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Social enterprise

The ultimate guide to scareware protection

By ddanchev September 13, 2009, 1:06 AM PDT

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The ultimate guide to scareware protection

Diverse portfolio of fake security software - scareware-

Diverse portfolio of fake security software - scareware-

In order to avoid the negative publicity of a particular scareware brand, cybecriminals periodically change the brand and the layout of the application. They intention however remains the same – to scam gullible users.

The ultimate guide to scareware protection

Scareware Doctor Antivirus 2008 Fake "You're Infected" dialog box

Scareware Doctor Antivirus 2008 Fake "You're Infected" dialog box

A bogus report from Doctor Antivirus claiming that 40 infections have been found, which could result in system crash, system slowdown and Internet connection loss. Some of these events can also take place once Doctor Antivirus is installed at the first place.

The ultimate guide to scareware protection

Spyware Preventer front page

Spyware Preventer front page

Just like the majority of scareware domains claim, a 100% money back guarantee is in place once you purchase the software. In reality though, by the time you find out what the software’s real intentions really are, you are at risk from renewal license fees on a monthly basis, that is of course unless the domain has already been suspended and the scareware re-branded under a different name.

The ultimate guide to scareware protection

Power Antivirus front page

Power Antivirus front page

That fact that the front page of Power Antivirus has the same text and looks the same — different colors — shouldn’t come as a surprise since they’re using the same template under a different scareware brand.

The ultimate guide to scareware protection

eAntivirus Pro 2008

eAntivirus Pro 2008

eAntivirus Pro is attempting to improve its authenticity by insisting its Vista and XP service pack 3 compatible. The scareware features a very professional layout that can be easily mistaken as the site of a legitimate security vendor — which it isn’t.

The ultimate guide to scareware protection

Windows Antivirus

Windows Antivirus

Using a standard template, it attempts to brandjack legitimate Windows Antivirus brand

The ultimate guide to scareware protection

Green AV Scareware

Green AV Scareware

Green AV attempts to establish an environmental position by promising to donate $2 of every sale of the scareware. Needless to say that this isn’t going to happen.

The ultimate guide to scareware protection

Sumejor Antivirus

Sumejor Antivirus

In early 2007, scareware vendors attempted to localize their scareware templates, by translating them to different languages in an attempt to target citizens of particular countries. The niche is left unfilled, with the most recent known localization of the most popular scareware template, the “My Online Computer Scan” to Arabic.

The ultimate guide to scareware protection

PC Antiviren Loesung

PC Antiviren Loesung

Yet another localized scareware template.

The ultimate guide to scareware protection

Votremeilleuranti Virus

Votremeilleuranti Virus

Another localized scareware template.

The ultimate guide to scareware protection

PC Beveiligings Systeem

PC Beveiligings Systeem

Another localized scareware template, using the same templates as the rest of the localized screenshots.

The ultimate guide to scareware protection

SecureData Group Ltd.

SecureData Group Ltd.

A vendor of four different pieces of scareware – Antivirus 2009, AntiSpywareGuard, PopupNuker Pro and XPBooster.

The ultimate guide to scareware protection

Antivirus 2009 Protection

Antivirus 2009 Protection

Yet another scareware releases that’s including “latest threats” data as well as a fake “infected computers” counter based within your netlblock.

The ultimate guide to scareware protection

Antivirus 2009

Antivirus 2009

Fake antivirus scanning dialog box in action.

The ultimate guide to scareware protection

e-Kerberos

e-Kerberos

Scareware featuring a static image stating that a process is trying to send your credit card details over the net.

The ultimate guide to scareware protection

Total Virus Protection

Total Virus Protection

Yet another scareware release, due to their automated approach of coming up with the brands and the domains, this one in particular is owned by a company called “Total Virus Protection”. How automatic.

The ultimate guide to scareware protection

Win Defender 2009

Win Defender 2009

The scareware includes a fake “latest news” section making it look like the signatures database is periodically updated. It also claims 100% money back guarantee.

The ultimate guide to scareware protection

XP Antivirus Protection

XP Antivirus Protection

The brand itself is a blackhat SEO attempt to hijack related traffic. It also fetures a fake virus watch list.

The ultimate guide to scareware protection

Adware Professional 2010

Adware Professional 2010

It’s 2009, and scareware vendors are already shipping their 2010 releases. Sadly, this scareware domain used to feature a legitimate McAfee Secure check, however the 47+ million downloads claim are bogus.

The ultimate guide to scareware protection

Antivirus+

Antivirus+

The Antivirus+ scareware is featuring a fake “total downloads” as well as fake “total virus records” counters. Moreover, none of the review icons by popular software download or technology sites are legitimate.

The ultimate guide to scareware protection

Antivirus Agent Pro

Antivirus Agent Pro

The scareware is once again featuring a fake “Virus Watch” section with no real data or signatures to back their claim.

The ultimate guide to scareware protection

Malware Removal Bot

Malware Removal Bot

This is great example when a piece of scaware is advertising itself as an application capable of removing another scareware, in this case WinPCDefender, which they claim is a scam. Ironic.

