Most Successful Rogue Antispyware Scams of 2008

If you’re an experienced PC user it may seem pretty simple to determine what antispyware software is legit, and what antispyware software is not actually protecting your PC but maliciously infecting it. If you’re a novice PC user rogue antispyware may not be so obvious.

Rogue antispyware can infect your PC and make your life a living hell, dropping worms, malware and spyware throughout the computer system, dramatically reducing computer performance, redirecting web browsers, continually displaying pop-ups and wreaking havoc for infected PC users.

Rogue antispyware programs are designed to look like antispyware software, designed to function like antispyware software, but also designed to trick you into thinking it’s protecting your computers from spyware. Rogue antispyware usually serves up false alarms, informing you constantly, with annoying pop-ups, that it has detected spyware or viruses and won’t let you bypass these annoyances until you finally give in and submit your credit card information to purchase the full version of the software. Unfortunately once the full version of the software is purchased the pop-ups continue and more spyware will infect the computer. Rogue antispyware is usually installed on a computer without the user’s knowledge, automatically downloaded from a bad website, deployed from a malicious email attachment or bundled with some not-so-ethical software.

Before installing any antispyware software you should always do your research to ensure that you are in fact downloading and installing legit antispyware software that will actually protect your PC from malicious attacks. When it comes to antispyware, if it quacks like a duck and it looks like a duck, double check!

This year we saw rogue antispyware outbreaks infecting PC’s across the globe. Below is a list of the most successful rogue antispyware software; the rogue antispyware that infected the most PC’s in 2008 according to Sunbelt Software.

1. VirusHeat
VirusHeat has infected more PC’s over the past year than any other rogue antispyware. VirusHeat is a rogue antispyware application designed to scare you into purchasing the full version with misleading warning messages that pop up on your Taskbar. VirusHeat is usually downloaded and installed via ZLOB/MediaAccess Codec installer from an adult site. (You’ve been warned… Porn is bad for your PC!) Once infected, the Zlob Trojan will display misleading warning messages. VirusHeat warning messages claim that your computer is infected with dangerous parasites in an attempt to trick users into purchasing. In addition, VirusHeat may generate annoying popup advertisements that may cause unstable system performance.

2. Ultimate SecuritySuite
Ultimate SecuritySuite may be downloaded and installed through exploits or under dubious circumstances without your consent. Ultimate SecuritySuite hijacks your desktop and typically displays exaggerated or false claims of spyware found to frighten you into paying for the program.

3. Antivirus XP 2008 (Winifixer)
Antivirus XP 2008 is now rated high among the most widespread and harmful threats infecting computers via the internet. Mass mailing is the most popular tool used to propagate this rogue antispyware, though it does not mean common methods of penetration like inclusion in free for download codec and unauthorized downloading are out of use. XPAntivirus2008 may be detected by annoying fake and misleading error messages. In some cases XPAntivirusPotection can hijack your browsers’ homepage, change your desktop theme and cause the PC to be dramatically slow.

4. AntiVirus Gold
AntiVirus Gold uses aggressive, deceptive advertising and is also known to be installed by exploits with malware and adware. AntiVirus Gold’s free scan reports false positives in the scan results presumably to get you to pay for the program. AntiVirus Gold also installs the Winnook trojan.

5. MalwareAlarm
MalwareAlarm is a fake antispyware program that is often downloaded and installed without your knowledge or consent by a Trojan or through browser security holes. (Are you using FireFox yet?) MalwareAlarm launches on Windows startup and may generate large numbers of popup advertisements. MalwareAlarm will also display notifications of imaginary security risks in its attempts to get you to purchase the full version. MalwareAlarm program can be extremely difficult to remove manually, and will continue to try to recreate itself.

6. Antivirus 2009
Antivirus2009 uses Trojans, such as Zlob or Vundo, to spread. These Trojans lurk in porn/warez websites disguised as video codecs, and, upon entering the system, floods you with pop-up advertisements and fake system notifications, supposedly to inform you of an infection. While the system at hand may indeed be infected, Antivirus 2009 will inform you of this regardless of whether it’s true or not. The point of this disinformation is to convince you that your PC is infected and therefore needs an antispyware program to remove the threat. You might click on one of the pop-ups or notifications, all of which claim will take you to a legitimate security tool, but try to make you purchase Antivirus2009′s “licensed version” instead.

7. FakeAlert.PCHealthCenter
FakeAlert.PCHealthCenter consists of files that cause false warnings of spyware on your computer. Usually the alerts are displayed as fake Windows Security Center type pop-ups. FakeAlert.PCHealthCenter displays these false warnings when rogue security software is installed — usually by exploits, fake codec scams, and pop-up scare ads — and is used to frighten you into buying the rogue software.

8. WinAntiVirus
WinAntiVirus is rogue antispyware software that causes unspeakable nightmares for computer users! WinAntiVirus2008 usually installed itself onto your PC without your permission or sometimes knowledge, through Trojans and viruses. WinAntiVirus Pro will greatly wreak havoc on your computer’s performance, generate system errors, and display fake system alerts or fake security alerts to trick you into buying the Paid Version of WinAntiVirus2008.

9. VirusProtectPro
VirusProtectPro is a malware removal application that is silently installed without user consent trying to profit by the occasion. VirusProtectPro is spread by a Trojan. There is a possibility of getting the infection while browsing the internet, even though you did not perform any downloads. You can easily identify Trojan by an extra icon in the taskbar, occasionally popping the balloon and warning that that the computer is infected. VirusProtectPro will not clean and protect your system from spyware, adware, Trojans or other malicious programs, furthermore it attempts to fool you with its fake malware detection and analyzer tools. Thus it is trying to terrify you with its corrupt alerts forcing you to buy the licensed version.

10. XPAntivirus
XPAntivirus is an unwanted corrupt antispyware application that infiltrates your computer system via false and misleading advertising. Once inside it will try to trick you into buying it by claiming your computer has been infected with spyware and then showing falsified error reports. XP Antivirus does not remove any spyware; it does not do anything useful at all. It is designed to milk money from unsuspecting internet surfers.

If you suspect that you computer is infected with rogue antispyware software, we recommend that you download a free fully functional 15-day trial of VIPRE Antivirus + Antispyware. The free 15-day version of VIPRE will remove any rogue antispyware, as well as viruses, Trojans, worms, malware, spyware, rootkits and any other malicious threats absolutely free. No credit card information will be required for complete remediation.

Rogue antispyware has been around for a long time and all signs point to more rogue security software in the future with more sophisticated tactics for fooling users and penetrating computer systems. It’s a crazy internet out there – protect yourself!