Microsoft Overhauls Free Antivirus Software

Without fanfare, on Thursday Microsoft released version 2 of its Microsoft Security Essentials (MSE) antivirus software. The software is free for individuals and small businesses with up to 10 PCs.

The new version of the software, which recently went through a four-month beta program, now has an overhauled heuristic antivirus scanning engine, integration with Windows Firewall, and network traffic inspection for Windows Vista and 7 -- but not XP -- reported Ars Technica.
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Positive Networks has a straightforward approach to two-factor authentication using your cell phone. Instead of spending money on more security infrastructure for your virtual environment, Solera's V2P Tap promises to regenerate the virtual traffic to your existing security infrastructure, thereby protecting your investment. Andrew Conry-Murray spoke with the president of RSA, Art Coviello, at EMC World 2008 about Data Loss Prevention.
Instead of spending money on more security infrastructure for your virtual environment, Solera's V2P Tap promises to regenerate the virtual traffic to your existing security infrastructure, thereby protecting your investment.

On Thursday, Microsoft also announced that the not-free Forefront Endpoint Protection 2010 -- aimed at larger corporate users -- would be available from January 1, 2011. Forefront offers similar functionality to MSE, as well as centralized administration.

According to internal Microsoft research, 80% of PC users in the United States think their antivirus software is up to date. But in reality -- thanks to outdated signatures or lapsed trials -- only about 40% of Windows users are employing up-to-date antivirus software.

Discover smart, cost-effective strategies for SOX, PII, HIPPA and security policy issues
Ten Questions to Identify Compliance Risks When Sharing Information

Why, then, wasn't there more fanfare for the latest version of a free antivirus program that's earned plaudits? The United Kingdom's PC Pro magazine said the stealth release might have to do with the software looking less like its previous, standalone antivirus scanner incarnation, and more like the security software offered by the likes of Symantec and McAfee. With MSE 2, according to PC Pro, "users are now asked whether they want to turn on the Windows Firewall during installation, dragging Security Essentials closer to becoming a full-fledged security suite."

Microsoft has recently come under fire from some antivirus firms for apparently muscling onto their turf. In November, after Microsoft began automatically installing MSE onto PCs that lacked antivirus software, Trend Micro slammed Microsoft on competitive grounds.

In a similar vein, Panda Software blogged that Microsoft was threatening PC users by creating an antivirus monoculture. According to Panda, "Microsoft should offer the complete portfolio of more advanced and secure alternatives of free antivirus products and time-limited versions of paid security suites, allowing users to choose any of them from the Optional Windows/Microsoft Update." Microsoft doesn't appear to have pursued this strategy.

Interestingly, Microsoft's release of MSE 2 comes on the heels of a new study from German AV vendor Avira, which found widespread dissatisfaction with antivirus. According to the survey of more than 9,000 Avira users, 25% of antivirus users admit to pulling the plug on their antivirus software -- at least temporarily -- because it appeared to be slowing their computer. Furthermore, nearly two-thirds of respondents have tried multiple security products on their PC in the past year.

AVG Antivirus Update Crashes Windows 7 64-bit PCs

If you have not downloaded the latest version of AVG Antivirus 2011 free edition mandatory update, it would be sure to pay attention to intercept it before the collapse of your computer system; because the AVG update released on December 1 can crash Windows 7 running on 64-bit PC completely.

The problem lies in 271.1.1/3292 (432/3292) database update progress; when the update is completed, the software will prompt to restart, then the affected computer will pop up a C0000135 error(windows 7 kernel error) and can not restart, and AVG update crashes Windows 7 running on 64-bit PC completely.

AVG has released urgent update patches to ensure that more computer is not affected by this problem. AVG also published a solution about how to disable the software, and AVG forum users also come up with a number of problem-solving skills, such as pressing F8 to enter safe mode to remove AVG update.

