Most computer users are familiar with shareware and spyware, but new on the internet is a ‘ware’ called scareware that is scary indeed. Sneaking into advertisements commonly displayed on social networking sites, blogs, and trusted web addresses, this newfangled type of cybercrime is intended to tap into your wallet and/or identity. To learn more about how to protect yourself from scareware, read Symantec’s latest news release feed:
Cybercriminals Use Fear and Anxiety to Convince Users to Buy Rogue Security Software
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. – October 19, 2009 – Symantec Corp. (Nasdaq: SYMC) today announced the findings of its Report on Rogue Security Software. The study’s findings, based on data obtained during the 12-month period of July 2008 to June 2009, reveal that cybercriminals are employing increasingly persuasive online scare tactics to convince users to purchase rogue security software. Rogue security software, or “scareware,” is software that pretends to be legitimate security software. These rogue applications provide little or no value and may even install malicious code or reduce the overall security of the computer. [more]