Your antivirus software is the last line of defense between your system and the dangers of the internet. If a virus gets past your firewall, browser security, and Windows security, then your antivirus software is going to have to make a valiant last stand to prevent your system from being compromised.
That’s why a new malware called Beta Bot is so troubling. Beta Bot malware is being used by criminals around the world to steal your personal information. Before the Beta Bot malware moves into your system, it murders your antivirus software and completely removes all traces of it from your system.
Using this method, PC users think their systems are protected, only to realize that nearly everything they’re doing is being watched. The Beta Bot malware was initially detected by the FBI, who issued a warning about the virus earlier today.
Here’s how the Beta Bot malware works:
-The Beta Bot malware spreads via infected USB sticks and over the internet
-After destroying your antivirus software, the Beta Bot malware creates a pop-up on the user’s screen asking for User Account Control. This pop-up looks like a legitimate Windows request, so most users allow it (especially when they’re used to clicking through such requests on a daily basis).

-Once the user clicks through the User Account Control pop up, the Beta Bot malware begins to steal data from the computer, which means that your online passwords, bank accounts, and personal information is at a serious risk of being compromised
So far, the most popular ways in which the Beta Bot malware spreads is through online Skype interactions and through USB drive exchanges.
The FBI suggested that users perform a full system scan using their antivirus software in order to clear up the threat. However, on computers that have already been compromised by the virus, users will find that access to the most important parts of their PC has been blocked.
The Beta Bot virus blocks access to:
-Security websites
-Antivirus software
-Windows Task Manager
-Start menu
To get around this block, download an updated version of the antivirus software onto an uncompromised computer and then move that software onto a fresh USB stick (i.e. a brand new one just purchased from a store). Then, plug the USB stick into the infected PC and run the antivirus software from the stick.
Once you’ve done that, the virus should be eliminated from your computer. Perform a secondary scan with PC Cleaner Pro to optimize your computer’s performance and remove any other malware threats.