Microsoft vs. McAfee: How free antivirus outperformed paid

Ed Bott has experiment
How effective is free antivirus software? Ed Bott had a chance to see a real, in-the-wild example just this month, and the results were, to put it mildly, unexpected. The bottom line? Microsoft’s free antivirus solution found and removed a threat that two well-known paid products missed. Here are the details.
Ed Bott’ve had Microsoft Security Essentials (MSE) installed on my main working PC for most of the past year. Mostly, he use it for real-time protection. He typically disable the scheduled virus scans on PCs and instead occasionally do a manual scan just to confirm that nothing out of the ordinary has snuck through. Last month he decided to perform a scan using the Full option.
MSE had detected several files that it considered malicious. One was a rigged PDF file. The other was a single file in the Java cache folder on this system that contained three separate exploits. Using the information in the MSE history pane, he found the file and uploaded it to Virustotal.com, which is a free service that allows you to scan a suspicious file using 43 separate antivirus engines. The file, identified by a unique hash, had already been analyzed:
Only 17 of 43 antivirus products detected this as a threat. The full results page showed the identification, if any, for each product on the list. Microsoft, Symantec, Avast, and F-Secure were among the engines that flagged the file. But the majority didn’t. That means one of two things. Either the file was a false positive, or he was about to delete something harmless and perhaps even necessary. Or it was real, and most AV programs were missing it.
To get to the bottom of the issue, he sent e-mail messages to contacts at three companies. He asked Microsoft to reanalyze the file and confirm that it was indeed malicious. He also asked McAfee and Sunbelt to look at the file; both of them had reported the file as clean, according to VirusTotal.
Microsoft had two analysts review the file. Here’s a portion of their response:
We have confirmed that the threat detection you received from Microsoft Security Essentials is indeed valid. There were more than 3.5 million reported CVE-2008-5353 attacks in Q3 2010, and Java vulnerability exploitations like these, while once a rare occurrence, have spiked this year. … [T]his exact file is something we have seen in the wild more than 40,000 times in the past six months.
This October 18 post by Holly Stewart on the Microsoft Malware Protection Center blog provides useful additional detail on why these types of attacks can be challenging for IDS/IPS vendors, as well as the steps customers should take to ensure that they are protected.
According to the scan results, this threat was first identified in definition 1.85.1774.0, which was released by Microsoft on July 9, 2010.
McAfee responded quickly to my e-mail as well. A spokesperson sent this reply:
Our Labs team took a look at the file you referenced and it is malicious. We are in the process of developing new heuristics to combat the effects from a stream of recent malicious JAR files more proactively, the file corresponding with the hash you mentioned is in the queue.
Sunbelt’s Malware Response Manager, Dodi Glenn, reported that this file was in the company’s repository and submitted it for detailed analysis. Here are the results:
This file contains a malicious java.class … that exploits the CVE-2008-5353 vulnerability. … We are currently testing our updated detection for this exploit and expect to release it shortly.
The good news is that my system wasn’t compromised in any way. The exploit in question was blocked by a Java update that I had installed last year. Likewise, the booby-trapped PDF file (which all of the antivirus programs detected) relied on the user having a very outdated version of Adobe Reader installed, and mine was fully up-to-date.
Last week, when I wrote about Microsoft’s decision to expand its distribution of Microsoft Security Essentials via Microsoft Update, McAfee complained that free software simply isn’t as good as its paid protection. Here’s what a spokesperson told me:
McAfee wants consumers to be safe online. Options that provide an elementary level of security are free products including Microsoft Security Essentials, however these mostly rely on traditional protection mechanisms. McAfee products offer not only more features but most importantly, McAfee products offer real-time protection using cloud-based Global Threat Intelligence to combat even the most sophisticated threats thus ensuring complete protection and peace of mind.
In this case, at least, that protection wasn’t as complete as the free Microsoft product it was comparing itself to.
As an aside, it’s worth noting that criticizing Microsoft Security Essentials because it’s free misses an important point. MSE uses the same scanning engine and definitions as its enterprise-grade Forefront product, which is most assuredly not free.
One certainly shouldn’t draw definitive conclusions from a single anecdotal example, but as this case shows, the gap between antivirus products isn’t as simple as free versus paid, and even the best and brightest researchers can miss a threat.

