The Dangers of Antivirus 7 and How to Avoid It

An antivirus program that claims to protect you has been making the rounds online recently. This program is named the Antivirus 7 or Antivirus7. This program is made to look like it's from Microsoft but it's not. This program can be hard to tell apart from a genuine program because of its single word name "Antivirus". This demonstrates the need for strong protection software. You can find a good free antivirus so there really is no reason for any of us to be without one.

While this virus makes itself look like a Windows XP or Windows 7 program, it has nothing to do with Microsoft and it will only put you at risk. Instead of keeping your computer safe, it will remove files from your system and make your computer unstable. It can also disable your firewall and open you up for attacks from hackers.

This virus is similar to other programs such as antivir which is promoted via a web site that is made to look like a real legitimate protection program. These web sites will claim to be doing a security scan. When the scan's finished it will say that your computer is infected and it needs to download Antivirus 7 to clean up the infection. Don't believe this. Instead, simply download an antivirus software from a reputable source and only trust a scan from that program.

If you install this virus it will give you a warning message on your computer. These warnings say things like someone is trying to steal your identity or hack your system. It will tell you that you have to update your system. These alerts are made to trick you into thinking that they really come from Windows. The real reason this virus gives you these alerts is to make you think that you need to buy their full version of the software to be safe. The truth is that if you run the update that it asks for it will only make it worse. You don't need to pay for protection. You can get an antivirus software for free that will protect you not only from this virus but from others too.

It can be pretty hard to get this spyware program off of your computer unless you are an expert. The best and easiest ways to get rid of the virus is to use an automatic spyware remover in addition to a good free antivirus. If you want to remove this virus manually then keep in mind that it involves deleting registry keys and this can be very dangerous. Unless you are an expert, it's highly recommended to do this the automatic way.

It is important to familiarize yourself with all the real brands of free antivirus software so that you know the real ones from the fake virus/spyware scanners. If you know how to recognize the fake ones then you will not likely have any problems with this kind of virus program. Most of the fake ones start out as a pop-up offering to scan your computer for free. If you click "Okay" and run the scan it will then show you a list of the viruses that it found on your system. It will then tell you to download the program to be able to get rid of these viruses. Never do this! If you do, you'll not only be giving this company the credit information that you used to buy the program, but you will also be giving them access to all your private data.

It's critical that you remove this virus immediately if you are infected with it. It is also critical that you get a use a good, legitimate free antivirus and that you know the difference in between the genuine products and the fake ones.

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Security Sphere 2012 And Its Dangers

These days, a threat to computers everywhere is the Security Sphere 2012, which has been discovered at an increasing rate on the World Wide Web. It disguises itself as a dependable antivirus software which can address your security problems but in reality, it has no worth at all. Security Sphere 2012 makes use of Trojans as a way to surreptitiously permeate any computer network totally and randomly.

The program copies all security tool functions. For example, it runs a scan in the computer system. However, it uses a false scanner that acts like it's searching for threats. When scanning is over, it delivers a fake scan report. The application declares that your computer is infected with a myriad of infections. Furthermore, it shows several pop ups and security alerts which gives you an impression that your computer is severely infected.

The application gives you a limited ability to utilize other computer applications. Most of the time, it brings out messages declaring that your computer had to abort the program you intend to start due to issues of security. Likewise, other messages would give you a warning about finding a spyware infection or any other harmful viruses. As a way to avoid losing data and having relevant information about you stolen, you'll be offered to buy a full Security Sphere 2012 version and be able to activate it as well.

Internet surfing is also affected by the program. When your system has a Security Sphere 2012 infection, it will show you security alarms saying that the site you are going to visit has been virally affected and it may cause your system to crash. Several reasons will be cited such as: virus information discovered at this page trying to put its components, unknown and malicious processes in the network are analyzed, a virus attack is imminent, negative references gathered from other people concerning this webpage, your backdoor and system ports have been scrutinized by visited page designed for external system access. The same message will ask you to get hold of a "Security Sphere 2012" license to give your PC the protection it needs to safely browse web pages, launch scanning process on malware, virus and spyware or continue surfing. Acquiring "Security Sphere 2012" will be given as a favorable recommendation.

Since all these statements are not true, you should never pay attention to them. Upon discovering such malware on your system, you must dispose Security Sphere 2012 by all means. If you have already purchased this malware, please advise the concerned credit card provider and argue about the charges.

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How To Avoid the Dangers of Antivirus Windows Phishing

What do you do when a dialogue box or window suddenly appears (not long after you down-loaded some new software or clicked into a new site you were surfing), and warns you of dangerous viruses lurking on your computer?

"DON'T PANIC!"

I've said it before and I'll go on saying it until I'm blue in the face; there are some nasty, highly tech savvy people out there, looking to pillage your computer if you give them half a chance. They can trick you into passing over your hard earned money in the blink of a dialogue box.

The scams they use are numerous, but the type of scam that we are going to discuss this time, known as 'Computer Phishing,' is dependent on one vital process. That is: they have to ask your permission.

This is a typical scenario:

You've been surfing the internet or downloading software and out of the blue up pops a window or dialogue box. It reads something like: "Danger, Danger - a virus (of no particular name) has been found in your registry. This virus will harm your computer if left unchecked. Down-load this Free Superior Registry Cleaner and we guarantee to rid you of this perilous nasty."

Now you fall for the first part of the trick and down-load the software. You authorize the program to run, and within no time at all a new window appears telling you: "You are infested with viruses. But do not worry, because we have the perfect solution and it will only cost you a tiny, piddley amount."

So now you fall for the second part; you buy their software solution, using your credit or debit card. Oh dear, they've now got your money, your card and bank details. And to add insult to injury, you now posses their Malware of some description - that you never had before. Malware, you may not realize is infesting your Registry, Emails and Hard Drive.

My recommendation is simple: whenever you receive this type of phishing; (what I call 'Antivirus Windows Phishing'), a message trying to get you to buy Anti-virus or Anti-spyware software, do not be tempted to click on any part of the message - even to try to close it. Instead, restart your computer and run a virus checker (Preferably one you've down-loaded from a recommended source). There are some very good free virus eradicating software, and some even better paid for.

The following, are one or both: AVG, Malwarebytes, ZoneAlarm, to name just a few. It's not easy to resist clicking the magic boxes, but if you do find yourself caught-up in the scenario I've just described, It may be wise to cancel your credit card as well.

Love your computer and keep your kids surfing safe.

Ed Bellamy offers helpful articles and peace of mind Virus Protection.
Visit: http://www.security-essentials.net/ for more info.

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