Rogue AV claims to send money to environmental causes

Posted by   Virus Bulletin on   Sep 3, 2009

'Green AV' best added to blacklist to avoid red faces.

In an attempt to lure users into buying it, the rogue anti-malware product Green AV claims to send US$2 per purchased product to the Amazon rainforest.

Like similar pieces of software, Green AV uses legitimate end-user concerns about malware and spyware to try and persuade people buy it. However, as an added 'bonus', it claims to send 2 dollars to environmental causes for each product purchased.

Unlike other rogue anti-virus products, Green AV does not offer a free trial, instead requiring users to pay right away. It does not make the product any less fake though, and users who have bought the product could find themselves infected with other malware.

More at Websense here.

A panel discussion at the VB2009 conference later this month will discuss the question of whether rogue anti-malware erodes users' trust in legitimate anti-virus software. Information on registering for the conference, which takes place 23-25 September in Geneva, is here.

Posted on 03 September 2009 by Virus Bulletin

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