Resource:http://www.zdnet.com/blog/bott/microsoft-vs-mcafee-how-free-antivirus-outperformed-paid/2614

McAfee Launches Digital Information Security Initiative

McAfee announced it has unveiled its "Security Connected" initiative, enabling partners, developers and customers to apply a sustainable approach to securing digital information.
McAfee has announced the first two of four new connected security platforms.
1. McAfee Endpoint Security 9
2. McAfee Security Management 5


Security often is being driven from different silos within businesses, from mobile devices, PCs, and tablets, to mission-critical networks, hosted applications, servers, cloud services, virtual machines, and databases, bringing dozens or hundreds of different security technologies and disparate management paradigms with them.

McAfee said its Security Connected components include: -Proactive security through built-in integration and intelligence -Global Threat Intelligence: Threat research and content capability to deliver predictive threat analysis, reputational scoring, cloud delivery and intelligence in depth to power connected security technologies.

-Broad portfolio of countermeasures: Integrated security for PCs, Mac, smartphones, tablets, storage, embedded, silicon, network perimeter, datacenter, web gateways, mail security, content, and so on with a choice of on premise, SaaS, or hybrid delivery models.

-McAfee Connected: program is aimed at helping partners worldwide ensure product and service compatibility with McAfee solutions. The program's testing process ensures that the third-party hardware, software and services that customers choose perform well, and are compatible with, McAfee technology.

How to Remove Antimalware Doctor Virus ?

End Infected Processes

Step 1

Press "Ctrl" + "Alt" + "Delete."

Step 2

Click on the "Task Manager."

Step 3

Click on the "Processes" tab.

Step 4

Right click on "Antimalware Doctor.exe," and select "End Process."

Delete Infected Registry Values

Step 1

Click on the "Start" menu.

Step 2

Click on "Run."

Step 3

Type "regedit" (without the quotation marks) and click "OK." The Registry Editor will open.

Step 4

Locate the following registry values in the left pane of the Registry Editor and delete them. To delete a registry value, right click on it and select "Delete."

"HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Antimalware Doctor Inc\Antimalware Doctor"
"HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\Antimalware Doctor"
"HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run Antimalware Doctor.exe"

Delete Infected Files

Step 1

Click on the "Start" menu.

Step 2

Click on "Search Files and Folders."

Step 3

Search for and delete the following files. To delete a file, right click on it and select "Delete."

"enemies-names.txt"
"Antimalware Doctor.exe"

Trend Micro Titanium Maximum Security 2011

Trend Micro's Titanium initiative aims to offers consumers maximum security with minimal aggravation. When you download Trend Micro Titanium Maximum Security 2011you immediately how different it looks from the 2010 model.
Features:
SPAM-BLOCKER
Detects and blocks annoying and dangerous junk email and image spams. The real-time spam detection provides immediate protection from outbreaks.

REAL-TIME UPDATES
Safeguard your computer from the latest on-line threats today and in the future. Titanium Maximum Security leverages Trend Micro%27s Smart Protection NetworkT plus real-time antivirus scanning to provide always-on-guard protection keeping you safe from latest, ever-evolving malware threats.

PARENTAL CONTROLS
Protect your children from inappropriate websites, limit their time on the Internet, and see detailed reports about what they do online, without having to look over their shoulders.

DATA THEFT PREVENTION
Prevent hackers and spyware from stealing credit card numbers, passwords, email addresses, and other sensitive data.


TREND MICRO VAULT
A password protected folder that can safeguard your sensitive files. If your computer is lost or stolen, you can remotely lock this vault to keep these files safe.

SECURE ERASE
Deleting a file just removes the directory information used to find it, but not the actual data. Secure Erase overwrites deleted files with random data, so that the contents can%27t be retrieved.

SYSTEM TUNER
Recover disk space, make Microsoft Windows start faster, clean out your instant messaging history, and optimise your computer%27s performance. Schedule automatic tune-ups to keep your PC running smoothly.

LIGHT ON SYSTEM RESOURCES
Titanium is powered by Trend MicroT Smart Protection NetworkT which gathers and analyses threat data, blocking viruses and other malware BEFORE they can reach your PC. Because the processing is done "in the cloud", Titanium uses less of your PC%27s memory and disk space, so it won%27t slow you down.

