What is Scareware in Cyber Security?
In cybersecurity, “Scareware is a social engineering attack that claims to have detected a malicious virus or a technical issue in a victim’s device and manipulates the victim into downloading harmful software (malware) or purchasing a fake antivirus software to solve the issue.”.
The scareware attacks may happen by auto-playing pop-up ads or spam emails. However, scareware attacks use social engineering tactics to scare the victims by convincing them of unwanted viruses in their devices. Clicking on pop-ups or spam emails directs users to either download malware or purchase fake antivirus software. Hence, the attackers can gain access to the user’s sensitive data, such as credit card details or social account numbers. The attackers utilize stolen data for further malicious or phishing activities in the future, usually based on identity theft.
Anyhow, scareware is a key component of multi-prong attacks. So, scareware is considered a gateway for other more malicious cyber attacks like ransomware, spyware, and adware.
Difference between Scareware, Ransomware, Spyware and Adware
Scareware, ransomware, spyware, and adware are all the types of malware. However, they all differ in terms of the extreme nature of the threat and their attacking styles.
- Scareware: Scareware is a malware attack that tricks the victims into downloading malicious software or buying fake security software. Scareware is a medium to high-level threat that uses pop-up or spam emails to trick the victims.
- Ransomware: Ransomware is malicious software (malware) that denies the victims access to their systems or data by encrypting the critical files until a ransom is paid for their release. Ransomware is more aggressive than scareware.
- Spyware: Spyware is also malware that is installed on the user’s device to monitor the activities and gain unauthorized access to sensitive data without the user’s knowledge. However, spyware is a medium-level cyber threat.
- Adware: This type of malware displays unwanted ads on a user’s computer or mobile device. These ads redirect the users to malicious websites, where attackers may collect browsing data and compromise user’s privacy. Nevertheless, adware is a low to medium-level cyber threat.
How Scareware Attack Works
Scareware attacks usually work in a specific pattern. Scareware uses spam emails or pop-ups. These scareware pop-ups can use the logos of well-known companies (e.g., Google) to reveal a trustworthy source. “OR” These pop-up ads may use the reference to any product name, such as “Mac Virus Defense” or “Windows Fixer,” to reveal a trustworthy company.
Sometimes, the attackers design scareware pop-ups as notifications from the operating systems of users’ devices. These pop-ups create a sense of fear and urgency by warning the users that a malicious virus or file has been detected in their devices. After all, the attackers suggest solutions to remove the unwanted virus from the user’s devices. The scammers compel the users to download or buy fake antivirus software to resolve the issue. The scammers typically trick users into installing malware onto their computers once they click the “download here” button. If users compromise, then something discussed below may happen:
- The users may be directed toward a malicious website, where they face financial loss (e.g., credit card details).
- Users might incur charges for ineffective or fraudulent antivirus software.
- Users’ devices may have spyware installed to monitor their activities and collect browsing data.
Note: These three are the main red zones for users in scareware. Therefore, users should be aware of these potential cyber threats.
How to Identify the Scareware Attacks
The key sign of scareware is creating a scare by claiming the presence of a malicious virus in users’ computers to get a quick response. However, there are some other remarkable signs or hints to recognize the scareware attacks. These signs may provide simpler guidance to differentiate between scareware and real security notifications. Anyhow, here are some general signs and symbols to identify the scareware attacks.
Unexpected Pop-ups or Alerts
The most common sign of scareware is the appearance of frequent pop-ups or alerts on the user’s devices. These ads usually look like authentic notifications from the operating system of devices using alarming expressions. These pop-ups interrupt the browsing windows, again and again, to trick the users into clicking the downloading button. Clicking on the download button could potentially lead to scams.
Requests for urgent actions
The fake alerts (e.g., pop-ups or spam emails) often use alarming and urgent language, demanding quick actions. They alarm the users by claiming that if they don’t follow the instructions, they may face data loss or system damage.
Requests for payment
Scareware pop-ups convince the user to purchase the antivirus software to remove the virus from their devices. These pop-ups direct users to a fraudulent website, suggesting that they should purchase fictitious antivirus software to resolve the problem.
Grammar or spelling errors
The scareware may use spam emails (as discussed above). These spam emails might include some spelling or grammar mistakes. It’s also an obvious sign of a scareware attack because any real security software is professionally designed to provide error-free notifications.
Note: Stay away and be alert when you note any of the above signs. Otherwise, you can get scammed.
Examples of Scareware Attacks
Here are the most common examples of scareware attacks:
Free Anti-Virus Scam
A sudden pop-up interrupts the browsing window, alerting the user to the presence of a malicious virus or malware on the device. The pop-up seems like an authentic alert from the security operating system of the device. Anyhow, these types of fake alerts stimulate the users to remove unwanted malware from their devices. Consequently, these fake alerts persuade users to download or purchase fraudulent antivirus software, such as SpySheriff, in an attempt to resolve the issue. Furthermore, such fake antivirus software causes not only financial loss but can also install other malware like adware.
Fake Tech Support Scam
Sometimes, scareware pop-ups seem to originate from authentic tech support companies such as Microsoft and Apple. These pop-ups inform the users that a technical issue is detected in the device. Furthermore, they assure the users that the technical issue may affect the device’s processor. “OR”. Such pop-ups may convince the user to uninstall the genuine antivirus software to gain remote access to the user’s device.
For example, the Office Depot scandal of 2019, where the Office Depot team was running fake scans on users’s devices. The employees were using the results of fake scans to provide unnecessary repair services, earning large amounts in return.
Fake Law Enforcement Scams
The pop-ups or spam emails seem to come from government authorities such as the police or the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation). These pop-ups inform the target that they have detected illegal activity or content on their device. The scammers ensure that the case will be dismissed if the target pays the fine.
How to Remove Scareware
The removal of scareware from any device may be tricky. Once installed, scareware becomes challenging to remove. However, the following tips may prove beneficial in scareware removal.
- Don’t click anywhere in the scareware pop-ups or spam emails.
- Restart your computer and try to consult with an IT expert.
- Get disconnected from your internet service.
- Use a full system scan with authentic anti-malware programs.
- Check your browser settings and update your antivirus software.
- Uninstall any suspicious programs on your device.
How to Prevent Scareware
Here are some of the best practices to protect against scareware attacks:
Security Awareness Training
Cybersecurity awareness training is one of the most potential ways to avoid scareware attacks. Similar to other social engineering attacks, scareware may be less effective and dangerous for individuals who are well familiar with security measures. Therefore, every individual must be educated about working methodology, tips to remove, and prevention strategies for scareware.
Use Anti-Malware tools
Install authentic anti-malware software such as Microsoft Defender Antivirus, Bitdefender, and Malwarebytes. Such types of antivirus programs block malicious viruses from entering the device. Thus, the use of anti-malware tools ensures staying safe and sound for users.
Network Security Protocols
The use of network security tools is also another technique to avoid scareware attacks.
- Firewalls—Block the unauthorized access to users computers.
- URL filters—Safeguard the users to move on towards fake websites
Ad blockers, pop-up blockers, and spam filters are also some other security tools that can help stop scareware attacks.