Virus and Salutations Center says to use MS Safety Scanner, but IE blocks
this program? What’s up? Is it safe or not?
In this excerpt from
Answercast #19, I take a look at a mysterious “Virus and Salutations Center”
and suggest a deeper look.
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Salutations and safety?
I have no idea. There are two things that are going on here:
- One, I have no idea what a Virus and Salutations Center is.
I have never heard of such a thing and I suspect that it is not something in Windows. It leads me to believe that perhaps you are already infected with malware that is trying to get itself deeper into your machine.
- MS Safety Scanner: again, I don’t know of something that is called exactly that. [Update: reader Mary points out in the comments here that it does exist and can be downloaded directly from Microsoft here.]
There’s Microsoft Security Essentials, which I strongly recommend. But MS Safety Scanner is not a term that I’ve heard of as legitimate anti-malware software.
Suspected malware
Internet Explorer is blocking the program… probably because it’s malware. Probably because IE should be blocking it!
So my recommendation is to triple check exactly what it is you’re looking at. Make sure that it is legitimate. It sounds like it’s not.
Next from Answercast 19 – What is Java and what will happen if I uninstall it?
The Microsoft Safety Scanner is a free downloadable security tool that provides on-demand scanning and helps remove viruses, spyware, and other malicious software. It works with existing antivirus software.
http://www.microsoft.com/security/scanner/en-us/default.aspx
If this tool is being offered for download from other than the official Microsoft website I’d pass on it. Why risk downloading malware disguised as a legitimate tool when you can get the real thing directly from Microsoft?
22-May-2012
Hi Leo,
I’m surprised that you don’t know about MS Safety Scanner.
I just Googled it and found it on Microsoft’s site.
I downloaded it and ran it very successfully.
Microsoft Virus and Security Solutions Center is a Microsoft Support reference.
http://support.microsoft.com/gp/cu_sc_virsec_master
Microsoft Safety Scanner is also known as Microsoft Emergency Response Tool (msert.exe)
Basically a standalone Microsoft Security Essentials without Real-time Protection it can be run from a USB flash drive.
Best reference on Microsoft Security Software is from Corrine at Security Garden.
http://securitygarden.blogspot.ca/2012/04/understanding-microsoft-anti-malware.html
-rhab
“Virus and Salutations Center?”
Is it possible that the question was intended to reference the Microsoft “Virus and Security Solution Center?” http://support.microsoft.com/contactus/cu_sc_virsec_master?ws=support
Could spell-check change a mis-typed “Security Solution” into “Salutations?”
23-May-2012
Mr. Notenboom:
First, I want to say that I have been a subscriber of your website for quite some time and eagerly await your newsletters!
Secondly, I am humbled at your honesty . . . that you don’t try to pretend to Know everything and that when you don’t know something you say so (as in the case with the MS Safety Scanner tool!)
Did you know that Microsoft has a built in malware removal tool called MRT (Microsoft Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool)?
I don’t know if it is in Windows XP or Vista but It’s in Windows 7. It arrives every month via Windows Update! Just type in MRT in the Search bar by pressing the start button (Windows Orb) that is in the far left bottom of the desktop!
It is a great application to have as an added layer of security against Cyber-Miscreants!
Mr. Notenboom please keep up the good work by informing those of us who want to keep safe in Cyber-Space and help others to do so as well!
Thanks for Listening,
TheRube