DETAILED SECURITY REPORTS
Easy to read graphic reports provide you with all the details about the threats that attack your computer. You can drill down into detailed logs with just one click.

FREE TOOLS
The Titanium Maximum Tool Centre displays a page of shortcuts so you can easily access and manage features such as Parental Controls, System Tuner, Secure Erase and more. From the Tool Center you can turn features ON or OFF for a solution tailored to your individual internet security needs.

Norton Releases 2011 Security Products

Norton announced its 2011 versions of its Norton Internet Security suite and Norton Antivirus software, a new application--Norton Power Eraser--that is produced to remove the increasingly common fake antivirus malware.
New features for Norton's 2011 product lineup include new "reputation-based" detection technology, bolstered behavioral malware detection (detecting malware based on how it acts on your PC), and new system performance monitoring tools.
Norton Power Eraser is a new freebie tool designed to identify so-called fake antivirus malware--malware that looks like garden variety antivirus software and tried to coerce you into paying for "full" versions of the software that do nothing at all.
Another new tool is Norton's Bootable Recovery Tool, a tool of last resort for when your PC is so hosed by malware that it won't start up, or your antivirus software won't even work properly. The Bootable Recovery Tool is a free download, but you need to enter a Norton product key in order to use it.
As for detection, the company declares that the new Norton products lead the security pack. We'll be the final judge of that, though, when we have a chance to thoroughly test the new Norton products. To see how Norton Internet Security 2010 performed, be sure to check out our review from earlier this year.
The new Norton products are available for purchase now from Norton.com; Norton Internet Security 2011 costs $70 (for use on 3 PCs), and Norton Antivirus 2010 costs $40.

Kaspersky Lab welcomes greater online Facebook protection

Kaspersky Lab has welcomed latest moves by Facebook and CEOP (the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Service) to provide users of the social networking site a panic button app.
The app, which is designed to protect children who use the Facebook social networking site, is a good move says the IT security vendor, but there needs to be more education and vigilance in order to keep young people safe online.

Ram Herkanaidu, a member of Kaspersky's global research and analysis team, says that having a panic button is an important step, but it needs to be part of a wider education for both adults and children on how to keep them safe online. "It can be difficult for anyone, child or teenager, to know who online strangers really are, so it is important to understand the techniques used to attract young people and how to combat them", he said.

Against this backdrop, Kaspersky suggests all online users have a good internet security suite installed on their computer, with parental controls that can monitor youngsters' social networking interactions. And, says the IT security vendor, if need be, users should block messaging to certain users, as well as confidential information like the home address, phone numbers and other sensitive private data.

Parents, says Kaspersky, should always be attentive of how much your children use the internet and to whom they are speaking to and when. And parents, the IT security firm adds, should always investigate any new contacts, if they approach your child first.
Finally, says Herkanaidu, if your internet security has parental controls, you should make full use of them to examine your children's online activity and stop them from being groomed into giving personal information that could potentially put them in danger. Social networking websites, he says, are a modern cultural phenomenon. Facebook alone, for example, currently has over 300 million active users, 150 million of which log-on at least once a day

Kaspersky Lab Predicts Malware Epidemics

Kaspersky Lab, a leading developer of secure content management solutions, has successfully patented technology in the USA that allocates the potential scale of malware epidemics to be accurately predicted in order to prevent them from spreading.
"The patented technology works by examining statistical data about threats received from a global monitoring network.
Emerging epidemics can be recognized by the number of incidents occurring during a specific period in one location or another. It makes it possible to pinpoint the source of an epidemic and forecast its likely propagation pattern.
Protective measures can then be implemented by countries in the path of the epidemic. This slows the proliferation rate considerably and offers effective damage limitation, according to chief intellectual property counsel Kaspersky Lab.
The technology has a number of advantages over other similar systems, including the ability to trace the source of the threat, generate protective measure and simulate the spread of an epidemic, she said.
Today's malware has the capacity to spread in millions of computers infected in an instant as an epidemic sweeps across the Internet. This can take down huge swathes of infrastructure, bringing information highways to a standstill and leaving systems vulnerable to data leakage which in turn opens the door to large scale fraud. Detecting malware on computer that is infected during an epidemic has little or no effect. What is needed is a reliable method for estimating the potential scale and direction of an epidemic, an early warning system, and that is exactly what the new technology developed by Kaspersky Lab's Yury Mashevsky, Yury Namestnikov, Nikolay Denishchenko and Pavel Zelensky, is capable of doing. The technology was granted Patent No. 7743419 by the US Patent and Trademark Office on 22 June, 2010.
Kaspersky Lab currently has more than 50 patent applications pending in the USA, Russia, China and Europe. These relate to a unique information security technologies developed by the Company's personnel.

