Dialers – Letting Others´ Fingers Do the Walking

As its name implies, a dialer is a type of malware that is used to dial phone numbers using your computer´s modem. It is not always considered as a malicious program. There are dialers which are used legitimately for the purpose of connecting the user to another computer or to some type of phone or online service. Unfortunately, many fraudulent dialers now abound on the Internet, targeting unwary users in order to use their phone lines to access premium-rate numbers.

How Do They Do It?

A computer usually gets infected with this type of malware when the user surfs a Web site which hosts dialers. The malicious application would first check if the PC has a modem and a phone line. If the unit has both of them, the dialer would install itself in the former and would then proceed to dial premium numbers repeatedly. One of the ways by which it could do this is by changing the dial-up number which the user accesses whenever he´s trying to connect to the Internet. So instead of dialing his ISP´s number, what he´s actually connecting to is a toll number. As a consequence, the user pays hundreds or thousands of dollars for phone calls that he didn´t make.

DSL Users – Don´t Laugh

Many DSL users have a false sense of complacency or security when it comes to dialer infection. They harbor the erroneous belief that they are immune from dialer attacks simply because they don´t use a modem to connect to the Internet. It is often overlooked that PC´s with LAN cards or Wi-Fi antenna also have a modem. Some users use this to receive fax. Even if the modem is not used to go online, a dialer may still exploit it.

Cutting Its Lifeline

Dialers can be removed from your system by running auto dialer removal tools. There are many programs available in the market that cater to this task. Among the most popular tools for the purpose are Ad-Aware. You shouldn´t wait to get infected before you act. There are several ways by which you can avoid being a victim of this type of malware. Here are some of them:

• Avoid opening attachments from unknown sources. Extensions, such as .bat, .com, .exe or .pif, should not be opened as they usually contain malicious materials. They can damage your system by installing dialers, along with other malware.


• Ignore pop ups. Don´t click on any pop up while visiting Web sites as some of them contain spyware dialers. These malware can easily be contracted when a fraudulent link or object in the pop up window is clicked upon.


• Avoid visiting Web sites which have objectionable contents, such as porn sites, as they are usually infested with dialers and other types of malware.


• Before installing an application, you user should first read the license agreement thoroughly as many freeware are bundled with spware and other unwanted programs. By reading the agreement, you can be aware of the contents of the software that you are installing.


• Keep your operating system well patched to plug its holes or vulnerabilities. It is also advisable to turn the security settings of your OS a few notches higher.


• Use a good antivirus and anti spyware software. Keep its virus definition list always updated to ensure that your system is protected from newly released malware.


• Lastly, disconnect your computer from the modem or phone line when not in use.

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