Broadband News

A report from Microsoft claims that computer users' fear of viruses is leading to an actual increase in viruses. Confused? Yes, we are too. According to the software giant, scaremongering from the mainstream press over tech nasties, such as the Conficker worm, has led to worried consumers downloading bogus security programs. Instead of protecting the user from viruses, these programs contain malware and are doing the exact opposite of what they promise.

Microsoft says malware makers are capitalising on the worries of users who think they are being security savvy in downloading programs they believe will protect their machines from infection. (We've all seen the pop-ups and fake Windows command boxes telling us we are vulnerable to viruses and should upgrade our PCs right this instant.) According to its biannual Security Intelligence Report, 7 of the top 25 threats to internet-enabled PCs are from what Microsoft calls "scareware," or "rogue" security software. The Redmond firm says it's cleared 4.4 million PCs of one such application, Win32/Renos.

Most recently, the Conflicker worm, which opens up machines to remote control from malicious users, has been getting the most media exposure. George Stathakopoulos, head of product security at Microsoft's Trustworthy Computing Group, says fear of Conflicker "could be part of it." It's believed to have infected millions of machines but, with no serious incident as yet, it appears to have been over-hyped in the mainstream press – which famously created mass hysteria around the Millennium Bug.

Just like a decade ago, genuine security software developers like McAffee and Norton are profiting from media-induced increased numbers of people worrying about their PCs. Yet with others flocking towards rogue scareware programs, they are not only losing potential customers but are being left with a more difficult job in keeping their users safe online.

[ Reuters ]