Posted 10/21/09 at 09:53:11 AM by Pulkit Chandna

Millions of credulous internet users fall prey to scareware every year and voluntarily end up compromising their systems. According to a new Symantec report, more than 40 million users found themselves prey to “increasingly persuasive online scare tactics” being adopted by cyber criminals during the 12-month period between July 2008 and June 2009.

The price of a fake security software program usually hovers between $30 and $100. But the hidden costs seem to be greater. Installing rogue security software can not only wreck the system but it also makes the owner vulnerable to identity theft. Deceptive ads linking to rogue software appear on both malicious and legit sites. Cybercriminals are also using search engine optimization (SEO) and social media tricks to ensnare even more people.

Have you installed SpywareGuard 2008, AntiVirus 2008, AntiVirus 2009, SpywareSecure, or XP AntiVirus yet? Don’t! They top the list of the most reported rogue security software.

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Posted 09/18/09 at 06:00:00 PM by Paul Lilly

If you're an active reader of Maximum PC, you may have seen us recommend SUPERAntiSpyware in the past, and with good reason. The spyware scanner does a good job of detecting and disinfecting nasty malware infections, and it's free (paid version also available).

As of Thursday, SUPERAntiSpyware has begun offering free online scans, a particularly handy option if a malware strain happens to be blocking your spyware proggies from running, as they're prone to do.

"Our new online scanner is a critically important tool for computer users and technicians," said Nick Skrepetos, founder of SUPERAntiSpyware.com. "The new breed of infections we are seeing simply block most, if not all, anti-spyware and anti-virus products from running. This leaves users and technicians in a desperate situation. We have answered the call with our stand alone online "Safe Scan" which will run when other products are blocked."

The online scanner doesn't run in a browser like many of the online antivirus scanners, and you'll still need to download a nearly 9MB file. But SUPERAntiSpyware says it does not install anything in your Start Menu or Program Files "and does NOT need to be uninstalled."

We gave Safe Scan a spin and it looked and felt just like the regular version of SUPERAntiSpyware. You can download updates, schedule scans, and choose between quick or complete rooting out of spyware.

If you want to kick the tires yourself, you can do so here.

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Posted 02/12/09 at 07:15:16 PM by Pulkit Chandna

Online beguilers are leaving no stone unturned in propagating malware. They have shown remarkable pliancy in adapting themselves to the ever-evolving cyber landscape. They have realized that the best places to ply their diabolical trade are the ones with massive traffic. As nothing rivals social websites in popularity, such cyber haunts have endeared themselves to malware authors.

According to PandaLabs Security’s Sean-Paul Correll, malware writers are increasingly using popular social news aggregator Digg to their advantage. They either submit erroneous stories that sound sensational or post ostensibly relevant links when commenting on a popular story. This trick is sufficient to bamboozle gullible internet users, who unsuspectingly end up on websites fraught with malware.

The malware files are mostly disguised as video codecs and anti-spyware downloads. Correll has been able to identify 52 Digg accounts being operated by malware peddlers.   

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Posted 06/25/08 at 02:20:17 PM by Mark Edward Soper

 Running Windows Vista SP1? Here's a fix that cleans up stability issues involving POP email clients, third-party antivirus and antispyware clients, User Accounts, large programs that won't run if the system's been on for a long time, Apple QuickTime preview, and AV stuttering. Download it - today!

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Posted 08/13/07 at 10:50:19 PM by by Mark Soper

Microsoft's elbowing its way into the online threat research space - here are my first impressions.

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