What is Scareware?
September 21, 2009
If you’re a PC user chances are you know that you need software to protect you against not only viruses, but a new class of malicious software called “Spyware”. If you’ve been reading our series of articles here at Computer Rooter you know that it’s a scary situation. The potential for fraudulent activity is high if you don’t take precautions to protect yourself online, including stolen credit card numbers, compromised passwords and even identity theft.
Unfortunately the ‘bad guys’ know that you’re worried and they’re preying on that fear. They’ve unleashed a new class of spyware that many are referring to as ‘Scareware.’ Scareware is software that makes you think you’ve been infected or somehow compromised, usually masquerading as legitimate anti-virus or other security software. These malicious pieces of software will try to scare you into purchasing them, or even convincing you to install additional malicious programs. Some of the most common infections we’ve seen are Antivirus2008, XPAntivirus and SpySherrif. None of these are legitimate computer security solutions. Microsoft reports that in the 2nd half of last year that 7 of the top 25 pieces of Spyware were members of this new Scareware category.
So the question becomes one of what can you do to protect yourself? We still strongly recommend that you have a good anti-virus PLUS anti-spyware application. One of our favorites is currently Vipre from sunbelt software, but there are many other worthwhile considerations such as Avast (free to home users), AVG Pro or Webroot. Additionally, it is very important to insure that your computer remains up to date. Make sure have enabled Microsoft’s automatic updates (found in your control panel), and that you manually check for updates on any other software you are using. Many of these ScareWare programs are installed using vulnerabilities present in older application revisions, including older copies of Microsoft Office (such as Office 2000).
What do you do if you suspect you’re already infected? First insure that your anti-virus and anti-spyware are up to date and run a complete scan of your system. You might also download the free Spybot Search and Destroy and run a complete scan with that tool. If you still have problems do a Google search online for the type of behavior you are experiencing (there are many tools that are designed to handle just a handful of infection types and they do a better job at removing the infections than the “all in one” tools). Lastly, call a computer support professional if you have been unsuccessful in remedying the situation on your own.
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