Savvy users outsmart scareware

There is a lack of sufficient education when it comes to scareware or fake anti-virus attacks, say security experts.

They say this is worrying as scareware is not only effective, but probably the most prolific Internet scam of 2010. It can do a lot of damage and costs businesses a fortune.

Scareware, which usually comes in the form of false pop-up warnings, is designed to scare computer users, especially Internet surfers, into believing their computers are infected and encourages them to download suspect applications.

Education is the best tool in fighting scareware, says senior analyst of software and IT services at IDC MEA, Pieter Kok. “Organisations should begin by making sure users know what brand of security software their company is using. They should also ensure no other security software runs on company-owned equipment, he advises.

Kok says companies need to be aware of scareware in order to educate their employees about this form of cyber crime.

“Employees are aware of the security threats in the cyber world today, but they are not educated on the best practices,” he points out. This might have a negative impact on companies, as scareware uses clever ways to lead computer users into cyber crime traps, he adds.

“Because employees now know the value of their organisation's information and the dangers it can face if exposed to viruses, they are always in fear they might expose their company's information to cyber criminals online by accessing different Web sites,” Kok says.

Jacobus van Eeden, Panda Security's marketing manager, agrees with Kok. He says computer users should be warned against dubious sites, and that the same caution people exercise in their social lives should apply in cyber space. “In real life, people know they cannot just go to high-risk criminal areas. They always take precautions when they are in these areas.”

When users see these pop-ups, he advises, they should either use 'control-alt-delete' to close the window from the Windows Task Manager, or call IT for assistance.

Earlier this year, Google researchers uncovered a significant spike in scareware software circulating the Web. There has been a rise in the prevalence of scareware software, which now accounts for 15% of all malware on the Web, the Google report showed.

The team claimed scareware software is responsible for half of all malware delivered through online adverts, representing a 500% rise in a year. “Scareware attacks continue to persist, demanding increased awareness and broader response from the research community at large.”

According to security firm Symantec, criminals behind this scam are netting more than an estimated £850 000 per year. The company claims the vast majority of victims (93%) actually download the rogue security programs intentionally, believing it will help keep their computers safe from viruses and other Internet threats.

However, security vendors are waking up to this. McAfee Security says it has introduced a consumer threat alerts programme in order to inform users directly about the latest online threats. The company states that this way, users will be able to receive e-mail alerts about the treats via subscription.