Scareware Continues Unabated: Panda Security

Security company Panda Security's research lab PandaLabs, which recently published a report, states that a whopping 40% of FAKEAV i.e. bogus anti-virus software that were ever developed got introduced in 2010 while they contaminated more than 5% of the total PCs across the globe.

Explains Panda Security, 'FAKEAV' that's often referred to as 'rogueware' or 'scareware' consists of several kinds of different malicious threats. Some simply exhibit annoying pop-ups trying to get users to purchase bogus anti-virus for supposedly safeguarding their PCs, while many others in reality make the computers dysfunctional until their users buy the fake program.

Continuing further, the security company states that there are an estimated 5,651,786 distinct scareware variants, with 2,285,629 from them alone being found ever-since 2010 started, which is an enormous count. In the meantime, with the vacation time approaching when cyber-crime activity is very high for any year, these malicious programs are likely to further increase, the company outlines.

Highlighting the problem's range still more, Panda Security discloses that currently, 11.16% of the total malicious programs within its malware database covering 21 years are FAKEAVs.

Moreover, Managing Director Robert Rutherford of Consultancy QuoStar Solutions a London-based IT service firm while remarking about scareware's imminent problem stated that expectedly, the scareware malware would keep growing. V3.co.uk published this on November 17, 2010.

Rutherford explained that cyber-criminals found it worth taking the comparatively little effort in exchange of being able to rob bank accounts even if they are of only a small number of people, particularly if the former operated from a nation whose exchange rate enabled to have the benefits large.

Also, remarking about the increasing online danger of scareware, Luis Corrons Technical Director of Panda Security emphasizes that the infection has proven very successful on social-networking websites.

According to him, users are urged towards remaining vigilant while accessing websites via search engines, towards ensuring the trustworthiness of sources, as well as towards abandoning all downloads, since they could all be reasons for infection. V3.co.uk published this on November 17, 2010. Yet, the most appropriate suggestion is towards utilizing one's common sense while being online, Corrons adds.

Related article: SecureWorks Identifies Bank and Information Stealing Trojan Coreflood

» SPAMfighter News - 11/26/2010