In this blog I am going to explain why it is important to be aware of fake software, in recent news even some genuine software has been affected.
What Is Fake Software
Fake software is software pretending to be genuine software like antivirus and productivity software. They normally contain keywords which if not known can look like the genuine software which it is pretending to be. Once downloaded the software can open rootkits which attach themselves to the users computer infecting it with Malware which in turn can change the behaviour of the computer. A common Malware infection is when the home page is changed to a fake page containing adverts and fakes alerts!
Mindspark is common form of a hijack browser virus !
What To Look Out For
The first thing you most do before connecting to any internet both public or private is to make sure your antivirus software is enabled. Fake Software can be found in attachments on emails so before opening the attachment check the address of the sender for spelling mistakes. This goes for the attachment as well. If the attachment is open this could open a rootkit which would affected the computer with things like Mindspark, Driver Update & Registry Cleaner which are all fake.
The same applies when surfing the web for example you type: free antivirus software to protect your computer. This would bring a list of software in Google for you to click on and download. Make sure you check the spelling of the link to the website and that the word AD does not appear next to the link.
What Happens If I Get Infected
So, you accidentally download the fake software and it installs itself to your machine! The first thing to do is to disconnect your PC from the internet and go to Control Panel, uninstall a program. Sort by ‘installed on’, as this will display the latest software downloaded to your computer. Uninstall all traces of the rogue software. Once uninstalled to remove hidden traces of the software download Malwarebytes from: www.malwarebytes.org this is an excellent free anti malware tool which removes any traces of fake software and rootkits installed.
Summary
To protect yourselves from fake software you must have a strong antivirus installed, do not open any attachment, check to make sure the senders address is correct. When surfing the web, check the address of the website before downloading the software from it. C Cleaner which is a genuine software has been affected by scammers of late so make sure you check before you download.
For more information and further blog post please visit our website: www.bl-it-solutions.co.uk
Ben Leach is Director of BL IT SOLUTIONS LTD