A worm hit Twitter looking to rope users into downloading rogue antivirus. – Thousands of Twitter users are believed to have been hit with malicious
links tied to a rogue antivirus scam circulating the microblog service.
The scam is spreading through malicious links abusing the goo.gl
URL shortening service. According
to Kaspersky Lab, the malicious links redirect u…
Cleaning up your computer for a better experience is a must, but one program that simply cannot help is Ultra Defragger. Advertised as the way to optimize performance on your computer, the bottom line is that this rogue defragmenter can only create additional problems and security holes on your computer.
The creators of rogue antivirus programs have to be good at knowing what people want. They know that computer users want reliable security programs, and they also know how to get users to click through to their links. With the use of worrisome programs, often disseminated on malicious sites masquerading as trending content, rogue programs like ThinkPoint create the illusion of security risks in your system in order to persuade you to buy their full program for protection.
Rogue security programs come from the “shadier” side of the Internet and for the most part they are built to harass computer users. These programs act by simulating viruses and antivirus software simultaneously to give a computer user the impression that they have been infected by a virus or malware. The types of applications such known as rogue security programs have also been labeled “scareware” because they use ethical practices and show no concern for malicious actions taken by these applications which are all geared toward scaring the user into purchasing a solution to the problem that’s been caused by the software itself.
The Antivirus Scam In Homers epic poem The Iliad, the state of Troy represented a place of wealth, power, and all things bountiful to its known world. Such is the power of the Internet in todays world: a place of plenty where people can exchange goods and information. Originally, the Internet had every intention of providing a safe environment for its users. As with Troy, it was only a matter of time before this Internet utopia was hacked into as well.
Rogue antivirus programs have become more prolific as the need to keep our data secure grows. These programs use the desire to keep data safe and our systems running in optimal condition as a way to persuade us to buy expensive and useless software. Recognizing rogues like Security Master AV is the real key to keeping your computer secure.
The FBI claims to have shut down a rogue anti-virus operation that sold more than 1 million fake products, defrauding victims out of more than $100 million. – Three men have been indicted in what the FBI described as an international cybercrime operation that sold $100 million in rogue anti-virus software to victims in more than 60 countries.
According to authorities, Bjorn Daniel Sundin, 31, and 40-year-old Shaileshkumar P. Jain owned and operated Inn…
Rogue antivirus programs go by many different names, but they all share a common goal. After creating an elaborate ad campaign designed to create the illusion of security threats, the hope is that computer users will purchase their ineffective and money-wasting program. It is helpful to know the signs of a rogue program like AntiVirus 7 so you can avoid irritation and potential issues with your computer.
ROGUE WAVE CONFIRM TOUR DATES, PERMALIGHT OUT 3/2
 Rogue Wave |
Rogue Wave will soon embark on a nationwide tour in support of their upcoming release Permalight, out March 2. The band will make stops across the country, including New York City, San Francisco, New Orleans, Chicago, Seattle and Washington DC.
Written and recorded by founding members Zach Rogue and Pat Spurgeon, Permalight was recorded at Sweet Tea Studios in Oxford, MS and was produced by Dennis Herring. A punchy, deceptively effervescent set of multi-instrumental pop tunes, the Northern California band’s latest effort represents a giant breakthrough and forward moving development.
Rogue Wave Tour Dates
02/24/10 Wed Bottom of the Hill San Francisco, CA
02/26/10 Fri Mod Club Toronto, ON
03/01/10 Mon Paradise Rock Club Boston, MA
03/02/10 Tue Music Hall Of Williamsburg Brooklyn, NY
03/03/10 Wed Bowery Ballroom New York, NY
03/04/10 Thu First Unitarian Church Philadelphia, PA
03/05/10 Fri 9:30 Club Washington, DC
03/06/10 Sat Cat’s Cradle Carrboro, NC
03/08/10 Mon The Loft Atlanta, GA
03/09/10 Tue The Mercy Lounge Nashville, TN
03/10/10 Wed BottleTree Birmingham, AL
03/13/10 Sat The Social Orlando, FL
03/15/10 Mon One Eyed Jacks New Orleans, LA
03/16/10 Tue Warehouse Live Houston, TX
03/17/10 Wed Palladium Ballroom/Loft Dallas, TX
04/07/10 Wed Rio Theatre Santa Cruz, CA
04/09/10 Fri Wonder Ballroom Portland, OR
04/10/10 Sat Neumos Seattle, WA
04/13/10 Tue Fox Theatre Boulder, CO
04/14/10 Wed Bottleneck Lawrence, KS
04/15/10 Thu Fine Line Music Cafe Minneapolis, MN
04/16/10 Fri High Noon Saloon Madison, WI
04/17/10 Sat Lincoln Hall Chicago, IL
04/20/10 Tue Mojo’s Columbia, MO
04/21/10 Wed Cain’s Ballroom Tulsa, OK
04/23/10 Fri The Launchpad Albuquerque, NM
04/24/10 Sat Club Congress Tucson, AZ
04/27/10 Tue Belly Up Tavern Solana Beach, CA
04/29/10 Thu El Rey Theatre Los Angeles, CA
04/30/10 Fri The Fillmore San Francisco, CA
From serving malicious ads to poisoning search engine results for recently deceased actress Brittany Murphy, rogue antivirus operations have been going strong all year long.
