When browsing the Internet, there are many threats that we can face. There are many types of malware and other dangers lurking on the web. However, we can also count on many tools and methods with which to defend ourselves. Of course, hackers are always looking for ways to perfect their techniques. In this article we are going to talk about what rogueware is . It is a type of threat that puts our computers at risk through false messages. We will explain what it is and, most importantly, how to avoid being victims.
What is rogueware
Rogueware is just one of the many threats that exist on the network and can infect our devices. This time it is malicious software that pretends to be an antivirus or security tool that launches an alert indicating that something is wrong with our computer.
There are many security tools that we have at our disposal. Users always seek to have a good antivirus and other varieties of software that can protect us. Now, sometimes we can find false messages, alerts that pretend to be from the antivirus or another legitimate tool but that is actually a threat.
Just that is rogueware. Basically we can say that they are messages that appear when we browse, for example, and indicate that our computer has malware , that there is a problem or threat that must be corrected. It offers us the possibility of clicking on a button or link that shows us and through that download a supposed software to correct the problem.
What happen? As we can imagine by clicking on that link we are actually downloading the malware. What we really do is add malicious software to our team.
How rogueware attacks
Rogueware is primarily based on errors that users make. As we have seen, they are messages that can appear when browsing the Internet or even when using another tool. Those messages, those alerts, are going to require user interaction. That is the good news, since if we do not take any action it will not infect us.
The hackers want the victim to click on the links they offer to supposedly fix the computer, update some faulty software, etc.
Many hackers use poisoning techniques to inject code into websites. In this way, they show the messages that victims receive and then offer this malicious software.
However, sometimes these threats come after we have previously installed some type of maliciously modified software or that contains adware. For example, some browser extension.
How to protect ourselves from rogueware
Fortunately, it is very easy to protect ourselves from rogueware. The main and most important thing is common sense . We have seen that hackers are going to need user interaction to deploy their attacks. They are going to need us to click on a link or download something. Therefore simply by always keeping common sense in mind, by not making mistakes of this type, we will have a lot of cattle.
Having security tools will also be essential. A good antivirus, as well as other varieties of security software, can prevent the entry of viruses and other threats like these. We have many free and paid options at our disposal. It is something that we must apply to any device or system that we are using.
On the other hand, something that cannot be missed is keeping the equipment and systems updated correctly. On many occasions, vulnerabilities arise that can put our security at risk. Those flaws can be exploited by hackers to deploy their attacks. Therefore, always having the latest patches installed in our operating system, as well as in any tool we use, is going to be essential.
