Developers of malware have targeted the Autorun function found on many flash and portable drives with the advent of Autorun.inf malware. This threat is spread via portable USB devices ranging from anything from iPods, pen drives and external hard drives. This malware was designed to damage the user’s PC and take over the entire network and pose a threat to all connected PCs.
The whole purpose behind Autorun.inf is to ultimately steal its victims’ personal data and sensitive information, and relay it to its developers. The malware is executed each time the external drive or portable device is plugged into the PC and executes. It will steal users’ banking and financial info, as well as usernames and passwords.
Autorun.inf will also make the PC more susceptible to other malicious software gaining access by breaking down the security features of the system. This malware is also used by viruses, spyware and roguewares, Trojans and other backdoor threats to hide their presence from installed security applications on the system.
Users will not even be aware of the Autorun.inf infection, due to its clandestine nature and the fact that it completes all its tasks in the background. This makes it even more difficult for users to detect and remove Autorun.inf from the system. The only symptoms displayed by an Autorun.inf infection will come from notifications generated by security software already installed on the PC.
The only way to restore your PC’s security will be to remove Autorun.inf from the system for good. Save yourself effort and trouble and employ the removal power of a genuine security tool which will not only erase Autorun.inf, but also protect against similar attacks in future.