Security breach from searches? (1 Viewer)

[ehrodz]

At times when I do internet searches on certain subjects, in the next few days I will get email spam with that subject in the title of the email spam. For example if I do a search on estate planning I will get email spam for estate planning services or for sexual products with estate planning in the title of the email spam.

Does this mean that I have a security breach in my PC (which uses AVG anti malware and Malwarebyte) or is this from cookies in the web sites that the search takes me to? Is there a way to prevent this?Thanks.

 

[Andrew Rowlands]

A few questions:
Windows version and Service Pack level?
Web browser(s) and search engine(s) used?
Malwarebytes - free or paid version?
Do you see any sign, either in your browser or in Add/Remove Programs, of any kind of toolbar or search 'enhancement'?
Is your Windows fully updated?
Do you keep your browser plugins - Adobe, Flash, Java, ... , updated too?
Any other oddities happening recently?

 

[Jim M.]

Also, is the email account domain the same as your search engine? E.g. do you use Google and have a gmail account?

 

[ehrodz]

A few questions:
Windows version and Service Pack level?
Web browser(s) and search engine(s) used?
Malwarebytes - free or paid version?
Do you see any sign, either in your browser or in Add/Remove Programs, of any kind of toolbar or search 'enhancement'?
Is your Windows fully updated?
Do you keep your browser plugins - Adobe, Flash, Java, ... , updated too?
Any other oddities happening recently?

Andrew,

In answer to your questions:

Windows 7, SP1.

Web browser: Internet Explorer 9; search engines: use mostly Yahoo but sometimes Google.

I use free Malwarebytes and AVG.

I have removed most all enhancements but I use tracking protection.

Windows is on Auto update and I update other plugins every time I get a notice.

No recent oddities but about 5 months ago Yahoo asked me to change my password. The spam I refer to above is recent. By the way I only use Yahoo email.

I also forgat to mention that my PC is behind both a hard (modem) and soft (windows) firewall.

Thanks.

 

[Andrew Rowlands]

Hmm, from those answers, I'd suspect some adware involvement. Can you update and run a quick scan with MBAM, install and update then run a full scan with SuperAntiSpyware too, that'll give the cookies a going over.

Let us know what the results are and save the logs, I might ask for them later.

Probably best not to install anything else until we can work out what's happening, I'll point you to some software/add-ons and a search engine that'll increase your privacy levels later.

 

[GrahameNZ]

Hi ehrodz,
"about 5 months ago Yahoo asked me to change my password."
If you got this request via email I would be very surprised if it came from the real Yahoo.
Just do a quick Yahoo / Google of "Yahoo asked me to change my password" and you will see what I mean.
I would be inclined to go to the Yahoo mail web interface and change the password again from there.

Though I doubt this has anything to do with the problem you are seeing.

In IE you can delete your browser history each time you close it, go to Tools / General then look down to Browsing History and tick the box, this may help if you do have some sort of malware running around in your machine.
Thats for IE 8 so am guessing will be in a similar place.

 

[thornlv]

first of all, ditch IE - go with mozila Firefox. Reason being that MS products are the most attacked software, IE being the biggest target. Also be wary of any email asking you to change your password, check the return email closely. In example i was asked recently to update my settings with PayPal (claiming my account was limited until I did so) - I checked my (real) PayPal limits and no limits were in place, I then forwarded it to PayPals scam office. Looking at the return address did seem real, ie

PayPaI.com/etc/etc.

Do you see the difference first glance.

PayPaI or PayPal .

Cheers.