Fake Security Programs -- Rogues

Malware disguised as security programs; that is, rogues, have been plaguing internet surfers for the past five years. As time passes, the rogues have become more sophisticated, having the ability to disable Windows Update, firewall, antivirus and anti-malware software, cause web search re-directs and change file associations.

I follow a number of resources to stay up-to-date on the latest rogues. Often times two or three new rogues can be reported in any given day. These sources include sites such as Malwarebytes blog, updates by S!Ri on his blog, Bleeping Computer reports such as "Script kiddies making rogues for fame and not profit", SunbeltBLOG and others.

Security Garden readers may not have much interest in following those sites. However, it is important that you understand what a rogue is and what it can do. Even more importantly, understand how to check for and remove a rogue if your computer becomes infected. Just like the realistic phishing e-mails you may occasionally receive in your mailbox, the rogues are very realistic appearing.

The brief videos linked below were created by Microsoft to provide general information and help about rogue software. Take a few minutes now to add to your personal knowledge base so you will know not only what to do but, most importantly, how to prevent your computer from being infected.

What is rogue software?




How to check for rogue software?



How to defend your computer against rogue software?



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