What to Know About Google’s New Malware Warning Message

The next time you 'Google” you might get a message that says your computer is 'infected with malware.” So what exactly does that mean, and what should you do?

It's a new feature Google announced Tuesday afteoon on its official Google Online Security Blog . It says infected computers will get a message that reads, 'Your computer appears to be infected with software that intercepts your connection to Google and other websites.” The writing appears at the top of your search results in a yellow box.

== What Does it Mean? ==

Google has determined your web browser has malware in it that will redirect you to fake websites when you click some search results. This means if you try and click a link for Flowers.com, you may instead be taken to Flowers-Scam-Now.com. That's a very watered down explanation, but you get the idea. The overall idea is, someone out there wants to trick you into visiting their website to rip you off or install more malware/viruses on your computer.

== So What Can You Do? ==

1 - Always have a malware or virus scanner installed and up-to-date. Don't rely only on Google to tell you if you have malware because its scan is very basic. It won't catch everything, and it won't tell you what you're infected with. (Need a virus scanner? Check out the free Security Essentials: http://www.microsoft.com/security_essentials/ )

2 - If Google says you're infected, try to use the 'System Restore” built in to Windows. (Lea more here: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-vista/What-is-System-Restore ) Doing this will remove many viruses or malware without messing up your personal files. Know that it won't always work, however.

3 - If all else fails, be prepared to reinstall your computer using a system restore CD or a Windows CD. Sometimes it's better to just start clean than spend a week trying to get rid of a virus.

4 - Lastly, AND MOST IMPORTANT: NEVER EVER PAY to have a virus or malware removed from your PC. If you see some kind of virus waing on your computer and it asks you to 'Activate” it by entering your credit card number or paying for some program, know that it's a scam! Know what Google's malware message looks like: it's a yellow bar on the Google website at the top of your search results. It will not appear in the coer as a pop-up bubble near the clock in your start bar.