IRC-Worm.DOS.Loa

IRC-Worm.DOS.Loa leads a double-life identity as both a real worm and a fake alert used by certain kinds of rogue anti-virus programs. The majority of recent IRC-Worm.DOS.Loa-related issues has been linked to false positive warnings created by Win 7 Anti-Virus 2011 and similar rogue PC threats. In cases where such a rogue isn't present, a real IRC-Worm.DOS.Loa infection can attack email-based functions and spread through network-shared folders and removable drives. Verify which type of IRC-Worm.DOS.Loa infection it is that you're dealing with, and then use an appropriate anti-malware scanner to remove IRC-Worm.DOS.Loa or the offending rogue security program.

The Potential Danger of a Real IRC-Worm.DOS.Loa Infection

If you get infected by IRC-Worm.DOS.Loa, you may not see obvious signs of its presence. However, you can detect IRC-Worm.DOS.Loa by using standard malware detection scans and noting unusual memory processes or excessive system resource usage. IRC-Worm.DOS.Loa can distribute itself through emails, networks and peripheral devices through the following methods:

• IRC-Worm.DOS.Loa may harvest your email addresses and use built-in functionality to send copies of itself to your contacts. You should avoid downloading strange files, even ones sent by known contacts, unless you know that the file is safe.
• IRC-Worm.DOS.Loa may also create hidden copies of itself and place them in various drives of your PC. This can include removable drives. A simple Autorun exploit will let IRC-Worm.DOS.Loa install itself on any new computer that plugs in the device.
• Finally, IRC-Worm.DOS.Loa may copy itself to network-shared folders and similar resources. The method of reproducing here is the same as the above, only it occurs whenever the relevant folder is accessed by a new computer on the network.

The end goal of a typical IRC-Worm.DOS.Loa infection is to allow remote attackers to control your computer. Consider all information on your PC at risk until you've taken appropriate measures to remove IRC-Worm.DOS.Loa.

The Dangers in a Fake IRC-Worm.DOS.Loa Infection

As of 2011, a fake IRC-Worm.DOS.Loa alert is far more common than a real IRC-Worm.DOS.Loa infection. False IRC-Worm.DOS.Loa detections are part of an overall scheme of false positive alerts used by a family of rogue security programs that include Win 7 Home Security 2011, XP Home Security 2011, Vista Home Security 2011, Win 7 Antivirus 2011, XP Antivirus 2011 and Vista Antivirus 2011 (among many, many others).

Other symptoms of a rogue security program that creates fake IRC-Worm.DOS.Loa alerts include browser hijacks, security applications that crash with fake infection messages and a wide variety of other false infection pop-ups. Win 7 Antivirus 2011 and other rogue security programs can't detect IRC-Worm.DOS.Loa or any other type of malware, and so you should feel comfortable about ignoring these alerts.

Removing either IRC-Worm.DOS.Loa or a rogue security program that creates fake IRC-Worm.DOS.Loa warnings should be done by switching to Safe Mode or a similar controlled environment and then launching a full system scan with a fully updated anti-malware program. Be certain to scan your entire computer, since IRC-Worm.DOS.Loa is known to reproduce rapidly and rogue security programs such as the ones noted above often come bundled with other PC threats.