One of the HOTTEST virus' I ever got on my computer (the "shredder" virus) I picked up when I was looking at archived files on an older quilting thread a few years ago. It was just a link I found online one night and kept following it due to some great photos etc ...when ## POW ## my computer blinked...and off it went doing all sorts of evil things. In about 3 min it was TOAST...
When I took it in to have files recovered I asked the service guys WHY someone would hack and fry people looking at OLD QUILT LINKS? He told me that it had little to do with WHERE I was at the moment I got nuked. NO ONE ever intentionally has virus' lurking around their website. There are thousands of hacker triggers (for lack of a better term) floating around the internet that are set up to set off a virus attack on your computer. So.. something on that website tripped your antivirus program into warning you. Could be as simple as a cookie trying to attach it's self to your system (depends on how high you have your security settings).
I was SUCH A DUMMY I watched the whole thing unfold on my computer screen (complete with cockroaches marching on my screen and gawd awful head banger music playing). The service guy told me had I hit the power switch and turned OFF my system right away it would have interrupted the download. By watching what was happening I allowed the WHOOLEEEEE ENCHILADA to upload to my system and fry me.
Lesson learned. My antivirus program occasionally tosses up the red "bells and whistles" warnings you described and I just quickly *click out* of that screen. Now, on the rare occasion my computer is tossing up things that I don't LIKE seeing...and starts freezing up (ignoring my request to leave the site) I just turn it off from the power strip. I had my husband move my surge protector UP to the desk top so it's EASY to reach in case of an emergency.
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