New names, new threats from fake security apps

By Woody Leonhard Malicious applications posing as antivirus software are not new, but they’re more common than ever — and more sophisticated. They pop up on your screen, warning you that your system is infected with all kinds of viruses. It’s true, your PC is infected — but the infection is the warning, itself.

Fortunately, there are excellent tools for eliminating this growing threat. In Ryan Russell’s companion piece, “Tools for safely removing rogue anti-malware,” you will find out how to safely remove these malicious apps.

Rogue anti-malware — many names, many disguises

The other night my brother called with upsetting news.

“My XP computer has 37 viruses on it. How do I get rid of them?”

Related posts:

1. XP SP3 triggers false positives in security apps
2. “Security Task Manager”
3. How to protect your PC from security threats
4. Active Controls And Other Potential Threats
5. Return Of The “Malicious Software Removal Tool”