IT security company Symantec has released a report on the fake security software, based on data collected from July last year to June this year: Symantec Report on Rogue Security Software. The report shows that criminals serve roughly to sell fake antivirus, having scared users with a message that they will be infected by malicious code, and want them to visit a site with the alleged reasonable and effective anti-virus. In the best case, makes the false anti-virus minimal damage to the computer. At worst, stopped the machine, and all local data is released to unauthorized persons.
The collection period revealed Symantec 43 million different cases where fake anti-virus was installed or tried installed on users' PCs. These include 250 separate software packages with alleged anti-virus. The most widespread are: Spyware Guard 2008, AntiVirus 2008, AntiVirus 2009, Spyware Secure, and XP AntiVirus.
Distribution methods vary: The victims are tricked to both download and to pay, typically from 30 to 100 dollars, per installation. Spam is used to intimidate people and tricked them to visit specific sites, where they can be scanned computer and buy anti-virus if it turns out that they are infected. The scan shows like that one is infected, and are accompanied by strong calls to do something about it immediately. But both the scan and download at risk to transfer malicious code. Here is an example, from a service that has nothing to do with Microsoft:
When you visit a site you can suddenly see this type of message,
where one is informed that the computer is infected with malicious code, and that one should resort to anti-virus. Click on the message you send to an appropriate place where the virus can be purchased.
Sites that distribute fake antivirus, changes constantly.
Over a period of two months, in July and August this year, Symantec revealed nearly 200 000 URLs that distributed fake antivirus. Much as 26 percent of those fake anti-virus combined with the transfer of various types of malicious code. Dedicated sites were used in 93 percent of cases in which the 50 most widespread fake anti-viruses were distributed. Another popular distribution method was banner ads on legitimate sites: 52 percent of the most widespread fake anti viruses made use of such.
Sites that participate in the distribution of fake antivirus, serves on the business, partly hidden search engine optimization as it sends up when users search for antivirus, and partly by the commission when the item is downloaded. In the United States earn on average sites $ 0.55 every time someone through them downloading fake anti-virus.
The distributors of fake antivirus is concerned that the download takes place voluntarily: The 50 most widespread fake anti-viruses available for voluntary down in 93 percent of cases, according to Symantec. At the same time try to also install them on the visitor's computer without prior click on "download" button: It occurred in 76 percent of cases.
53 percent of the servers that distribute fake antivirus, located in the United States. Then comes Germany with 11, percent, Ukraine and Canada with 5 percent each, the United Kingdom, China and Turkey with 3 percent each.
