Faked anti-virus solution develops in to a plague

Fri, 29 August 2008

A fake anti-virus solution that reports phantasy threats is currently spreading massively and causing annoying alerts. AntiVir protects computers against the phantasy program.

Tettnang, 29 August 2008 – Internet criminals are using aggressive methods to push fake anti-virus solutions on innocent victims. They gain success by targeting people with little computer knowledge or occasional users and make victims of such people.

A fake anti-virus solution such as “Antivirus XP 2008" annoys the users with permanent security alerts, it changes the desktop background and it reports imaginative threats on the system. There are very few other real anti-virus solutions that recognize this infection – because the fake anti-virus solutions create files with data trash, for instance in the Windows folder or the system folder, they consequently report as a threat. The fake anti-virus solutions force the user to purchase the fraudulent software in order to remove the fake threats.

The fake security programs access the computer through drive-by-downloads. A (hacked) website takes advantage of vulnerabilities in the web browser or outdated software such as Flash-Player, QuickTime, RealPlayer or other plug-ins, in order to install a harmful program on the Internet user’s computer.

Avira recognizes the fake security programs that are currently in circulation. They belong to the Trojan family TR/FakeAlert. Users should always keep their system up-to-date, in order to protect against attacks from undesired software. It is not enough to install all product updates provided by Windows. Users should update all data that has encountered the Internet.

About Avira
Avira is a leading worldwide provider of self-developed protection solutions for professional and private use. The company belongs to the pioneers in this sector with over twenty years experience.

The protection experts have numerous company locations throughout Germany and cultivate partnerships in Europe, Asia and America. Avira employ more than 180 employees at their main office in Tettnang on Lake Constance and is one of the largest employers in the region. There are around 250 people employed worldwide whose commitment is continually being confirmed by awards. A significant contribution to protection is the Avira AntiVir Personal which is being used by private users a million times over.

Well-known listed companies as well as educational organizations and public employers belong to the list of national and international customers. In addition to the protection of the virtual environment, Avira cares for more protection and safety in the real world by promotion of the Auerbach Trust. The Auerbach Trust of the founder of the company promotes common and social projects as well as the arts, culture and science.


Company contact:
Avira GmbH
Elisabeth Rothbart
Lochhamer Schlag 5a
D-82166 Gräfelfing/München
Telephone: +49 (0) 89 8583 639 17
Telefax: +49 (0) 89 8583 639 20
E-mail:  

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