– There was no recession in the rogue
antivirus industry in 2009.
According to Microsoft, four
of the top 11 threats cleaned by its Malicious Software Removal Tool
between Dec. 8 and Dec. 16 were tied to rogue antivirus software. Just how much
damage the scareware rings behind these types of malw…
Going Rogue has gone platinum.
Just two weeks after publication, the best-selling political memoir from controversial former GOP VP candidate Sarah Palin has sold 1 million copies, HarperCollins spokeswoman Tina Andreadis said Tuesday.
The print run for the book has been increased from 2.5 million to 2.8 million copies to accomodate the growing demand, according to [...]
Symantec took a look at the underground market for rogue security software in a new report. Some of the sales affiliates make staggering profits, with the top earners averaging $23,000 a week during Symantec’s 12-month study.
– Symantec shined the light on the massive profits pulled in by rogue security software scams on the Web.
Such software, often referred to as “scareware,” has gotten more attention in the past year as scammers continue to enjoy success tricking users into shelling out big bucks. In a report titled …
In an analysis of a rogue anti-spyware scam, AVG Technologies noted that just 24 hours after a news event, attackers had already gotten their malicious links into five of the top 10 Google search results. The incident highlights the challenges faced by search engines such as Yahoo, Google and Microsoft Bing.
– Poisoning search engines results to trick users into visiting malicious sites is not a new tactic. But as an analysis by AVG Technologies shows, it can be very effective.
Examining a rogue spyware campaign that sought to take advantage of interest in the earthquake in
Samoa
last week, AVG determ…
In an analysis of a rogue anti-spyware scam, AVG Technologies noted that just 24 hours after a news event, attackers had already gotten their malicious links into five of the top 10 Google searfch results. The incident highlights the challenges faced by search engines such as Yahoo, Google and Microsoft Bing.
– Poisoning search engines results to trick users into visiting malicious sites is not a new tactic. But as an analysis by AVG Technologies shows, it can be very effective.
Examining a rogue spyware campaign that sought to take advantage of interest in the earthquake in
Samoa
last week…
Cyber-criminals are using interest in MMS or SMS on the iPhone to trick users into downloading rogue antivirus software. According to security company Websense, attackers are abusing Google’s search engine to get users to click on links leading to a malicious page pushing scareware.
– Cyber-criminals are taking advantage of interest in Apple’s new Multimedia Messaging
Service capability for the iPhone by poisoning some of the top related Google
results.
According
to Websense Security Labs, scammers are abusing Google to lure victims to sites
pushing rogue
antivirus softwar…
Behind the reports of rogue antivirus scams is a multimillion dollar business lining the pockets of cyber-thieves. The threats arent new, but they have been growing in prevalence, according to malware researchers. Seven of the top 25 malware or unwanted software families from the second half of 2008 had a connection to rogue software, according to Microsoft experts. Two in particular Win32/FakeXPA and Win32/FakeSecSen were detected by Microsoft on more than 1.5 million computers.
The prevalence of the scams is driven by the profits. In a report in March, Finjan uncovered a rogueware affiliate network that hauled in an average of $10,800 a day. Such schemes are successful in part because attackers do a good job of mimicking the look of the Windows Security Center and other legitimate screens in Windows to give their phony scams an air of authenticity. Successfully fighting rogue antivirus schemes must involve teaching users about social engineering. With all this in mind, eWEEK is going behind the scenes of some of the successful rogue antivirus scams that have plagued the Internet.
– …
Huge, freak waves may not be as rare as once thought
ON JULY 26th 1909 the SS Waratah, en route to London from Melbourne, left Durban with 211 passengers and crew. She was due in Cape Town three days later but never arrived. The steamship was last sighted along the east coast of South Africa—known to sailors as the “wild coast” for its violent weather—struggling through a stormy sea with waves more than nine metres (30 feet) high. No trace of the vessel has ever been found.
A theory which might explain her disappearance, and that of some other vessels, is that they were struck by rogue waves—which begin with a deep trough followed by a wall of water the size of an eight- or nine-storey building. For many years oceanographers dismissed sailors’ reports of rogue waves much as they did stories of mermaids. But in 1995 an oil rig in the North Sea recorded a 25.6-metre wave. Then in 2000 a British oceanographic vessel recorded a 29-metre wave off the coast of Scotland. In 2004 scientists using three weeks of radar images from European Space Agency satellites found ten rogue waves, each 25 metres or more high. …
Verizon Wireless has introduced two new Samsung slider phones, the Rogue, which features a 3.1-inch touchscreen, and the lighter-featured Intensity, which, in red, is free with a two-year contract.
– The day after Labor Day used to include fresh three-ring binders and sharpened pencils, but Verizons Sept. 8 offerings are far more modern: the Samsung Rogue and Intensity slider phones.
Both are messaging phones, though the Rogue a dead ringer for the Samsung Impression on the AT amp;T netwo…
One of the wonderfully useful inventions of the internet age is the pop-up blocker. These filter out these irritating ads so we can browse websites without interruption. If you suddenly receive an influx of these intrusive little pop-ups, then it may indicate the presence of a rogue antivirus program. Pop-ups are a favorite tool of programs like Internet Antivirus Pro. How can you recognize this program as a rogue, and what should you do to keep your system running at its peak?
