I need help with a Security Warning message

I am having a problem and could use your expert help. Yesterday I was infected by an advertising biltz and browser changes due to inadvertantly surfing the internet without my virus scan operating. In the clean-up process, I changed my 'Internet Options' including 'Security Zone' settings and 'Advanced' settings. I ran AdAware and CCleaner to identify and clean up left over garbage. I also just installed and am running MS AntiSpyware (Beta 1).

I managed to clean up the mess but inadvertently created a minor problem/annoyance. I now get a Security Warning message when clicking on a web page link that brings me to another website. Your first inclination may be that it is related to the 'Trusted Sites' trying to open up a less secure site but I do not have any 'Trusted Sites' I only have 'Restricted' sites.

I use Windows XP Professional sp2 and Internet Explorer 6.0 sp2.

I do not know how to do a screen snap of the message but below is my best recreation in detail. Attached is a link to a similar message except my message does not say 'on your trusted site list'. Also, the warning message does not indicate which program is producing it.

=======================================
Security Warning

The current web page is trying to open a site on the internet.
Do you want to allow this?

Current Site: www,book-mark.net

Internet Site: www,badongo.com

. . . . . . Y E S . . . N O

-------------------------------------------------------
Warning: allowing this can expose your computer to security risks. If
you don't trust the current web page, choose no.
=====================================

Can you help me get rid of these messages. They appear on many links and really slow me down.

Thanks

Bob M

 

One thing that I would recommend is downloading and installing Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer:

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/tools/mbsahome.mspx

It may be able to find some holes that have been opened up.

You should also check the "Local intranet" zone. There is an "Advanced..." button in its configuration that shows a list of trusted sites in that zone. Very few people pay attention to this.

Use HijackThis to see what is in your startup, and look for BHOs.

You should be using Spybot Search & Destroy as well. It hilites any additions to your system startup and ActiveX controls after it has been installed. It makes it very simple to find new changes.

 

CH,

Thanks for all the info, but none of it solved the Warning Message problem. I followed all of you suggestions and this is what I found.

1. The local intranet zone had no websites listed
2. I installed and ran Spybot S&D and nothing was found. Probably because I run other spyware.
3. I already used HijackThis and the mess from yesterday has already been cleaned up.
4. MS Baseline Security Analyzer is new to me as a stand alone home user. I did install it and run it. The report showed some security flaws but they were all minor. Most have been corrected and others were deemed ok to leave as is.

DO you have any more suggestions?

Thanks
Bob M

 

I'll bet it's one of the settings in Internet Options that's set to prompt when a link is clicked on. Which one? I don't know. Check all of the Internet Zone options that are set to 'prompt', applying a best guess as to which one is responsible for generating the warnings, reset it to 'enable'. Test it. If it doesn't work try the next best guess, and so on until you stumble on the right one, or discover that that wasn't where the fix was at to begin with.

 

In the first post in this thread, you said you didn't know how to make a screen shot....this is how:

1. Hit the (Alt+)PrintScreen button on your keyboard
2. Run Paint (usually available in Start\Programs\Accessories or use another graphics application)
3. Choose the Paste command in the Edit menu
4. Save the image of the screen as a JPEG format