Different reasons for System Crash

The different reasons for your system crash are described as follows:

1. Hardware conflict:
The number one reason why Windows crashes is hardware conflict. Each hardware device communicates to other devices through an interrupt request channel (IRQ). These are supposed to be unique for each device. If there are a lot of devices, or if they are not installed properly, two of them may end up sharing the same IRQ number. When the user tries to use both devices at the same time, a crash can happen.
2. Bad Ram:
Ram (random-access memory) problems might bring on the blue screen of death with a message saying Fatal Exception Error. A fatal error indicates a serioushardware problem. Sometimes it may mean a part is damaged and will need replacing.
But a fatal error caused by Ram might be caused by a mismatch of chips. For example, mixing 70-nanosecond (70ns) Ram with 60ns Ram will usually force thecomputer to run all the Ram at the slower speed. This will often crash the machine if the Ram is overworked.
3. BIOS settings:
Every motherboard is supplied with a range of chipset settings that are decided in the factory. A common way to access these settings is to press the F2 or delete button during the first few seconds of a boot-up.
Once inside the BIOS, great care should be taken. It is a good idea to write down on a piece of paper all the settings that appear on the screen. That way, if you change something and thecomputer becomes more unstable, you will know what settings to revert to.
A common BIOS error concerns the CAS latency. This refers to the Ram. Older EDO (extended data out) Ram has a CAS latency of 3. Newer SDRam has a CAS latency of 2. Setting the wrong figure can cause the Ram to lock up and freeze thecomputer’s display.
4. Hard disk drives:
After a few weeks, the information on a hard disk drive starts to become piecemeal or fragmented. It is a good idea to defragment the hard disk every week or so, to prevent the disk from causing a screen freeze. This will start the procedure. You will be unable to write data to the hard drive (to save it) while the disk is defragmenting, so it is a good idea to schedule the procedure for a period of inactivity using the Task Scheduler.
5. Fatal OE exceptions and VXD errors:
Fatal OE exception errors and VXD errors are often caused by video card problems. These can often be resolved easily by reducing the resolution of the video display. If you have video card hardware conflict, you will see it here. Be careful at this point and make a note of everything you do in case you make things worse. The way to resolve a hardware conflict is to uncheck the Use Automatic Settings box and hit the Change Settings button. You are searching for a setting that will display a No Conflicts message.
6. Viruses:
Often the first sign of a virus infection is instability. Some viruses erase the boot sector of a hard drive, making it impossible to start. This is why it is a good idea to create aWindows start-up disk. A virus scanner requires a list of virus signatures in order to be able to identify viruses. These signatures are stored in a DAT file. DAT files should be updated weekly from the website of your antivirus software manufacturer.

Major Threats to Internet Security

Thе Internet іѕ a very scary рlасе. If уου don’t hаνе internet security software, уου аrе playing a risky game. Thаt’s a very simple аnd direct statement bυt a powerful one. I аm sure mοѕt PC users hаνе hаd ѕοmе form οf malware οn thе PC. Wе аll hаνе bееn thе victim οf a virus, spyware, adware, phishing οr spam mail. All thеѕе hаνе thе potential tο cause crippling dаmаgе tο уουr PC, threaten уουr privacy οr expose tο уουr personal information. Here аrе thе top five threats tο уουr internet security.

