How Do You Get Scareware?


How Do You Get Scareware?

Abstract

Scareware is software that claims to detect or prevent viruses but actually makes your computer more vulnerable. 

This type of program also displays fake warning messages that appear when you do things like access your webcam, visit a website, download files, copy data to USB drives, or use other USB devices. Scareware may display pop-up messages that tell you the only way to fix the problem is to buy the full version of the program before allowing you to continue.

Scareware can sometimes be installed without knowledge on users’ part. It may have been included with an application downloaded from a torrent site or peer-to-peer network, bundled into free media players or file converters provided on questionable websites, added by adware bundle or installed by other scareware or malware that has already infected your computer.

How do One get Infected by Scareware:

1. Installing an unknown program which contains scareware bundled in the installer without users knowledge or consent.

2. Downloading freeware from P2P which might contain scareware bundled with it.

3. Visiting suspicious websites that may have a scareware redirecting to a website that hosts the malware.

4. Using a USB flash drive connected to a compromised computer can also transfer scareware and infect your computer with malware, even if you just view the contents of the drive on another computer, not dropping any files onto your system

5. Other methods for distributing Scareware are through email attachments or getting access by opening infected email attachments from spam

6. In social media sites they propagate scams containing links to scareware websites

7. Booting of a computer infected with malware, resulting in an automatic installation of scareware on the system without the consent or knowledge of users

8. Scanning activities performed by rogue antivirus programs which are installed as scareware onto your PC to make you think that they are necessary programs to install. This causes you to pay for their full version.

9. Visiting pornographic websites can lead to infection via scareware, browser hijackers and other malicious pieces of software planted on some popular adult sites

10. A new method for distribution of Scareware is through DNS Hijacking wherein attackers change your preferred DNS server settings in order to redirect traffic towards malicious servers hosting scareware pages

11. Charging to download scareware removal utilities that do not work

12. Getting infected by other forms of malware, such as Ransomware which can be used to encrypt important data on your PC and then ask you for money in order to decrypt it back

13. Scareware usually targets users who are new to the Internet and do not have a basic level of knowledge about PCs and how they function. This means that it is more likely that these people will fall prey to scareware since they think that the pop-ups represent a genuine warning from their security software or browser.

15. Using outdated browsers with faulty add-ons may lead you to get redirected towards dangerous websites hosting scareware webpages

16. In case your computer has already been compromised with the help of other malware applications and if your firewall, antivirus or anti-malware software is turned off it exposes you to further possible infections.

What Does Scareware Do

1. Alerts falsely about Infections that don’t exist

2. Blocks internet access by changing the DNS settings

3. Locks computer screen with fake warning messages which can scare users into thinking their PC has been locked by FBI/Government authorities when in reality they have not done anything wrong and this action was taken due to some unauthorized activity in the background 3. Requests for payments under threats like giving fines or punishment in case if you do not comply can result in loss

4. Other forms of Scareware abuses your trust and feeds on your fear by claiming that an illegal activity has been done through your PC and that you need to pay a fine or else be arrested by law enforcement agencies for this crime

5. Shares personal information such as browsing history, financial records, location, IP address with third parties without detection

6. Can make computer unusable due to its background activities which runs in the background when users are not using their computers

7. Always redirects towards unknown websites while surfing Internet

8. Registers itself more than once on some compromised browsers and makes them harder to remove

Conclusion

Scareware is an example of how criminals are trying to get easy money by fooling internet users into thinking that their PC has been compromised. It can make your computer useless and damage your privacy in the process.

The important thing is to understand what this malware does, how it works and be aware of its presence on your system or networks you use for online activity. Even though there are ways to get infected by scareware, there are ways to remove it as well. Make sure you have a decent anti-malware application installed on your machine which will recognize/detect such malware applications consisting of Scareware as well as Ransomware, Bitcoin Miner software etc. as . In order to avoid being a victim of scareware one should keep their systems and software up to date, have a good security suite installed on their PC which should be active all the time and also read reviews of websites before visiting them.

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