Has anyone else noticed a rise in virus "rip off" programs? See: The rise of the rogue AV testers

[1776Forever]

I just got done "fighting" a virus I picked up on the Maine's Acadia National Park site that I picked up after going there when I read a post on DU about the Obama's visiting there for their vacation. I had never even heard of the Park and was curious to see what it looked like.

It turned out that I picked up a virus that was one of the worst ones I have ever had to fight yet off the site! Of course I got the usual buy this product to stop this virus lie but I fought it off with Malwarebytes and resetting my Internet Explorer settings back to the original ones. Anyway I just wanted to see what others on DU have had experience with lately. I really do think it is getting worse and there seems nothing is being done about it.

I found this article on rogue AV Testers that caught my eye:
.........................

The rise of the rogue AV testers
By Ryan Naraine | July 13, 2010

http://www.zdnet.com/blog/security/the-rise-of-the-rogue-av-testers/6822

....Just as Rogue AV (scareware) products exploded and became one of the most profitable categories of crimeware, I suspect Rogue AV testers will follow. In the process, they will also become an extremely profitable category. And of course, the worst of all, they will provide a strong, negative value to the entire IT security industry.

So, if you are trying to compare security solutions, I recommend sticking to established testing organizations such as Virus Bulletin, AV-TEST.ORG and AV-COMPARATIVES or reputable magazines, with a good history behind them. If in doubt, ask for AMTSO affiliations and finally, do not forget about the list of hints that can help you spot Rogue AV Testing behavior.

Do not become a victim of the Rogue AV Testers!

[BrklynLiberal]

1. I have seen many adds for them..and ALMOST bought one...

Schemes to make a quick buck are like a mold...they spread quickly and cover everything they can

[1776Forever]

4. And this crime seems to be one that can't be legislated against - They go scott-free! n/t

[RC]

2. Internet Explorer? Why?

Find something else:

http://www.webdevelopersnotes.com/design/browsers_for_windows.php3

[1776Forever]

5. I have some games that I play off IE that don't work very well with FireFox, Chrome i.e. I have

tried to get away from it. Thanks - good idea though!

[bluerum]

3. Just buy a legit Anti-virus package. Ignore anything else on any web site. If

you get a popup or screen that says 'click here' - DO NOT CLICK ANYTHING ANYWHERE ON THE PAGE. Shut the machine down. Pull the plug. Push the button. Whatever it takes. Just get away.

Lots of legitimate anti-virus software available. Check Newegg, Amazon, big box retailers. Keep up with the updates and renew.

And be careful out there.

[1776Forever]

6. Thanks - I have a bunch on my PC - I guess not the right one yet. They have to keep up with them...

You are so right - if you don't update the service it won't work.

[RC]

7. AVG and Avast are free and as good and sometimes better than the stuff

you pay for.

[leveymg]

8. Most pop-up viruses can be killed by reinstalling your browser.

If you don't have Firefox and MS Explorer, download the other one and uninstall the program that's giving you problems. You can usually tell by looking at the CPU usage (CONT-ALT-DELETE-APPLICATIONS) if your Explorer or Firefox is infected.

If the virus or trojan has gotten into other programs, you'll probably have to do an OI wipe and reinstall.

[walldude]

9. Yeah.. I have dealt with a few over the years.. Spy Sheriff was the worst

It took over your desktop, removed admin access, eliminated right click and ctrl alt del functions, killed the System Restore.. basically locked me out of my machine...

A few tips.. Pay for good Anti-Virus and Spyware Removers, There are a number of decent anti-virus softwares out there, and Super Spyware remover works great for getting rid of spyware. Scan your machine after every use. Also a registry cleaner works wonders, dumps a lot of crap from your system. RegEdit is what I use for that.

DON"T USE IE! Most spyware and viruses are written for Internet Explorer, there are a number of better browsers out there anyway, Firefox and Opera come to mind.

Never click on a pop-up that says something to the effect of "Your system is in danger, click here for free checkup"...

Backup and re-install your operating system every 6 months or so...

If you want to avoid viruses all together, and you can afford it.. buy a Mac. The user base for Mac is so small that jerks don't bother with viruses for it.

[HooptieWagon]

10. My boss got one on his computer at home, he had a devil of a time fixing it. n/t