1. Spyware: Spyware іѕ аn аll inclusive term thаt includes mοѕt malware such аѕ Trojans, adware, pop up ads, modified cookies, keyloggers etc. Spyware іѕ usually engineered tο watch уουr online activity аnd uncover security errors. Thіѕ іѕ usually thе first step іn setting уου up fοr ѕοmе time information theft. Hackers hаνе developed sophisticated tools such аѕ keyloggers thаt саn record еνеrу key уου type. A qυісk tip іѕ tο avoid free anti-spyware. Spyware works bу exposing flaws іn уουr internet security. Sο search fοr thе anti-spyware program wіth a major magazine endorsement.

2. Identity Theft: Hackers саn steal уουr information bу a variety οf methods. Once thіѕ information іѕ gained, іt wіll bе used tο mаkе online рυrсhаѕеѕ using уουr credit card data, divert paychecks аnd сrеаtе fаlѕе documents. Usually thе top internet security software comes wіth ѕοmе protection against thіѕ problem. An internet security suite mау bе уουr best bet tο protect уουr online information. Another key factor tο search fοr іѕ a major secure payment processor logos аnd information.

3. Spam Mail: Spam Mail itself іѕ nοt dаngеrουѕ. Spam mail саn hаνе malicious links thаt саn dο everything frοm cause уουr PC tο bе infected bу a virus, introduce spyware, аnd attract more spam. A gοοd internet spam filter іѕ usually a gοοd option. Using internet security software аnd ѕοmе common sense wіll hеlр уου avoid bе inundated wіth spam mail.

4. Phishing Mail: Thіѕ method hаѕ become one οf thе more рοрυlаr ways tο stealing vital information such аѕ user names аnd password. Thіѕ works bу sending messages tο уουr email account pretending tο bе trusted sites such аѕ eBay, Paypal οr уουr bank. Thе links redirect уου tο a fаkе site thаt mimics thе trusted site. Yου type іn уουr personal information аnd hacker using іt tο mаkе online transactions wіth уουr info οr уουr money. Thіѕ іѕ real threat tο уου internet security. Thе best way tο avoid thіѕ іѕ tο update уουr web browser wіth phishing detection.

5. Yοu!: Thаt’s rіght maybe thе factor thе poses thе bіggеѕt threat tο уουr internet security. Social engineering such аѕ clicking οn obvious spam mail links, downloading freeware аnd sharing files іѕ a very dаngеrουѕ practice οn thе net. Bу јuѕt investing іn thе best software аnd updating regularly, сουld save уου frοm frustration аnd identity theft. Thіѕ іѕ thе one category whеrе thе bargain bin ѕhουld bе avoided. Alѕο, never download anything thаt іѕ sent tο уουr mail unless уου hаνе scanned іt fοr spyware аnd viruses. Hοwеνеr, іn thе age οf digital sharing people οftеn buck internet security bу trading pictures, movies аnd files without hesitaion.

McAfee vs Symantec

For decades, Symantec and McAfee have fostered tit-for-tat challenge that makes the old Hatfields and McCoys feud look tame by comparison. Though Symantec is the bigger player in the safety market due to the popularity of its anti-virus, McAfee has persevered as a much smaller but potent No. 2.

"Both McAfee and Symantec have at times leapfrogged each other," says Bill Trussell, managing director of security research at consultancy TheInfoPro. "Symantec gets into data-loss prevention, McAfee plays catch-up. McAfee gets into data encryption, later Symantec makes that move."

About two decades ago, McAfee and Symantec each started building up businesses around desktop anti-virus software, eventually expanding into other security segments. Symantec also broadened into storage, back-up and management tools and services with the acquisitions of Veritas and Altiris.

Constant product comparisons are part of McAfee and Symantec's long competitive tradition. If you read on McAfee's Web site an analysis entitled "McAfee Total Protection for Enterprise vs. Symantec Endpoint Protection," you can also go read "Symantec Endpoint Protection 10.0 vs. McAfee Total Protection for Endpoint" on Symantec's Web site.

