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Oct 19 2009   10:34PM GMT

A good business model: Symantec reports on “scareware”



Posted by: Neil Roiter
Rogue Antivirus, Antivirus, antivirus software

Report finds cybercriminals well organized in coordinated rogue antivirus schemes.

Maybe we’ve made people too security conscious?

I’m being facetious, but if we hadn’t succeeded in scaring people straight into worrying about identity-stealing malware and phishing attacks, would so many fall for rogue antivirus scams? I confess, I’m more tempted to click yes, please make my PC whole again when I see a pop-up that looks even more like Windows Security Center than Windows Security Center than I am to click a link to address a bogus issue with my bank account security or, certainly, to respond to a sales pitch for cheap Viagra or breast implants.

The “Symantec Report on Rogue Security Software” covering a year (July 2008-June 2009) of “scareware” paints an all-too-familiar picture of organized cybercrime that is…very well organized.

Consider that this is a direct pay model. You give the AV “vendor” your credit card number, paying anywhere from $30 to $100 for software that at best does nothing at all and at worst drops some really nasty malware on your hard drive. They’ll often use legitimate credit card transaction companies– it’s just good business practice — because phony transaction handlers are likely to be discovered and shut down.

The scareware vendors use networks of affiliates, who use dedicated websites, banner ads, spam and spyware to download the “YOUR PC IS INFECTED!! TO BE SURE YOU ARE FREE OF MALWARE, PURCHASE XPANTIVIRUS” message. According to the report, the affiliates get between a penny and 55 cents per installation, the highest payoffs going for drops on U.S. computers. Affiliates get a lot more if someone actually buys the rogue software.

Symantec received reports of 43 million rogue security software attempts to install the more than 250 distinct examples of rogue AV software it identified.

The report echoed many of the findings of Panda Security in a July report.

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Oct 7 2009   8:02PM GMT

Kaspersky responds to Microsoft Security Essentials with update for SMBs



Posted by: Robert Westervelt
antivirus software, Antivirus, Kaspersky

Antivirus vendor ignores Microsoft Security Essentials, updates suite targeting SMBs.

Microsoft introduced its free Security Essentials antivirus software to Windows users late last month in a move that was bound to turn some heads among antivirus vendors with most of their eggs in the consumer basket. Symantec is well diversified, but the vendor still commissioned its own report, finding that its Norton Antivirus beat MSE on overall accuracy and protection.

Kaspersky is one such antivirus vendor rooted in the consumer market that is trying to strengthen its presence among enterprises. The security vendor ignoring the MSE hype, instead rolling out the next version of its Kaspersky Open Space Security (KOSS). The suite includes an administrative console and antivirus software for Windows workstations and file servers.

The Administration Kit is aimed at small and mid-sized businesses. It has a wizard-based installation. The console provides policy-based administration and continuous monitoring. Administrators can deploy Kaspersky antivirus and set policy for groups or individuals as well as respond to problems. It supports device management for up to 10,000 nodes.

Russia-based Kaspersky competes against Symantec, McAfee, Trend Micro and others. The company is strong in Russia and Eastern Europe and company CEO Eugene Kaspersky himself has a strong following in China. Greg Sabey, of Kaspersky Lab technology public relations said the vendor was excited about opportunities it saw in Latin America and Brazil.

An independent analysis by the Burton Group described Kaspersky Lab as having some of the strongest antimalware protection functionality around. The Burton Group cautioned though that companies should closely evaluate whether the vendor could meet support needs. Kaspersky is a small company and its focus has been on consumer and OEM channels. Enterprises may be better off using portions of the Kaspersky suite or deploying it in a remote office, rather than in an enterprise-wide deployment.

Kaspersky points out in their press release that customers get support from “U.S-based technicians” and the average time to answer a call is less than five minutes.

As for MSE, we’ll be keeping an eye on how the free Microsoft tools shake up or fail to shake up the antivirus market.

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