S5Mark Is A 'VPN' That Is Actually A Rootkit In Disguise, Bitdefender Says
PCWorld|August 2018

The best defense, as always, is constant vigilance against what you’re downloading, and from where.

Mark Hachman
S5Mark Is A 'VPN' That Is Actually A Rootkit In Disguise, Bitdefender Says

While a form of the Zacinlo rootkit has been active for several years, BitDefender said in June that it has adopted a more sinister appearance: as an anonymous “VPN” service, S5Mark, that worms its way into Windows 10 systems and can send screenshots of whatever you’re looking at to its control server.

While it’s not clear how many systems have been infected in the wild, BitDefender says that the majority of Zacinlo systems that have been attacked have been in the United States, and running Windows 10. Check out PCWorld’s roundup of the best VPNs (go.pcworld.com/ vp18) before downloading an untested version from a shady part of the web.

This story is from the August 2018 edition of PCWorld.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the August 2018 edition of PCWorld.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM PCWORLDView All
Private Internet Access: A low-price, high-value VPN for everyone
PCWorld

Private Internet Access: A low-price, high-value VPN for everyone

This veteran VPN shows it can still hang with the best.

time-read
8 mins  |
November 2024
Hands-on: Kensington's first Thunderbolt 5 dock is built for the future
PCWorld

Hands-on: Kensington's first Thunderbolt 5 dock is built for the future

Thunderbolt 5 is here...but you'll need more than just this well-built Kensington dock to take advantage of it.

time-read
5 mins  |
November 2024
Tested: Intel's Lunar Lake chip wants you to forget Qualcomm laptops exist
PCWorld

Tested: Intel's Lunar Lake chip wants you to forget Qualcomm laptops exist

Great battery life, mediocre performance, surprisingly decent gaming: That is how Intel's Lunar Lake chip stacks up.

time-read
10+ mins  |
November 2024
7 laptop habits that coax the most out of your battery
PCWorld

7 laptop habits that coax the most out of your battery

Don't send your laptop into an early grave.

time-read
4 mins  |
November 2024
WordPad is gone from Windows 11. Here's how to bring it back
PCWorld

WordPad is gone from Windows 11. Here's how to bring it back

With the arrival of Windows 11 version 24H2, WordPad is officially gone. Want to keep using it? You're in luck.

time-read
2 mins  |
November 2024
Hackers know your social security number. Here's how to stay safe
PCWorld

Hackers know your social security number. Here's how to stay safe

Thanks to a multitude of data leaks, your most sensitive information is now easily accessible to the world.

time-read
4 mins  |
November 2024
20 insanely useful Windows 11 keyboard shortcuts I use every day
PCWorld

20 insanely useful Windows 11 keyboard shortcuts I use every day

After so many years, I'm still discovering new keyboard shortcuts.

time-read
7 mins  |
November 2024
WHAT THE HECK IS AN NPU, ANYWAY? HERE'S AN EXPLAINER ON AI CHIPS
PCWorld

WHAT THE HECK IS AN NPU, ANYWAY? HERE'S AN EXPLAINER ON AI CHIPS

ALL PCS WILL SOON HAVE NEURAL PROCESSING UNITS. HERE'S WHAT THAT MEANS FOR YOU IN SIMPLE TERMS.

time-read
7 mins  |
November 2024
WINDOWS 11'S 2024 UPDAATE: 5 BIG CHANGES I REALLY LIKE (AND MORE)
PCWorld

WINDOWS 11'S 2024 UPDAATE: 5 BIG CHANGES I REALLY LIKE (AND MORE)

WINDOWS 11'S ANNUAL UPDATE IS ROLLING OUT OVER THE NEXT FEW WEEKS.

time-read
8 mins  |
November 2024
Hackers are using AI-generated code for malware attacks
PCWorld

Hackers are using AI-generated code for malware attacks

Two separate attacks have been spotted using code that was probably written by artificial intelligence.

time-read
1 min  |
November 2024