Removal of AntiSpyware Soft Rogue AntiSpyware

Antispyware Soft is a dangerous rogue anti-spyware program that looks like a legitimate antivirus solution but is not one in fact. Antispyware Soft was installed by a Trojan that takes advantage of the smallest system vulnerabilities and security splits of the targeted computer. The Trojan also creates and adds new registry entries to system registry and makes the executables of Antispyware Soft run with Windows Startup to fulfill its malicious campaign. Once running, Antispyware Soft will automatically run a fake system scan. After the scan, Antispyware Soft will display numerous infections of exaggerated security threats on your computer and then claim that you should purchase the program in order to remove the infections or threats which don't even exist.


Technique to remove AntiSpyware Soft

If you are going to remove Antispyware Soft manually, there are many things to do:
1. Remove all processes related to Antispyware Soft; files with.EXE and.BAT extensions.
2. Delete all DLL and LNK files created by Antispyware Soft.
3. Delete registry entries in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE and HKEY_CURRENT_USER related to Antispyware Soft.

The manual removal of Antispyware Soft is quite a complex procedure. So, it is recommended to remove this rogue Antispyware with a professional designed removal tool called Spyware Cease. This tool also detect and remove malware that hide in your system.

Rouge Antivirus imitates BitDefender

BitDefender has recently found a new rogue antivirus software that was tricking users by installing it and posing as a BitDefender PC security product. Moreover the name wasd ByteDefender quite similar to BitDefender, this malicious software acts like a fully-fledged rogue antivirus with a twist.

Unlike other rogue antivirus applications, the ByteDefender sibling does not rely on the classic drive-by method used by most products of its kind, but rather allied on the popularity of the BitDefender products and their distinct visual identity to lure users into voluntarily downloading it. The website distributing it is located at hxxp://www.bytedefender.in (URL specifically invalidated to avoid accidental infection) and abusively built using the BitDefender layout. The domain name has been registered in Ukraine. Even the boxshots have been crafted in such a manner to trick the user into thinking that they are installing the genuine security product.
The infection scenario is simple, yet efficient: the user searching for a BitDefender software type genuine address and he/she might gets redirected to the malicious software’s webpage. As they have web page similar to webpage structure of original website, the user might download and install this rogue antivirus.
Once installed in the copmuter, this piece of scareware would start showing fake infection alerts in an attempt to pursue the user to purchase the “full version” and get rid of the mentioned fake threats.
Interesting enough, the payment processor for the ByteDefender Rogue antivirus is the trustworthy company Plimus, who has suspended sales on grounds of user abuse.

“Cyber-criminals have no boundaries when it comes to distributing and marketing their rogue computer security software. Sensational events, Trojanized applications or websites and watchfully forged –moreover they are useless – ‘security products’ are only a few of the multitude of methods to capitalize on unwary users”, said Catalin Cosoi, senior Researcher at BitDefender Company.

How to avoid Malware Attack?

Symantec a leading Antivirus and Antispyware company reported that there are more than 12000 malware detected every day. What actually malware means? Malware is a short name for malicious software they are designed to infiltrate your PC without your consent.

The best-known types of malware, viruses and worms, are known for the manner in which they spread, rather than any other particular behavior. The term computer virus is used for a program that has infected some executable software and that causes that software, when run, to spread the virus to other executable software. Viruses may also contain a payload that performs other actions, often malicious. A worm, on the other hand, is a program that actively transmits itself over a network to infect other computers. It too may carry a payload.

How do they infringe even though we have a firewall? The question is still unanswered. Is there any solution for this fatal ruthless infringement? Some would say that keep your anti-virus software updated and do a system run now and then, scan the external hardrive before using it and keep a back up of all the important information you have in your system. The saddest part is that, there are some malware that could even affect the anti-virus application.
One way to keep a check on malware is by changing the extension of the executable file of the antivirus software. But we have to make sure that the program runs with no problems what so ever. Expert technocrats suggest that one can change the extension of the executable to .com from .exe. One can also check the “hide the known extension file types” in the folder option under tools in Microsoft Windows Operating System. Although this is not the only solution to all the malware attacks one can try to keep a check on such nasty malwares.