The ultimate guide to scareware protection

Cleaner 2009

Cleaner 2009

Someone must have been very bored to come up with the Cleaner 2009 brand.

The ultimate guide to scareware protection

Rapid Antivirus

Rapid Antivirus

Rapid Antivirus is using a CNN logo and quotes an article stating that 90% of all Internet connected users may be infected with spyware.

The ultimate guide to scareware protection

Smart Antivirus 2009

Smart Antivirus 2009

The scareware is also offering licenses to home users, small and medium business and enterprises. It is also offering technology licensing next to the typical fake virus alerts section.

The ultimate guide to scareware protection

Spyware Removal

Spyware Removal

The scareware pitches itself as the “most trusted antispyware available”.

The ultimate guide to scareware protection

Spyware Guard 2009

Spyware Guard 2009

Yet another re-branded scareware brand.

The ultimate guide to scareware protection

My Online Computer Scanner

My Online Computer Scanner

Among the most popular scareware pop-up windows.

The ultimate guide to scareware protection

Adult content detected!

Adult content detected!

This fake scareware scanning window is using an adult themed fear tactic by stating that traces of adult web sites have been detected on the PC.

The ultimate guide to scareware protection

Antivirus VIP

Antivirus VIP

The ultimate guide to scareware protection

Virus Response Lab 2009

Virus Response Lab 2009

Yet another scareware brand making false claims about its features.

The ultimate guide to scareware protection

XP Shield

XP Shield

Windows XP branded scareware, promising a typical, but fake, money back guarantee.

The ultimate guide to scareware protection

Advanced Antivirus

Advanced Antivirus

Standard scareware template seen in use by other brands.

The ultimate guide to scareware protection

Advanced Virus Remover

Advanced Virus Remover

Fake antivirus scanning in progress dialog claiming to have already detected 3 viruses.

The ultimate guide to scareware protection

Antivirus BEST

Antivirus BEST

Standard scareware template, seen in use by other brands.

The ultimate guide to scareware protection

Antivirus XP 2008

Antivirus XP 2008

A well known scareware brand.

The ultimate guide to scareware protection

Security Center Scareware

Security Center Scareware

A visual spoof of the Windows Security Center claiming that virus protection is turned off, and that a malware has been detected, which System Security Antivirus can take care of.

The ultimate guide to scareware protection

Malware Destructor 2009

Malware Destructor 2009

Fake comparative review of known scareware next to legitimate antivirus software.

The ultimate guide to scareware protection

Windows Security Suite

Windows Security Suite

Fake comparative review of known scareware next to legitimate antivirus software.

The ultimate guide to scareware protection

Virus Shield 2009

Virus Shield 2009

Fake comparative review of known scareware next to legitimate antivirus software.

The ultimate guide to scareware protection

Antivirus 2008 Installer

Antivirus 2008 Installer

A default screen that appears upon clicking on the scareware executable.

The ultimate guide to scareware protection

Scareware Price Discount

Scareware Price Discount

The note claims to offer 85% discount for fake security software that simply doesn’t exist.

The ultimate guide to scareware protection

Scareware spoofs IE security warning

Scareware spoofs IE security warning

Scareware window that is spoofing the IE security warning, in an attempt to trick the user into clicking on the real domain.

The ultimate guide to scareware protection

Searching for scareware domains

Searching for scareware domains

Google is your best friends in terms of searching for scareware domains that have already been identified by the community

The ultimate guide to scareware protection

Searching for scareware domains 2

Searching for scareware domains 2

The use of custom search engine courtesy of Google’s anti-malvertising.com initiative.

The ultimate guide to scareware protection

Sample scareware domains

Sample scareware domains

The following domains have been registered in a combination with automatically registered Gmail accounts by having the CAPTCHA recognition process outsourced to a third-party.

The ultimate guide to scareware protection

Scareware spoofs IE security warning 2

Scareware spoofs IE security warning 2

Yet another attempt by scareware site to spoof the IE security warning.

The ultimate guide to scareware protection

Personal Antivirus

Personal Antivirus

Yet another well known scareware brand.

The ultimate guide to scareware protection

Trusted Antivirus/Security Vendors

Trusted Antivirus/Security Vendors

Courtesy of the CCSS Forum.

The ultimate guide to scareware protection

Fake Blue Screen of Death Scareware

Fake Blue Screen of Death Scareware

This scareware template attempts to trick the user into believing there’s been a blue screen of death error due to detected security problems. It’s fake.

The ultimate guide to scareware protection

The growth of scareware

The growth of scareware

Courtesy of PandaSecurity, illustrates the growth of scareware.

The ultimate guide to scareware protection

Ulta Antivir 2009

Ulta Antivir 2009

Known scareware brand using template already in use by related brands.

The ultimate guide to scareware protection

My Documents Scareware Scanning Dialog

My Documents Scareware Scanning Dialog

According to this fake scareware scanning dialog, 364 infected files have been found.

The ultimate guide to scareware protection

Doctor Antivirus 2008

Doctor Antivirus 2008

In this fake scan progress dialog, Doctor Antivirus 2008 claims to have already found 40 malware infections.

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