Just when we think we've seen it all, it turns out we can't even trust the blue screen of death anymore. The latest malware to hit our screens, 'hicurdismos' has got even the most tech-savvy of us reaching for the telephone.
The virus works by forcibly causing your computer to crash, the cursor to disappear and the task manager to be blocked. It then brings up the familiar blue screen of death (or BSoD) which is almost a mirror image of Microsoft's version. It has the same text and image as the real thing - the only difference being a 'helpful' support number at the bottom, which you can call to 'resolve your issue over the phone'.
As you may have guessed, calling this number doesn't connect you to a helpful Microsoft support engineer, but rather Cybercrime HQ. The person on the other end of the phone then uses social engineering techniques to encourage you to download software that will 'fix' your PC (the word 'fix' here meaning charging you for adding more malware to your machine, to solve a problem which doesn't exist).
The malware seems to have originally come with a non-certified copy of anti-virus software Microsoft Security Essentials, but there is no indication that it is confined to that download. Microsoft encourages users to only download certified Microsoft products, and says that, 'Real error messages from Microsoft do not include support contact details.' If you see a phone number at the bottom of your blue screen of death, it means that your machine is infected.
If you believe your computer has been infected, do not ring the listed telephone number. There are guidelines on how to rid your machine of the virus yourself, but we would encourage victims of this scam to consult with your IT support engineers, as the virus may have spread to any other devices connected to your network.
If you're worried about this virus, you can contact us at 0191 482 0444 or tweet us @TranscenditUK
