Rogue security software
Think of rogue security software as software applications of an unknown, questionable, or dubious value as anti-spyware protection.
In a typical "encounter" with rogue security software, a user will be visiting a Web site, then begin to receive one or more urgent pop-up messages indicating that their machine may be, or is definitely, infected with some sort of malicious software. This carefully crafted, seemingly mission-critical message may look like a typical Web advertisement, or it may even go so far as to mimic the error-message box familiar to Windows users. The message often contains exaggerated words and phrases meant to induce fear; terms like “warning” and “danger” are common, and they are often accompanied by a barrage of exclamation points. The application will then promise to scan the machine for spyware and solve this distressing situation.
Rogue anti-spyware applications can have a number of effects on a computer, ranging from the annoying to the disastrous. Such applications might produce false positives after a scan, either by branding a legitimate application as “spyware” or by discovering “spyware” that doesn’t actually exist on the computer. In an even more unsettling scenario, a rogue application might actually install adware, spyware, Trojan horses or other dangerous components on the machine.
Rogues are also known for hijacking desktops and being installed via security exploits, along with a myriad of spyware and adware apps, and are usually part of an infestation called smitfraud.
Rogue anti-spyware applications are an unfortunate by-product of the age of malware, but they are avoidable. One highly effective way to identify rogues is to conduct your own online research. The websites below offer comprehensive lists of known rogue anti-spyware applications.
 Spyware Signatures
Sunbelt Labs
Anti-Spyware 101
PROMOTIONAL
   
Product Review Product Review Product Review Product Review
Need help making an informed purchase decision?
|
