business
Intruder Alert:
By Burt Tschache
Happy New Year, Dear Readers.
Just when I thought I was going to be
branching out into other areas of com-
puting, a cretinous little vermin called
Internet Antivirus Pro or IAP has reared
its pointy little head. Many computer
owners have been infected with this
ingenious piece of malware lately that
masquerades about as an antivirus pro-
gram. Do not be fooled.
It seems to hitchhike onto
downloads or as a part of under-secure
websites and does a quiet install of itself.
That will be the last moment of comput-
ing quietude you will have until you re-
move it, and removing it is not particu-
larly easy. What happen next can best be
described as “All hell breaking loose.”
Messages from Windows Security Cen-
ter begin popping up, warning you that
your virus protection is off and your vi-
rus definitions are out of date.
IAP will then run itself auto-
2010
matically and warn you that you have
numerous infections, could lose impor-
tant documents, your firstborn child and
worse unless you register the software.
Do NOT register the software under
any conditions, as that will only make it
worse and you will likely lose any mon-
ey you have paid to these shysters. It
will also install other malware on your
system, some of which could make a
longshoreman blush.
If you are already infected at
this point, the best advice I can give is to
shut down your computer before it does
anything worse and take several slow
deep breaths. Please do not hyperven-
tilate. If you feel you want to do battle
with this unmentionable piece of squat-
ware, I can provide you the tools to do it.
Best of all, they are free.
I am not in the habit of recom-
mending software; however, this is the
best tool I have found for removing said
malware. Restart your computer and
Traditionally, the #1 New Year’s reso-
lution goal is to lose weight and get in shape.
As we begin a new decade, people from around
the world will attend Jazzercise classes as part
of their plan to get fit. These folks will have
just as much fun burning off the “holiday calo-
ries” as they did enjoying their favorite festive
foods.
Each 60-minute Jazzercise class of-
fers a fusion of jazz dance, resistance training,
Pilates, yoga, and kickboxing movements set
to popular music. The Jazzercise fitness pro-
gram has benefited people of all ages and fit-
ness levels for more than 40 years. Founded by
fitness pioneer and Jazzercise CEO Judi Shep-
pard Missett, Jazzercise is more popular than
ever with 7,500 instructors teaching more than
32,000 classes weekly in all 50 states and 32
countries.
At Vernonia Jazzercise, we offer 10
classes weekly to fit your busy schedule. The
following is the current Winter schedule: 5:30
AM and 9:45 AM on Mondays, Wednesdays
& Fridays; 7:15 PM Tuesday, Wednesday &
Thursday and Saturday’s at 8:30 AM. For more
information about Jazzercise, contact Costley
at (503)429-0196 or at pcostley@agalis.net
For class information, go to jazzercise.com,
and click on “find a class” or call (800) FIT-
IS-IT.
LARGE OR SMALL WE DO THEM ALL
Rabies Vaccination
Special
$8.50/ each pet
(1 or 3 year)
January thru February 2010
No appointment necessary
Thursdays 10am to 5pm
Walk-ins only
503-556-3084
58376 Nehalem Hwy. South, Vernonia
17
Safe Computing Practices - Internet Antivirus Pro Scam
Dance Into Shape
This New Year at
Vernonia Jazzercise
Valley Veterinary
Clinic
january 5
start slowly tapping the [F8] key until a
menu of start options appears. Choose
Safe Mode with Networking, press [En-
ter] and wait for the start. If you are not
comfortable with using Safe Mode, stop
reading, call me and I will do battle in
your stead.
For those brave souls that want
to vanquish the virus yourself, open your
browser, go to www.malwarebytes.org/
mbam.php, download the free version or
go to downloadcnet.com and enter mal-
warebytes in the search bar at the top of
the page. The free version is there, also.
There are over 30 million downloads of
Malwarebytes Anti-Malware as of De-
cember 28, 2009, at CNet alone.
Download the file to your desk-
top and then right-click on the file and
choose “Run as Administrator” to install
Malwarebytes. Use the default settings
for the program and then your sword is
ready to slay the slobbering troglodyte.
While remaining in Safe Mode, run the
program (you may need to “Run as Ad-
ministrator”) and use the Full Scan op-
tion. Once Malwarebytes is complete,
quarantine any viruses found, reboot
your computer and resume computing as
usual. Run Malwarebytes on a regular
basis.
As a computer security wonk, I
must admit that IAP is one of the best-
written pieces of malware I have ever
seen. That does not mean that it has
endeared itself to me. However, Mal-
warebytes Anti-Malware has endeared
itself to me and I have purchased the
full-featured version for a one-time fee
of $24.95. It allows you to run it in the
background, schedule updates and scans
at set times. It is well worth it. Be safe
out there.
Burt Tschache is the owner of B&B Com-
puting in Vernonia. He can be reached
at bnb998@msn.com or 503-429-0817.
Holiday Bucks Results
The Vernonia Chamber of Commerce wishes to thank
everyone who participated in the Holiday Bucks Program.
In one month’s time $150,000 was spent locally at Ver-
nonia businesses-- just by the customers who participated in the
Holiday Bucks Program. I bet a person could quadruple that
number to have an accurate count of the monies spent here lo-
cally in one month. That is truly amazing. Let’s shoot for a
higher number next year!
The following are the winners of Holiday Bucks gift Marilyn Nicks from the Vernonia Area Chamber
certificates: Sharon Gibson, Rauna Johnson, John Brewer, of Commerce draws final winners in this year’s
“Holiday Bucks” which encourages shoppers to
Roxana Sherman-Heath, Scott Benzel and Danielle Fife.
spend money locally during the holiday season.
Family owned & operated for 40 years
Get Ready For
Winter!
Generators
Kerosene
Batteries
Propane
Snow Tires
Chains
Ice Melt/De-Icer
(503) 429-6364
834 Bridge St., Vernonia
