What’s a Rogue – And Why Do You Need to Know?

You may not be familiar with the term ‘rogue software’ but there’s a very good chance that you or someone you know either has experienced it, or will in the near future. As malware writers inundate the web with rogue anti-malware programs, this kind of trickery is becoming more and more common, and now poses one of today’s greatest security challenges to computer users.. Let’s take some facts and figures on these fake anti-malware programs into consideration:

• In the end of December, the U.S. FBI released its first public alert on scareware, warning computer users to be wary of pop-ups that report security problems on their PC’s.
• The estimated dollar loss to victims that this type of malware has resulted in, according to the FBI: $150 million.¹
• According to Lavasoft Malware Labs analysts, the number of rogue applications is rising at an alarming rate. In 2005, 11 new rogues programs were found; in 2006, 39 new rogue programs were found; in 2007, 119 new rogues were found; in 2008, 225 new rogues were found; in 2009, 233 new rogues were found. December 2009 alone saw the release of 28 new rogues – almost one new rogue per day.

Due to today’s range of online risks, most of us are well aware that we need anti-malware protection on our computers in order to stay safe and secure online. The problem: not all anti-malware programs actually do what they say they will, and some are really just malware in disguise. In fact, malware authors are using your recognition that security software is a needed part of your online defense to scam you.