Virus's spread by USB sticks

[Flyback]

Hi,
Please help with getting rid of virus’s transferred by USB stick…..

I have worked in multiple different electronics companies. In each of them , I “took work home” by copying files from my work PC onto various USB sticks, then connecting the USB stick into my home laptop.

It became blatantly obvious that the companies had made their PC’s put spy software (and possibly other virus’s) onto these USB sticks. It was obvious because often IT staff were able to tell me eg what youtube songs, etc , I had listened to the night before.
I have even had staff at work accurately repeating eg conversations that i have had with my partner the evening before...so they somehow can even collect the audio and transmit it back to themselves.

Recently my laptops have started to run very very slowly, and I believe that this is due to virus’s that I have inadvertently transferred from my work PC to my home laptop via the USB sticks, in this way. (ie , the companys somehow make their PC’s put virus’s on any workers’ USB sticks connected to them)

Do you know how I can “clean” these virus’s off these USB sticks?
And do you know how I can “clean” these virus’s off my laptop?
(do I have to reset windows?)

(I have Norton anti-virus, but it obviously hasn’t stopped these virus’s.)

(I guess that these companies do this because they suspect that workers might be trying to steel the company's IP, but i was not trying to do this. I guess the companys inject these virus's because ultimately, they want to destroy the home laptop, as in their minds, it may contain their IP, due to it possibly being transferred by USB stick)

 

[Grossel]

Most likely the IT dudes are able to tell because you're using the company's VPN, and therefore it wouldn't matter where you're located.

 

[augustinetez]

It is not virus's they are using but "loggers", so no amount of anti virus software is going to do anything to clean them up.

Something like Malwarebytes might clean them up.

Personally, if you value your privacy, leave work stuff at work.

If they want you to do unpaid work at home, let them supply the computer/laptop to do it on.

I'm surprised they haven't disabled the ability to transfer stuf to usb actually.

 

[Flyback]

Most likely the IT dudes are able to tell because you're using the company's VPN

Thanks, but this is when im at home, and im not using any VPN....i just have the USB that i brought home from work.

It is not virus's they are using but "loggers"

Thanks......but my laptop has been having periods of ridiculously slow operation, which must be virus's.....i believe they see it as a threat and are trying to take out the laptop....as it may contain their IP...or so they think....but it doesnt, it just contains schems of bog standard, routine electronics.

This applies to two laptops....one is a Lenovo Yoga 510, and the other is an Acer Aspire3 which is only 10 months old.
(both run wondows 10)

 

[SeekerOfSecrets]

Goto MalwareBytes.com, DL MalwareBytes free and run it on both machines. It is surprisingly adept at getting all the virus, worms, trojans an other nasties quickly and will self-update if you desire. It finds stuff on all my and my families and friends systems every time we run it. FOr Bootrecord infections and Keylogger tools, use DuckDuckGo.com and search for rremoval tools - you'll find everything you need there and your machines will speed up too. Use 'ipconfig /flushDNS' and 'ARP -D' commands as ADMIN now and then to keep your network DNS and ARP cache 'clean'
Cheers!

 

[SeekerOfSecrets]

Another good (but much slower), possibly more thorough(?) one is 'ClamWIN.com' Look for it on DuckDuckGo.com

 

[rjenkinsgb]

The "Autorun" feature that allowed malware to invisibly transfer via removable media was removed from Windows a decade or so ago.
Present versions will not run anything without explicit permission via a popup; you cannot get malware simply by copying files around.

You can of course very easily get the machine infected by running files from the internet or by opening bogus email attachments etc.

What antivirus and antimalware suites do you have on the computers?

At a minimum you should have a good antivirus and two or three different malware scanners - I use NOD32, Malwarebytes, Superantispyware and Spybot search & destroy - that for it's "inoculation" feature that blocks known malware spreading sites.

And of course the biggest other causes of slowdowns and erratic behaviour is just corruption of Windows files, it's not at all unusual or rare unfortunately.

 

[Flyback]

Thanks, i have Norton 360. I was reading on the web that its best to only have one anti-virus programme, otherwise, they can "attack" each other and mess up the computer while they're at it.

 

[rjenkinsgb]

Yes, definitely only one antivirus; they tie in to the operating system to monitor data transfers and installing a second one can cause major corruption - though any decent one should refuse to install if another is already running.

However malware scanners are a different thing and you can add those without problems.

20-30 years ago, Norton was the best you could get - but more recently I would not use it if I were paid to.

 

[augustinetez]

20-30 years ago, Norton was the best you could get - but more recently I would not use it if I were paid to.

I used it back around the time it first came out for a few days - never again

However malware scanners are a different thing and you can add those without problems

Very much depends on which antivirus you use - Malwarebytes doesn't play nice with Avast.

 

[MacIntoshCZ]

Norton what? Norton ghost backup was good back in 2000, but antivirus? No thanks.
BEST antivirus so far -> ESET!!!!
I think you can register and get 30day trial
eset.com be sure you download eset internet security.
There are also very cheap licenses on ebay which works for me.

BTW i bet they are braking the law... I mean companies you cooperated with...

 

[Flyback]

Thanks, BTW, i have a file on my USB stick now, called "shortcut" to the F drive...i never put this there. I believe its the shortcut virus, but i scanned the stick with Norton...and it just said there were no errors.

Is the best way to clean USB sticks of virus's to first load the files to your computer, then "format" the USB stick, then load your files back on it?

 

[Flyback]

You can of course very easily get the machine infected by running files from the internet or by opening bogus email attachments etc.

Thanks, what if you just open the bogus email but not the attachment with it?..is it ok then?

Goto MalwareBytes.com, DL MalwareBytes free and run it on both machines.

Thanks, i tried malwarebytes free for 30 days on both machines, but it did not help.

 

[alec_t]

Is the best way to clean USB sticks of virus's to first load the files to your computer, then "format" the USB stick, then load your files back on it?

Won't that just shift the malware on to the computer then back on to the USB stick?

 

[Flyback]

Thanks, well, presumably the virus wont be in the files, but is hiding in the hidden sectors of the USB stick?...and formatting the USB stick will kill the virus......sweeping it out of the hidden sectors of the USB stick.

 

[rjenkinsgb]

An actual "virus" is a program that adds itself in to executable files and each time any infected file is run, it tries to locate other uninfected executables to add itself to, to keep spreading.
They are almost nonexistent now, though there are dozens of other classes of malware.

Nothing executes directly from the USB drive (or it should not be doing) so the location of any malware on it is irrelevant - it can only be spread by user actions.
It makes no difference if it's in normal files or hidden locations, if nothing is executed it has no effect.

They are not magic!

 

[JimB]

If you are so convinced that malware is hiding in the innermost recesses of your USB stick, then just buy a new USB stick. Simple.

JimB

 

[MacIntoshCZ]

download eset and run advance search, in preset select all drives
format usb drive and then run it as administrator

 

[MacIntoshCZ]

Also if I was you, I would definitely format all drives and install clean windows.

 

[Flyback]

If you get a virus from a USB stick, then is the only way to get rid of it to re-install windows?
Does re-installing windows definetely get rid of a virus?