Rogue software on the prowl

Beware! The innocuous warning that pops up on your PC with the message, 'Your computer is infected', could be the virus itself.

If you click on the subsequent window -- 'Click here to remove the virus' -- that is prompted by the malware, you could be led into a web of cyber thieves who make you pay for a useless program that pretends to delete a non-existent virus.

If you've ever been a victim of such deception, welcome to the age of Rogue Security Software. Rogue Software is on the rise across the world and has recorded a 10 per cent increase in the first half of this year as compared to the whole of 2006.

Websense Regional Manager (South Asia and SAARC), Venkatesh Swaminathan, cautions that users should be vary of falling prey to a rogue software since the main intention of the rogue suite manufacturers is to get money from gullible users.

Trend Micro, another anti-virus and content security software firm, states that at times rogue software uses innovative methods like upgrades for free trial software versions to lure the user. A full functionality upgrades would be offered for a fee, and purchasing the rogue program provides no service at all.

Another method is when the user visits a site with video content, it instructs the victim to download a video codec to view videos. The user gets a rogue suite instead of the video codec, which in turn pops-up the message that the computer is infected.

The rogue software is designed to look like legitimate security software that is running a trial mode on a user's PC. Many a time, it is designed to resemble Microsoft Windows alerts.

Examples of the myriad phony software packages that have propagated the internet include Winfixer, SpywareQuake, ErrorSafe, ErrorGuard, SpyShield, ApyAxe, SpywareNuker, and most recently, Spyhealer, DriverCleaner, and SystemDoctor.

At present, it is not as bad as malicious software. For example, a spyware does not want to get detected, but rogue software can be detected and removed.

With India on the prime slot of Internet growth space and the increase in web activities make the country vulnerable to rogue software attacks. F-Secure, another security firm, director (sales), Venu Palakirti, says a user acquires a rogue software due to his surfing habits.

"In India, browsing behaviour is not very secure and users don't really bother about the websites they visit".

How to avoid these malware

Purchase legitimate and trusted security software

When notified of an infection, contact a reputed software security firm

Do not download unknown programs / software

Visit secure sites (look out for the padlock symbol at the bottom right hand corner of your Internet browser)