Scareware sites a new threat to computer users
Wed, 21 Oct 2009
Perpetrators of online crime are managing to convince internet users to download dangerous software masquerading as anti-virus programmes, it has been reported.
According to a new study conducted by Symantec, scammers have earned more than £850,000 in 12 months selling the products, which have affected over 40 million people in the last year.
Some 250 different types of 'scareware' have been found, the firm claims.
Commenting on the findings, Jens Kirschner, training manager for computer forensics at IT consultancy 7Safe, said more malicious websites are cropping up every day.
He said: "Don't trust sites you have never heard of before. People trust Google, of course, but the results from Google could be from anywhere.
"Make sure that you have a proper updated malware scanner, although there are no guarantees that it will protect you against everything."
Mr Kirschner claimed "a level of preparation" is needed on the malware scanning front, while IT users should also have a safe level of mistrust about what they find on the internet.
He added: "Don't trust anything you're not familiar with. The majority is fine, but it's important to realise there are some severely black sheep among the rest."
PandaLabs recently reported that incidences of malware have increased by 600 per cent on the same time last year.
How Microsoft can help
Can you put a value on rock-solid security? With Microsoft’s business security solutions you can protect your financial and customer information with a reliable and accessible network that boosts productivity. Learn More
Find a Microsoft solution partner
More IT Security News
View all articles
|
|
|
|
