fast scan of system files." A light bulb when off and I wondered why the warning had not come from my AnitVirus program? I'm running Webroot Internet Security Essentials & Malwarebytes Anti-Malware. I clicked on the red X and another message appeared that said, 'Are you sure you want to navigate away from this page? Your system is at risk of a crash. Press cancel to prevent it. Press OK to continue or cancel to stay on current page.' Either way my computer would have been compromised.

I didn't press anything, I went straight to Windows Task Mangeger, the running task was Fast Windows Antivirus 2011 on Windows Internet Explorer. I Stopped the process and ran Webroot and Malware, and my system was free of the fake program. I checked Google and found the following article (I had done everything it suggests be done).

http://www.precisesecurity.com/rogue/fa ... irus-2011/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

This is the very first time I've been attacked, but by looking at posts, here on the Forum, and getting Newsletters that warn you of different attempts to harm your system, I knew something was very suspicious about that message.

Please read the attached article in it's entirety. I hope this serves as a warning to others to be careful and look before you leap.

[HansV]

Congratulations, Gloria! You handled this exactly right!

[viking33]

That site you gave a link to also had a Poor WOT rating by itself!
but your instincts were right.

[PJ_in_FL]

... the page disappeared and this message appeared "Windows Security has found a critical process activity on your PC and will perform a fast scan of system files."

... I clicked on the red X and another message appeared that said, 'Are you sure you want to navigate away from this page? Your system is at risk of a crash. Press cancel to prevent it. Press OK to continue or cancel to stay on current page.'

Gloria,

Though you did apparently dodge the bullet this time with your quick thinking, I'd like to point out you were at risk of infection due to your first action, clicking the red X on the pop-up message window. That particular version of the infected web site did not apparently install anything due to that click, but, as noted during a lengthy debate in "the other lounge", clicking anything in the browser window is risky when these mal-ware pop-ups occur.

I'd recommend going straight to Task Manager as soon as any suspicious message appears, examine what programs are running, and use Task Manager to kill the entire browser program where the pop-up occurred.