Organizations can help employees protect themselves against scareware by providing regular training on how to spot suspicious activity or software. These tools must be kept updated at all times to provide effective protection from scareware and other types of malware. Furthermore, legitimate antivirus software, network firewalls, and web security tools will protect users from the spread of scareware. If that does not work, perform a hard shutdown of the device.Īnother option is to use tools like pop-up blockers and Uniform Resource Locator (URL) filters that prevent users from receiving messages about fake or malicious software. This can be achieved with the Control-Alt-Delete command on a Windows device and Command-Option-Escape to open the Force Quit window on a Mac device. A better option is to simply close the web browser rather than attempt to click on the pop-up ad. If scareware appears on your device, never click the "download" button, and always close the ad carefully. It is also important to avoid what is known as “the click reflex.” In other words, ignore all unexpected pop-up ads, warnings about new viruses, or invites to download free software that is not from a trusted organization. The most effective way for users to protect themselves from scareware is to only use software from legitimate, respected, well-known providers. Hackers want the fake software to linger on a user’s screen, so they make the close button difficult to find and show even more fake warnings when the user manages to locate and click on it. It is most likely scareware.Įven more concerningly, scareware ad pop-ups can be particularly difficult for users to remove from their device. Therefore, always be careful with any ad that demands the user to act immediately. Hackers attempt to convince users that the supposed device problem requires immediate action and then prompt them to install the program as quickly as possible. Typically, the more menacing or shocking an ad pop-up sounds, the more likely the claims being made are scareware.Īnother key feature of scareware is urgency. Some scareware ads also purport to be scanning the user’s device, then showing them hundreds of viruses that are supposedly present but are actually fake results. The hacker uses pop-up warnings to tell them their computer has been infected with dangerous viruses that could cause it to malfunction or crash. Scareware ads, which pop up in front of open applications and browsers, aim to scare computer users into thinking they have a major problem with their device. For example, rogue scareware or fake software names to watch out for include Advanced Cleaner, System Defender, and Ultimate Cleaner. So how is scareware used? Typically through pop-up ads from rogue security providers that may sound legitimate but are fake.
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