There are many types of anti-virus software, but many viruses will disguise themselves as anti-virus software to deceive you. How to identify such disguised anti-virus software? Fake anti-virus software will only cost you money but cannot clean your computer. Fake anti-virus software products such as DriveCleaner, WinFixer, Antivirus XP and Antivirus 2009 are widely promoted through online advertisements, simulating Windows warning messages, reminding you that your computer is infected by some kind of malware, and recommending that you purchase an anti-virus product to remove it. . Some merchants who provide deceptive programs embed warning messages directly into the Windows desktop, pop up messages from the "system tray" applet, and install programs to cause a seemingly realistic blue screen of system crash, making you mistakenly believe that the situation is serious.
How to identify fake anti-virus software?
1. Microsoft annual security report: Fake antivirus software tops the list
According to foreign media reports, according to a recent security intelligence report released by Microsoft, fake anti-virus software and third-party applications with malicious attacks are on the rise.
The Security Intelligence Report (SIR) released by Microsoft covers the global security situation in the last six months of 2008. Microsoft's purpose in publishing the survey results is to provide users with accurate data so that they can understand the latest security threats and malicious attack trends.
Microsoft specifically stated that fake anti-virus software - "Scareware" has shown a sharp increase. Specifically, fake anti-virus software is to intimidate users into purchasing anti-virus or anti-spyware software that can clean the system and infect the user's computer.
It is understood that attackers often publish software solicitations through various social networking sites, use intimidation methods to induce users to purchase the "full version" of anti-virus software, and claim that it will protect users from Trojans and malware. In fact, the solicitation software is malware that steals users' bank accounts, steals financial and other important information, and works with botnets to infect users' computers.
Among them, Win32/FakeXPA and Win32/FakeSecSen are two followers of Scareware. Microsoft software found these two files in more than 1.5 million computers.
Win32/Renos, another type used to provide fake anti-virus software, was detected in more than 4.4 million independent computers. According to the report, Win32/Renos in the second half of 2008 increased by 66.6% compared with the first half of 2008.
2. The secret behind fake anti-virus software
BBC recently wrote an article to reveal to us the secrets of the huge industrial chain and huge profits behind many foreign fake anti-virus software. Through keyword optimization, netizens are attracted to some copycat web pages and prompted that their computers have been infected, and then told that they must purchase XX anti-virus software to be able to kill the virus. The antivirus software purchased by uninformed people based on the prompts is actually just a fake antivirus software without any capabilities. The average daily illegal income of counterfeiters is nearly 10,000 US dollars.
A report released this month by the Anti-Phishing Working Group showed that there are now at least 9,287 similar fake anti-virus software spreading on the Internet, 2.25 times the number in January last year. Finjan, who focuses on computer security research, said that counterfeiters use search engine keyword optimization to attract ignorant netizens to some copycat web pages, and use fake prompt windows to remind novices that their computers have been poisoned, and then tell them that they must buy XX anti-virus software To kill viruses. The antivirus software purchased by uninformed people based on the prompts is actually just an antivirus software interface without any capabilities.
Researcher Yuval Ben-Itzhak said that criminals are divided into two groups: those who create copycat web pages, and those who make and sell software. Copycat website creators often fill their pages with keywords such as "Obama", or copy and paste a bunch of recent hot topics, and some even use gimmicks such as "Natasha Richardson is dead" to attract the mouse.