Anti Virus programs haven't checked the Hosts file...

and the host file was all i could get out of that artical as being the main cause of concern..

The new technique involves changing a little-known piece of software on most Web-ready computers called a "host file." All Web sites have numeric Internet addresses, called IP addresses,
Years ago, before the Internet's domain name system was in place, the local host file was useful, says software engineer and privacy advocate Richard Smith, who operates ComputerBytesMan.com. But now, it's just a relic, he says, kind of like an appendix on Internet software.

"It's useless now," he said. "But it's an attack vector.... This just points out that at some point you have to age out features and get rid of them."
While I agree in part with this. I use the hosts file to block unwanted add sites..hmm but i havent set the file attributes to read only.. havent tried that.... but it would be as easily circumvented..

Bloody hell .. I shouldnt eat brekfast and post replies at the same time.. some B.... beats me to it. that is the reply..an.... darn now the dogs got me breakfast..argh.