Fraudulent Antivirus Software

 

Fraudulent Antivirus Software

Rogue or rogue antivirus software is a type of malware that pretends to have found an infection on the victim's computer. In some cases, the cybercriminal's goal may just be to scare the victim. However, many rogue antivirus programs also try to get paid to remove malware that has never actually been detected and may not even exist.

How to avoid rogue antivirus programs

Here are some helpful tips from Kaspersky Lab's team of Internet security experts to help you avoid downloading rogue antivirus programs to your computer.

Ø  Eliminate vulnerabilities by keeping your operating system and applications up-to-date
Apply the latest security patches to your operating system and all applications, including:

·         Web browsers

·         Flash Player

·         PDF reader and all the other applications you have on your computer 

Ø  Keep your antimalware defenses up-to-
date Keep your antivirus program and Internet security software up-to-date . A good idea is to select the option to receive automatic updates on your security product.

Ø  Be careful with search engine results
Avoid clicking on sponsored links that appear among Internet search results. Sometimes it is advisable to be wary of the main search results.

Ø  Type the URL into the address bar
Whenever possible, try to go directly to a website, that is, type the URL into the browser. It may take a little longer (than clicking a search engine-generated link), but you'll be much safer. 

Ø  Be careful with the risks posed by Internet browsing
Avoid visiting unfamiliar websites, especially on social networks. 

Ø  Don't open attachments you don't expect to receive
If you receive an email attachment that you didn't expect, it can be dangerous. Don't open an unknown attachment unless you can verify that it is genuine and does not contain any malware.

Ø  Evaluate Links before Clicking
Do not click random links in emails or instant messages, or links from social networking sites. 

Choosing a Real & Good Antivirus:

There are numerous factors to consider when selecting the best antivirus solution for your needs. With the security of your data, your digital identity and your financial transactions at stake, it is worth investing some time in evaluating each antivirus product.

Also, if you make extensive use of the Internet, email, other messaging and web services, it is important to consider a solution that includes Internet security software and technologies that further protect your online activities.

Criteria for the best virus protection

Unfortunately, not all antivirus products provide a usable and reliable solution that provides an adequate level of protection against malware. If we compare them based on the following criteria, even the top 10 antivirus solutions on the market can register different scores:

·         Reliability
Even the most comprehensive antivirus solution can be completely useless if it conflicts with another software program running on your computer. If these conflicts cause your virus protection processes to malfunction or temporarily suspend, you may be at risk.

·         Usability
If the daily use of an antivirus solution requires special skills, it may be impractical for many users. Any antivirus product that is difficult to use, asks complex questions, or requires difficult decisions can increase the chances of "operator errors". In some cases, if the antivirus software is too difficult to run, the user can simply disable it.

·         Comprehensive protection
An antivirus solution must provide continuous protection for all computer domains, all file types, and all network elements that could be exposed to attack by a computer virus or other malware. The program must be able to detect malicious code and protect all channels or points of entry to the computer, such as email, Internet, FTP, and more.

·         Quality of protection
Whether you need an antivirus security solution for Windows or Apple, antivirus must be able to operate in an aggressive environment that changes constantly, with new computer viruses, worms and Trojans that can be much more complex than known malware above and may include new ways to circumvent the actions of antivirus programs. In part, the quality of protection depends on the following elements:

Ø  Efficiency of malware detection processes

Ø  Frequency and regularity of updates

Ø  Ability to remove infections from the computer

Ø  Efficiency in delivering protection to the computer, without significantly affecting its performance