Fake antivirus software a 'growing threat'

Internet search giant Google has warned of the growing risk of fake anti-virus software being downloaded by unsuspecting computer users.

Millions of computer users are being duped into installing the software which they think will protect them online but which actually leaves their computers more vulnerable to hackers.

Over the last 13 months Google analysed more than 240 million web pages and found that fake antivirus programs accounted for 15 percent of all the malicious software it detected online.

Cyber criminals are using increasingly sophisticated tactics to trick unsuspecting computer users into downloading and installing software laced with malicious code. When activated, the software allows hackers to obtain "back door" access to a computer. This in turn could allow criminals to use the machine to send spam emails, or to try and capture personal information and login details for online banking and email accounts.

A well-known scam is to deliver a pop-up messages on to a users screen warning them that a virus has been detected on their machine. The message advises the computer user to download the advertised antivirus software. However instead of removing the virus, which in all likelyhood does not exist, many will find themselves handing over their credit card details to cyber criminals in exchange for software laced with malicious code.

"The fake antivirus threat is rising in prevalence, both absolutely and relative to other forms of web-based malware," said Google in its findings. "Clearly, there is a definitive upward trend in the number of new fake antivirus domains that we encounter each week. "Surprisingly, many users fall victim to these attacks and pay to register the fake antivirus software. To add insult to injury, fake antivirus programs are often bundled with other malware, which remains on a victim's computer, regardless of whether a payment is made."

Google said that although it uses special tools to filter out websites containing malicious code from its search results, cyber criminals often moved their sites from one location to another in order to thwart efforts to stop their activity. Security experts have advised computer users to ensure they only install legitimate antivirus programs from reputable companies, such as Norton and McAfee, and not to click on any unsolicited pop-ups that claim to have detected a virus, and offer tools to remove it.


Source - Google