While surfing the web, a pop-up appears, warning you that your computer is infected, and demanding that you clean up your PC. Supposedly, all you must do to fix the problem is buy a certain security program.
Sound familiar? You may have been one of the many that have downloaded an anti-spyware or anti-virus program, only to find out later that you have been duped. As malware writers inundate the web with rogue programs, this kind of trickery is becoming more and more common.
Today, there are many genuine anti-spyware and anti-virus programs to choose from, but users must be cautious to avoid the ‘rogue’ programs that exploit and prey on the insecurities and lack of education among computer users.
Rogue security software comes in different varieties. Some products defined as “rogue” simply fail to provide the reliable protection that a consumer paid for. Others are far more sinister, masquerading as legitimate security software, and using deceptive tactics to con users into buying their products. The application may mimic trusted products like Ad-Aware, scare the user with false scan results, or even infect the user’s computer with spyware and adware.
As cyber scammers make money from unsuspecting PC users, they continue to sell their bogus applications. There has been a sharp rise in the number of malware infections caused by rogue security software. Industry experts have reported a five-fold year-on-year increase in the use of these programs.
Another related trick that online surfers need to be on the lookout for is rogue websites – sites that are intended to look legitimate in order to spread online scams. In mid October, researchers at McAfee broke the news of a fake Microsoft “anti-spyware center” website, promoting a rogue anti-spyware program called AntiSpyStorm. Along with that, there are also dozens of rogue websites that are popping up with pirated software, bundling it together and selling it as legitimate.
