Posts

Scareware Part 2

Malware/Scareware Threatens to Sue BitTorrent Downloaders.

 

A new malware scam is trying to trick BitTorrent users into paying for illegally downloading copyrighted material.

The malware displays a box with the message “Warning! Piracy detected!” and opens up a web page supposedly run by a Swiss company which states thet are “committed to promoting the cultural and economic benefits of copyright.”

The fake company, the ICCP Foundation, claims to be sponsored by the Recording Industry Association of America, the Motion Picture Association of America and others. TorrentFreak, which was the first to discover the malware, wrote that, “It appears to scan the user’s hard drive for .torrent files and displays these as ’evidence’ of an earlier infringement”.

Victims are warned of possible imprisonment and fines, and given the option of “settling” the “case” for a one-time payment of $400, by credit card.

Obviously you would be crazy to hand over your Credit Card details, but it only takes a small percentage of victims to fall for the scam to make some serious cash, which is why the scammers go to the trouble.

Antivirus/Antispyware Software

I am often asked, “what is the best antivirus product to use”. I usually reply with a smart arse response like, “how long is a piece of string?”, quickly followed by, “It matters not what protection you have on your computer. If you do the wrong thing on the internet, you are stuffed”. Or words to that effect.

It amazes me how many people think that just because they have antivirus and/or antispyware software, they are somehow invincibly protected and can do what they like on the internet with impunity.

The fact is that literally thousands of new viruses/spyware/malware are being released every week, and whilst antivirus and antispyware software can detect virus like activity, they cannot possibly know about all the different infections and variants. They are really only as good as the database of known bugs.

So, if you like going to porn sites, crack/cheat/pirated software sites, installing free screensavers willy nilly, surfing for gimmicky add-ons and smiley faces for email and MSN, using peer-2-peer programs like Limewire, then I can almost guarantee it will end in tears.

Having said all that, you MUST have antivirus and antispyware software installed on your computer. I am no fan of Internet Security Suites because invariably they use a lot of system resources and can cause more problems than they prevent. Particularly their firewalls. Usually you will get asked, “do you want to block this thing or allow it?” And you would know the answer to that question how?

I recommend you use AVG Free. It is as good as any other antivirus program and now incorporates a little bit of antispyware as well. You can download it from http://free.avg.com/

****EDIT****

We no longer recommend AVG.

Our recommendation is now Norton Internet Security.

For a more detailed look at what Viruses and Spyware are and the do’s and don’ts, download my virus and spyware notes. Remember Prevention is better than cure. Once you are infected the bugs can be very difficult to remove.