Antivirus Plus Has a Secret Extra: Spyware!

Antivirus Plus Has a Secret Extra: Spyware!

On the Internet there exists a great number of threats to your computer’s security and stability.  Many of them pretend to be helpful programs.  Antivirus Plus is one such program, typically called a rogue security tool.  These programs emulate antivirus and antispyware programs to trick users into paying for a spyware infection.

Antivirus Plus is a rogue security tool that pretends to be an antivirus program.  It tries to make users believe that it just happens to be watching everyone, waiting to come to the rescue when they accidentally get infected.  It is, in fact, the infection that everyone needs protection from.

A major flaw in the logic of Antivirus Plus and its ilk is that there doesn’t exist the technology to do this.  With all the corrupt tools taking this approach, it probably isn’t going to happen, either.  Even if there was some kind of universal watch dog program on the Internet, it doesn’t seem logical that it would allow people to get infected before it jumps into action.  A good rule of thumb to follow is that if it’s not installed on your computer and it’s telling you that you’re infected, it’s a rogue security tool.

The reality of the situation is that anyone who encounters Antivirus Plus got infected by it at an infected website or by downloading it thinking it was something else.  It usually disguises itself as a video codec, so chances are they were trying to watch or download a video of some sort.

It may be tempting for many to say that these websites are all professing to have adult oriented content, it’s not entirely true.  It’s a huge lure for many, no doubt, but pretty much any website that involves watching videos, be they movie, television, or business related, can be cloned and used as an infected site.  Sometimes, these sites can be spotted by the web address not matching the URL, but that’s like playing Russian roulette.  There really is no telling.

Also, Antivirus Plus has its own websites where it can be downloaded.  Try as they might, antispyware programs can only go so far in blocking access to these sites.  Whenever one gets shut down, they open a new one.  It’s a vicious cycle.

The download transmissions of Antivirus Plus are pretty much the same problem, except they have the additional problem of being able to bypass many antispyware programs.  These are usually obtained at peer to peer file sharing groups, typically in pirated media.  Malware infections have always been a danger in Internet piracy. 

Let’s not forget, it’s also illegal.  No one likes being taken away in cuffs.

If you ever see a pop up window telling you that you have an infection and calling itself Antivirus Plus, know that it’s a scam.  Knowing about these programs can’t keep you from getting infected, but at least they can keep you from getting ripped off.  The rest is up to your antispyware program.  Make sure it guarantees 100% protection.

Question…

What antivirus should I install on Acer Aspire One netbook?

I need a little suggestion regarding what would be the best antivirus to use on my Acer Aspire One netbook. (260 GB HD, 1 GB RAM). The McAfee Antivirus that was provided with it is not a very good software, I must say. So I need a better alternative. If anyone is using Acer Aspire one netbook, please do leave some suggestions for me.

Answers…

Answer by Trish
I have acer aspire one, I use AVG free.
You will need to uninstall McAfee completely or AVG won`t install.
Best way is to download revo uninstaller and let it do the job for you.
Or you could try avira or avast, whichever you decide on you will have to remove McAfee first.
I`ve tried all three, but personally I prefer AVG.

Answer by Harley Drive
avg free is not up to date for a lot of viruses, avira antivir , avast and comodo are now all better comodo comes with a good firewall as well

Answer by Kari
McAfee is awful! Good choice to stop using it. It is bloatware.

If it is a pretty new netbook, I would use Avira. It is the best for intercepting incoming viruses. Otherwise, I would use Avast. I have had a fair number of problems with AVG and it not detecting viruses, so I would stay away from AVG.

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Tagged as: Antivirus, Extra, plus, Secret, Spyware