Beware of Rogue Agents

When it comes to online safety and protecting your computer from attacks, installing anti-virus and firewall programs is top priority. Too often, when you browse a certain site, you may get pop ups or alerts telling you that your computer is under attack and prompts you to download software to clean up your system. Tactics like these use scareware or rogue software that appears to be helpful, but in reality they are fake virus threats. Alerts like these are designed to lure you into buying a worthless piece of program that can actually do more damage than good.

Rogue software often disguises itself as a legitimate security pop-up asking you to install the software, scan your computer for viruses or recommend an update for a fee. It leads you to think that your existing anti-virus protection is not working and that you need additional protection they can provide. Sometimes they disguise themselves so well that they appear in the list of legitimate security software when you Google or Bing for them.

One classic example is AntivirusXP that looks so much like a Microsoft product but is actually a Trojan virus. Another one is PrivacyGuard 2010, also posing as a Microsoft product complete with system security suite and utilities. There are also rogue software that poses as utilities such as CheckDisk, System Tool and UltraDefragger. Be wary of these rogue software, do not click to install them, they are difficult to remove and can pose a real threat to your computer. Here are some screen shots of a few below.

This type of software is often referred to as scareware as well; they often alert you that your computer is infected by viruses or spyware even though your system is actually clean. Most rouge software does not do anything for your computer but occupy space. Some sinister ones actually plant malicious software and viruses themselves causing you to be attacked by a throng of pop-ups or causing your system to run slowly and even crash. Some install malware that can steal your personal information and other important data. To establish their stake on your computer some even disable legitimate updates from your anti-virus as well as Windows updates so that you will fail to catch them.

You can protect yourself from malicious software by learning more about them and keeping a vigilant eye out for fake security software. Be cautious about pop-up alerts and do not fall for their scare tactics. If an unknown security program launches an alert on your computer and prompts you to pay for an upgrade, this is dead giveaway of rogue software. Check out information about a particular “security software” by visiting forums and verifying with legitimate sources like Microsoft. Read reviews and user comments about the protection software you are considering. Some are known to feed or manipulate their comments so it is better to stick with reputable anti-virus and spyware protection products. Having a pop-up blocker enabled is one way to protect yourself as well as keeping your manufacturer installed firewall and protection updated. My Tech Team features full protection software along with it’s award winning online tech support.

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