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Antivirus Security Pro mimicking computer protection for unethical profit

Tuesday 19 November 2013, 4:12AM

By Eric Molongo

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Antivirus Security Pro screenshot
Antivirus Security Pro screenshot Credit: Eric Molongo

The malware called Antivirus Security Pro is both annoying for the user and potentially harmful for the PC it finds itself on. This is a typical instance of rogue antispyware, that is, a piece of malicious software whose modus operandi involves deceiving a victim into thinking their computer is badly infected with Trojans, spyware, keyloggers, worms and other nasty objects. The underlying reason for this deceit is the thirst for money that the unsuspecting user is expected pay for this app’s dummy services.

Catching Antivirus Security Pro usually takes place without your awareness and hence through no consent on your end. The bad payload can be covertly dropped on your system as you visit websites that have been compromised and therefore contain exploits. Another path for contamination is about bogus online scanners that pop up whenever a corresponding script is activated on a malicious domain; clicking any active component on those will inevitably lead to getting infected.

Having gotten inside your PC, the malicious code adds new files and, more importantly, creates registry entries which configure the operating system to run Antivirus Security Pro’s executable at startup. So the next time you turn on your computer and Windows loads, the scareware will trigger a fairly well designed graphical object pretending to display a virus scan. Of course this scan is not real, and neither are the malicious items it reports. But via the tactics of rendering fabricated scan results and misleading alerts, including system tray notifications, the rogue software tells its victim that the PC is severely infected and then recommends that they register the paid commercial copy.

Instead of wasting your money for registering the inexistent antivirus though, it’s strongly advised that you go to a dedicated guide online and follow several simple steps to remove the nasty Antivirus Security Pro scam.