Computer viruses have been a major issue in the 21st century due to evolution of technology at a rapid pace. It can disrupt country’s growth and economy. It can collapse a structured company, it can breach someone’s private information, it can stop your PC from running properly leading to slower speed and fault in some core programs. Moreover, it can even fail a space mission by altering the system and so on. The list is endless, therefore, we should have a detailed knowledge of such virus. Here we will talk about a specific kind of virus called “Alexa Virus”.
What is Alexa Virus?
Idp.alexa.51 also known as “ALEXA VIRUS” is a virus/threat declared as a malware by AVAST, AVIRA and AVG antivirus suites for stealing password, stealing bank related information etc. Please note that it has nothing to do with Amazon’s Alexa, a virtual assistant. So, feel free to use it.
Idp.alexa.51 is not a regular virus, this virus is an actual infection or a “false positive”.
These may occur due to installation of various flash games or due to non-updated antivirus as a false result of their beta version. Therefore, there are antivirus software which are interrupting computer’s startup processes to give a warning of infection to the users.
Some indication of the presence of alexa virus in the system are:
- Slowing down of the systems,
- repeated crashes
- things like browser hijacking and system resources misusage.
Thereby enduring great risks and giving advantage to those hackers who were merely waiting for such an opportunity. Therefore, in order to avoid such interruption and corruption of data files, we need knowledge on the removal and prevention of such kind of virus attack .
Many researchers may find it similar to TROJAN horse as they are known to perform very specific and malicious tasks on infected systems or like a SPYWARE by sending personal information to disguised sources.
Note – It is mostly found IN WINDOWS 8.1 and 10 systems but might enter into other systems as well.
Therefore it is important to all the users to know if they have this virus in their PC. This can be identified by the below mentioned content. Let’s explore.
How to know if I have this alexa virus?
As Alexa virus is similar to SPYWARE therefore its detection may not be accounted for but various people might have encountered the below mentioned issues with their PC:
- PC gets significantly slow.
- Loss of important data which may include some crucial window files .
- Unauthorized software gets installed in our system without our notice.
- “Blue screen” which occurs as of death of the PC.
- Excessive use of RAM when you have no programs open
- Erasing of data which may be important to you on infected system
- System crash due to unwanted access of data by hackers
Antivirus software generally identifies this virus originating from .exe and .tmp files present in windows folders such as windows PowerShell, %appdata% and %temp%. It mostly occurs when PC starts or restarts.
Eg : Seamonkey123.exe and Ampsetup.tmp
Developers are often in a rush while downloading and installing these online games. Therefore, it may disguise them easily.
How did I get the Idp.alexa.51 virus?
It may enter the system due to following reasons :
- Using sites like utorrent or free file hosting sites etc. as hackers might have attached the virus along with that program. People always tend to fall for websites which are offering free services. But they might carry with themselves malicious malware. Hence ensure that you enter only legit sites or download legit apps .
- It may be present in spam folder in your email. Try not to open those files which are not send by a trustworthy organization.
- From online games like sea monkey and plants VS zombies. If you have played any of these games you might want to check your PC for such infection .
- From Third party download tools .
Therefore, a right mindset on what and what not to open or download might save you from a great deal of stress.
Even though it may give a “false alarm“ but it’s better to check your antivirus and update it and send it for an online scan if you have any of the above mentioned symptoms; as per the saying that “Precaution is better than cure “
How do I get rid of this virus?
To remove such kind of toxic and malicious virus, a strong antivirus software program is a must to handle all kinds of threats and Trojan like viruses etc. Although it may be time consuming but it will work efficiently most of the time. Steps to get rid of Idp.alexa.51 virus are as follows:
Step 1 – Updation of antivirus\antimalware program which may help in deciding if it’s a false alarm or an actual virus.
Note – False alarm often occur due to non latest version of AVG or hidden nature of Trojans or unawareness of the virus by the antivirus and antimalware software. And if it is not a false positive then we can look for the next step that needs to be taken.
Step 2 – Uninstalling malicious apps, programs and files.
Note – Virus can sometimes attach to core files. Therefore, removal of such files can stop the proper functioning of the device. So, problems like removing files needs to be handled carefully .
Step 3 – Re-running antivirus is an good option in this case. As Trojan like viruses can attack on multiple programs so this kind of virus may need us to remove various programs other than just a single one.
Step 4 – If there still remains a persistent malware infection it means PC can be attacked again from idp.alexa.51 virus. Therefore, usage of both antivirus and antimalware is needed. Example: Malware bytes for windows and Auto-run like program can also be downloaded.
Step 5 – To return to the earliest point; the last step to be taken is “SYSTEM RESTORE” which needs to be completed only after checking if you don’t really have that virus remaining in the system.
WARNING – This should be your last choice as due to this you will lose all files and documents you created or updated since acquiring Idp.alexa.51 virus.
How can I avoid getting alexa virus again ?
Lowering the risk due to re-infection of Alexa Virus can be done in following ways :
- Antivirus software and malware protection needs to be updated timely so that new kind of viruses can be killed. Keep your PC informed when hackers might try to inject new virus in your system.
- Turn off PUP’s (potentially unwanted program) in your antivirus software so the viruses like Idp.alexa.51 might not sneak their way in.
- Always download/install files or apps from reliable sources. If something might seem uncanny don’t install without consulting someone who’s a security expert or an experienced developer.
- Pop-up ads are the worst and irritating too.
- Many times while using certain websites (here I am not talking about those static ads but instant pop-up’s which might accidentally open a new malicious link and may harm your PC). Therefore, you can click stop pop-ups in your browser to avoid such harm. If website is releasing large number of pop-up ads then leave immediately. Resist the urge to click on those banner ads.
Concluding my thoughts, thoroughly scan your devices to make sure it is malware free. Don’t ignore the warning of idp.alexa.51 virus given by your antivirus or antimalware program. All those developers and computer geeks, don’t be afraid of the virus just be well prepared. If attacked, do not panic because all these above guidelines will surely help you in getting rid of it.
I hope this article was informative enough to help you remove this malware effectively. Stay home stay safe and stay virus free! And if you have any queries please comment below.