Get Tech Support Now - (818) 584-6021 - C2 Technology Partners, Inc.

Get Tech Support Now - (818) 584-6021 - C2 Technology Partners, Inc.

C2 provides technology services and consultation to businesses and individuals.

T (818) 584 6021
Email: info@c2techs.net

C2 Technology Partners, Inc.
26500 Agoura Rd, Ste 102-576, Calabasas, CA 91302

Open in Google Maps
QUESTIONS? CALL: 818-584-6021
  • HOME
  • BLOG
  • SERVICES
    • Encryption
    • Backups
  • ABOUT
    • Privacy Policy
FREECONSULT
Tuesday, 05 February 2013 / Published in Woo on Tech

Scareware goes for the throat

Panic button

You may have already come across this strain of malware before: a big, official looking notice pops up on your screen accusing you of software piracy. You are offered the opportunity to pay your “fine” online, which appears to be the only way to remove the notice and get back the use of your computer. This form of extortion scam is known as “scareware” and has been around for years. Most technology users are savvy enough these days to no longer fall for this particular tactic, but a new form of scareware accusing users of viewing child pornography is now circulating that is giving even the most hardened malware veterans cause to pause. As you can imagine, being accused of this particularly heinous activity puts potential victims into the uncomfortable position of sharing this with someone else, something that they may be willing to avoid by paying what now may seem like a reasonable “fine”. Cybercriminals are counting on the squeamish and privacy-conscious nature of most people in this regard, and it’s likely we’ll see a huge uptick in this type of scareware tactic.

What this means for you:

No law enforcement agency in the United States issues fines via the internet, and they certainly don’t hold your computer hostage until the fine is paid. If your computer is infected with a scareware virus, immediately disconnect it from the network and contact your IT department or technology consultant, regardless of what you are allegedly accused of doing by the scareware notice. Any IT professional worth a darn will be intimately familiar with this particular type of malware and should be able to remove it from your computer, BUT, depending on the level of infection, your data and identity may be at risk, as well as your personal information, especially if you’ve accessed online bank accounts or other sensitive online information. You’ve backed up your important data on that computer right? Because many times, it’s easier to wipe a computer completely clean and start with a fresh operating system rather than cleaning up a malware infection. This is yet another reason in a long list on why you should be backing up your data regularly.

Image courtesy of Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

  • Tweet
Tagged under: extortion, malware, ransomeware, scareware, security

What you can read next

2-Factor Security
Apple adds 2-factor Authentication to AppleID
Windows 7 logo
The end of an era, not the end of the world
working from home
Pandemic Lockdown Hitting Tech-Challenged the Hardest

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recent Posts

  • Social Media monetizes our need to be social

    Part of our occasional series “The Elepha...
  • Freemail accounts will be hacked

    Most of you know that I do not recommend using ...
  • LastPass Breach is bad news for everyone

    Late in the year, just in time for the holidays...
  • 2023 – Approach with Caution

    Traditionally I like my year-end messages to be...
  • Privacy sign

    Popular tax apps leaked your data to Facebook

    While it shouldn’t come as a surprise to any of...

Archives

  • GET SOCIAL
Get Tech Support Now - (818) 584-6021 - C2 Technology Partners, Inc.

© 2016 All rights reserved.

TOP