In recent years one of the most prevalent malware threats for PCs (and lately Mac users) is fake-antivirus software, which pretends to be a legitimate security program. Its real purpose is to charge victims a fee to remove a nonexistent threat. The same threat has now been ported to mobile devices. In some cases we Read more…
Tags: Android, fake anti-virus software, fake-av, Google Play, Mobile, pup
Unless you have been living under a nondigital rock recently, you have probably heard of the Flashback Trojan, which attacks Macs. Around April 4 we saw reports of more than 500,000 infections by this malware. Further, McAfee Labs has recently come across a new variant making the rounds. This is no surprise: Whenever a piece Read more…
Tags: fake anti-virus software, flashback, mac/OSX, malware, trojan
In September, I had the pleasure of giving the keynote speech at “Hacktivity 2011″ in Budapest, Hungary. I was very excited to see the large audience, about 1,000 visitors, among them very serious and well-known security professionals, instructors, and security enthusiasts. It was also exciting for me because I made the presentation in my native Read more…
Tags: conference, fake anti-virus software, hacking, Hacktivity, ICS, industrial control systems, malware, Rootkits, Stuxnet
For the fourth scam of Christmas, the criminals gave to me… fake antivirus pop-ups scaring my family! I have had this scam hit my family twice. The last time, my husband accidentally clicked on what looked like a message that the computer had a virus and Bam! We got the scary blue screen. These scams Read more…
Tags: blue screen, fake anti-virus software, malicious program, online safety, pop ups, scareware, virus
In an age in which money is king, I was surprised to discover this week a new forum that offers many malware for free. I found a post, below, as well as various announcements on the Net that call this site a botnet paradise. Curious, I attempted to register. After a one-day wait, I was able Read more…
Tags: fake anti-virus software, malware forums, pay-per-install malware, scareware
Do you remember when I wrote this blog about the scareware my husband stumbled upon? Well, I was thinking about that recently when the FBI sent out this update about 12 countries working together to take down two scareware crime rings. Would you believe that the scam that was initially noticed cost victims $72 million??? Read more…
Tags: Fake Anti Virus Scams, fake anti-virus software, scareware
The fake-alert families (bogus or rogue anti-virus software) are one of the most prevalent threats we face, and we see lots of new variants everyday. The threat is expanding constantly. For example, a couple of weeks ago, we observed MacDefender/MacProtector, which targeted Mac users, in addition to the usual attacks against Windows users. Today, I’m Read more…
Apple users should be on the lookout for fake antivirus software and other malware targeting the Mac platform, McAfee warns While it used to be that Mac users felt somewhat insulated from the variety of malware threats circulating the web, cybercriminals have noted the growing popularity of Apple products and are now distributing malware aimed Read more…
Tags: Apple, consumer threat alert, fake anti-virus software, iPad, iphone, mac, malware
Fake-alert Trojans, also known as scareware, fool consumers by claiming imaginary threats, and insisting its victims purchase a product to repair the “infected” systems. They exist in Windows and Macintosh environments. In my recent report explaining this threat, I included a table showing the approximate number of scareware products with their known release dates: After Read more…
Tags: fake anti-virus software, scams, trojans, web threats
Fake antivirus and anti-spyware software, or “scareware”, now represents 23% of all malware in circulation, McAfee warns Forget ghosts and goblins, what you should really be scared of this Halloween is “scareware.” It’s a trick that cyberscammers have been using to rake in hundreds of millions of dollars each year – and it’s no treat Read more…
Tags: consumer threat alert, fake anti-virus software, scareware
Posts tagged under fake anti-virus software