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Lancaster Residents Report Scareware/Ransomware Attacks

Computer repair technicians in Lancaster County (Pennsylvania, USA) state that they have recently come across a virus appearing to be an antivirus software. Known as 'scareware' or 'ransomware,' the virus appears like the programs that help systems fend off attacks.

Charles Stouff at A+ PC Computer Repair in Manor Township, Lancaster County, states that it tells that users' computers are attacked by several viruses, as reported by wgal on July 8, 2010. The harmful programs are also used for prohibiting the users from accessing their computer's programs. Moreover, it becomes very hard to get rid of them as they block the system's antivirus solution, if there is any.

Stouff further adds that they have to wait for some solution. Therefore, it is like a continuous tussle between good guys and bad guys.

The scareware ensures complete removal of the virus if the user purchases some special software. This purchased software is either ineffective or malware only. In any case, the scareware will stay on the system. One of the frequent methods computers get scareware is from something called freeware. Stouff states that freeware is available on several websites where things like music are offered for free.

As per the security firms, scareware is one the rapidly-growing and most widespread kinds of Web fraud.

In the third week of June 2010, McAfee (an Internet security-software firm) stated that it had witnessed an increase of 400% in cases reported during 2009. The security company has predicted that the use of scareware would be the most expensive online scam in 2010. Further, the use of scareware infects nearly 1 Million systems every day and contributing in unauthentic global profits of over $300 Million.

Besides McAfee, Fortinet (another security firm) claimed that in June 2010 that the increase in malware was not myth but a reality. The company said that it had seen numerous variants of ransomware have come into prominence in 2010. In addition, detection level has improved in 2010 because different variants of ransomware have reached the top ten threat listings. The security firm stated that attack strategy and technology had become even more refined.

Related article: Lancashire Police Warn Local Residents against E-mail Scams

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