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Scareware: the inside story
DARREL REES
38 | NewScientist | 27 March 2010
Scare raisers Jim Giles tracks down a massive online fraud that cashes in on our computer security fears
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HOW TO AVOID SCAREWARE ! Before buying security software, make
sure it comes from a well-known and trusted company. If in doubt, consult a tech-savvy friend. ! If a virus warning appears when you
are browsing the web, run a search on the company named in the scan. Many scareware companies are quickly identified this way.
unauthorised traffic between your computer and the internet, and will prevent scareware from installing itself without your knowledge. ! If you think nasties are already lurking
on your hard drive, use the free scans provided by reputable companies like McAfee, Symantec and Microsoft. ! Make sure you keep your security
! Make sure you have a firewall installed
and turned on. A firewall blocks
40 | NewScientist | 27 March 2010
software up to date once you have it installed.
Fake virus scans often look just like the real thing
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38 | NewScientist | 27 March 2010
Scare raisers Jim Giles tracks down a massive online fraud that cashes in on our computer security fears
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HOW TO AVOID SCAREWARE ! Before buying security software, make
sure it comes from a well-known and trusted company. If in doubt, consult a tech-savvy friend. ! If a virus warning appears when you
are browsing the web, run a search on the company named in the scan. Many scareware companies are quickly identified this way.
unauthorised traffic between your computer and the internet, and will prevent scareware from installing itself without your knowledge. ! If you think nasties are already lurking
on your hard drive, use the free scans provided by reputable companies like McAfee, Symantec and Microsoft. ! Make sure you keep your security
! Make sure you have a firewall installed
and turned on. A firewall blocks
40 | NewScientist | 27 March 2010
software up to date once you have it installed.
Fake virus scans often look just like the real thing
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