Counterfeit Security Software feeding scare in the minds of Cybernauts for eliciting money
Friday, December 09th, 2011 | Author:

A multi-million dollar alcove for cyber criminals, that’s what perfectly defines the internet in today’s time. This evolution is now paced with the ingression of fake security software which has outsized the cybercrime industry into a profitable deal and thus luring more and more newbie to join the bandwagon. The new tactics is to create hysteria among the netizens by generating fake scans and then enticing them to buy the product for restoring their systems. The result- birth of a new malware called “Scareware” that let your nerves run amok by making you feel that your system has been compromised but in actual it’s a fabricated melodrama to further drive you towards a gaping ensnare.

Typology of Scareware

Each passing day the number of scareware released is skyrocketing, giving wakeful nights to the netheads and techheads to deal with this unrelenting challenge. According to an estimate, the number of scareware programs released till 2010 has exceeded 500,000. Cloud Protection, Cloud AV 2012, Security Guard 2012, System Security 2011, Advanced PC Shield 2012, Internet Security 2011, 2004 Adware/Spyware Remover & Blocker, Ad-Eliminator, and the list stretches to 100,000 of these rogues. Out of these, Internet Security 2011 rogue antispyware is one of the most difficult to remove among all rogue programs, as it has been commissioned to get bundled with a rootkit that terminates and then denies future access to any program that scans a particular process.

To give it a real outlook, some fake AV applications even assume the appearance of legitimate products such as Microsoft Windows Defender to further assist in the trickery that the program is legitimate and useful. Taking this a step further, some rogue programs such as WiniGuard operated under multiple of names (more than 30 names) to keep itself charged up for alluring new victims.

The Big Game

The key charade of the scareware is to create a deceptive perception among the PC users that their PC has been infested to prompt them for a castigatory action. It all starts by producing the fake scans and exaggerated results showing abundance of malware and viruses in the system. All these appear to be very legitimate to the users. Furthermore, some scareware even show the legitimate Windows Registry keys as the malware. Once the user gets inveigled, he is then compelled towards purchasing the fake program. In the core of all this lies the veiled axiom, that is to sell as many copies of the rogue software as possible to mint easy money.

Take the scare out of Scareware

Here are few of the do’s and don’ts so that scareware doesn’t make the fool out of you:

  • Keep your firewall updated and in action all the times.
  • Check the installation settings for patches and updates to your operating system, office software, and web browsers to automate the process as much as possible.
  • Install software to filter hits for search engines within your browser and always go for updated browser versions.
  • Always bank upon the genuine antivirus and antispyware software.
  • Prevent JavaScript from running in your browser, and activate it only in case the site is trustable.
  • Install all the Windows Critical Updates to prevent spyware and adware from sneaking into your PC from your back.
Category: Malware, Online Security  | Tags: 2004 Adware/Spyware Remover & Blocker, Ad-Eliminator, Advanced PC Shield 2012, Cloud AV 2012, Cloud Protection, Internet Security 2011, Microsoft Windows Defender, Scareware, Security Guard 2012, System Security 2011