I have to admit I laughed when I heard the name Norton mentioned in a video warning of fake antivirus products. (Norton’s makers were supposed to be the heroes; but whether or not you share this opinion, I was unaware that heroes could produce end products that were so bulky and ineffective.)

Sarcasm aside; criminals are infecting their victims’ PC with fake antivirus software which cons them into handing over their credit card details.

Symantec, producer of Norton, claims that  victims actually download the rogue security programs intentionally because they imagine that it will help keep their computers safe from viruses and other internet threats. The word “gullible” comes to mind. (If Norton was capable of keeping their computers safe from viruses and other internet threats they’d have no need to bother with replacements.)

(I truly am trying not to be sarcastic; but it just isn’t working.)

This type of malware can get onto your PC via anything from porn sites to online banking sites; probably all of which have been hacked, especially in the case of the latter. – But there are websites out there that are maliciously seeking to infect you nevertheless.

Symantec claims that it’s identified over 250 types of the rogue software. Believe it or not there are actually affiliate networks behind the distribution of this untimely crapware!: –

Con Mallon, Product Marketing Director for Symantec, told the UK’s Computer Shopper magazine: –

"We found a number of affiliate networks that we were able to monitor and see how they were operating. We know how much the affiliates are paid per installation. Some people earn $23,000 per week, which comes to over $1m dollars per year. People go looking for security software and end up on fake sites. Pop-ups fool them into thinking there’s a problem and they panic-buy the software."

While a lot of the legitimate affiliate networks pay you peanuts (Google Adsense) for results, and then try to take what little you’ve made back by some method or another in the form of “non-productivity fines” and the like; (Clickbank I’m talking about you now.) these illegal affiliate networks are paying decent commissions, so is it any wonder that people are distributing these pieces of crap everywhere by whatever means they can? In short it’s a situation created by the legalised greed and extortion of the corporate companies.

Fake anti-virus software looks incredibly convincing to the non-tech-savvy computer-user. – That’s part of the reason why I, and other tech-bloggers like me, run sites like this one: To try and educate the masses who haven’t yet bothered to learn, in addition to assisting those who are learning, and to create a homely place for those in the know to come and discuss all things tech interactively.

Computer Shopper magazine infected a system in its dedicated virus testing lab and created this video: - 

Have you personally fallen foul of any of this type of malware, through a compromised website, or other means?

Incidentally; if you use Windows and want a proven FREE anti-malware suite from Microsoft themselves that really does the business, tested and verified by me personally, then look no further: Click here. –Yes it’ll work on XP, Vista, and Windows 7 – 32 and 64-bit.