Some interesting tips from Kaspersky. There are many scam Anti Virus out there. I have seen some of them. Kaspersky has issued a News Release on this matter and also some tips to avoid them. Read it. It is something that you can learn (to prevent yourself from getting scammed). BTW, here is a pic that I took during the invitation to the premiere of Jackie Chan’s latest movie, Little Big Soldier.
EXPLOSION IN FAKE ANTI-VIRUS PROGRAMS
Cyber criminals use ‘rogue’ infections to trick users into buying non-existent protection
10 February 2010 [Singapore] – Fake antivirus programs which trick the unwary of their hard earned money are among the fastest growing threats in cyber space.
According to a report by Kasperksy Lab called “Rogue Antivirus: A Growing Problem”, there are now more than 30,000 programs that pretend to be anti-virus programs spreading across the Internet, with between 10 to 20 new rogue programs being discovered every day. This is in comparison to only 3,000 such rogue programs in the first half of 2008.
According to the author of the report, Mr Vyacheslav Zakorzhevsky, senior malware analyst with Kaspersky Lab, these rogue antivirus programs are increasingly popular with cybercriminals.
“The massive increase in the number of rogue antivirus programs suggest this is a very profitable business for cyber criminals. The scare tactics they use increase the likelihood of success.”
“The rogue antivirus can be downloaded onto a user’s computer by Trojan-Downloader or it can come from visiting an infected website.”
“More often than not these programs are downloaded by the users themselves. Cyber criminals use Hoax programs or adverts to trick users into doing this. Hoax programs are a type of fraudware designed to persuade users they need to download a particular antivirus solution which will be installed on the victim’s machine even if the user declines the offer”.
“The unsuspecting user is then warned that their computer is under threat and told they need to pay money for the solution. But the solutions are bogus, and the user gets nothing and the criminal the money,” Mr Zakorzhevsky said.
TIPS TO AVOID THE SCAM
Mr Zakorzhevsky’s report provides the following tips to help users avoid being a victim of a rogue anti-virus scam. If you follow these simple rules, in 99% of cases a rogue antivirus solution will not be able to penetrate your computer.
- Install a genuine antivirus solution developed by a well-known antivirus company and use this to scan and clean your computer.
- If you find an unknown antivirus program on your computer, check whether the vendor has an official site and technical support. If it doesn’t, it is definitely a rogue antivirus.
- Legitimate programs designed to combat malware will never first scan a computer and then demand money for activation. You should never pay for a product which does this.
- You should only click on messages from a legitimate antivirus solution installed on your computer. Ignore any messages warning you of infection that appear randomly while you’re browsing the Internet.
- Don’t click on pop-up windows even if they aren’t blocked by the browser security or other security solutions.
About Kaspersky Lab
Kaspersky Lab delivers the world’s most immediate protection against IT security threats, including viruses, spyware, crimeware, hackers, phishing, and spam. Kaspersky Lab is one of the top vendors of information security solutions in the world. The company’s products and technologies are used by over 250 million people worldwide, its technology is licensed by leading security vendors globally. The Kaspersky Lab group of companies is headquartered in Moscow, has five regional divisions including Southeast Asia and numerous local offices throughout the world. You can learn more about Kaspersky Lab by visiting www.kaspersky-sea.com. For the latest on anti-virus, anti-spyware, anti-spam and other IT security issues and trends, please visit www.viruslist.com.
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© 2009 Kaspersky Lab. The information contained herein is subject to change without notice. The only warranties for Kaspersky Lab products and services are set forth in the express warranty statements accompanying such products and services. Nothing herein should be construed as constituting an additional warranty. Kaspersky Lab shall not be liable for technical or editorial errors or omissions contained herein.
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